Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-09-16
TEN PACKERS
ARE INDICTED.
HIGH OFFICIALS OF SWIFT, AR.
MoUR AND MORRIS ARE
THE ACCUSED.
RESULT OF JUDGE lANDIs' PROBE
Restraint Of Trade and Conspiracy
Are Included in charges.-Reach'
Ina of Individuals Was Jury's
Purpose.


eating Chicago packers, returned IN
dictments against ten high ot1cials
of Swift, Armour and Morris con-
Germs. There are three indictments
against each, charging combination,
conspiracy and illegal monopoly.
The men indicted are l.. F. Swift,
president; Edward Swift, vice presi-
dent; Charles H. Swift, Francis A.
Fowler, of Swift & Co.; Edward TIL
den, president of the National Pack
ing company; ]. Ogden Armour, pres
ident; Arthur Meeker, general man
ager: Thomas ]. Connors, superin-
tendent of Armour & Co.; Edward
Morris, president, and Louis H. Hey
man manager of Morris & Co.
After Individuals.
That the purpose of the grand jury
inquiry was the indictment of indi-
yiduals rather than the packing cor
porations was shown when Judge Ke-
nesaw M. Lands, famous for the $29,-
100000 Standard Oil fine, launched the
investigation.
Two Obtain immunity.
A. T. Fuller, vice president of the
National Packing Company; c. G.
Snow, secretary and treasurer. and
Arthur Colby, assistant treasurer. were
among the witnesses summoned and
are said thus to have obtained i'm.
munity. Moses H. Joseph. secretary
of the New York Butchers Dressed
Beef association, was the most I'M
portant witness early in the investiga-
ton. He told under protest how the
Chicago packers got control of an In
dependent concern founded by the
butchers for the purpose of fighting
the so-called trust. Altogether more
than 200 witnesses were examined.
The grand jury continued its work
for about a month, when on Aug. IL
the first sensation was sprung. Thom-
as G.. Lee, manager of the dressed beef
department of Armour & Co.. was In
dicted for perjury. The grand jury
also returned sensational report
charging Alfred R. Urion, chief coun-
sci for the company and president OF
the Chicago board of education, and
three Armour Office employees with
having destroyed stenographers' note
books demanded by the inquisitorial
body.
In the Lee perjury indictment, 1t
was charged that weekly meetings are
held in Chicago, at which the packers
fix prices and decide how much bust
ness shall be done by each company
during the week.
To Eliminate Competition.
The Indictment charging the ten
packing officials with engaging In a
combination in restraint Of trade de.
clares that the object of the agree
ment is the elimination Of competition
between the Swift. Armour and Morris
groups of defendants.
The indictment further declares that
the method adopted for so doing was
first to refrain from bidding up the
prices of livestock, second, to agree
upon a uniform system Of figuring
the cost of meats sent to branch
houses.
Next, it is charged. the National
Packing Co., was used to obtain in
formation in all markets as to what
branch house managers were doing
this information being sent to the
Chicago offices of the National Co
at the end of each week. There Il
was accessible to the defendants a.
directors of this company. These re
ports, it is charged, were used b!
all the concerns as the basis OF or
ders for the next weeks business.
The second Indictment is practical
ly the same as the first. except thai
conspiracy, instead of combination
in restraint of trade. is charged.
For Purchase Of Cattle.
The third Indictment charges tina
| the packers have monopolized tn
trade in fresh meats by the following
| means:
BY a combination eliminating com
petition in the purchase of cattle ant
in the sales of meats.
By conducting the business of tn
National Packing company itself II
harmony with the business of tn
Swift, Armour and Morris interests.
BY removing the New York Butch
ers' and Dressed Meat association
from the field of competition by pur
chasing stock in that concern from
time to time until control of 1t wa
| secured.
THREE TOWNS HIT BY TORNADO
Gilman, onarsa and Danforth, ILL.,, Ar