The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-13
Highest Officials Must An- SWer to Charges of viO-
 Iating Antitrust Law
MONOPOLY CHARGE IS
 ADDED ID CONSPIRACY
the Case and Gave Instructions to Let No One Escape
 Through m Alias

Chicago, September 12.-The federal. grand jury, which has been Investigating Chicago packers today late returned in- dictments against ten high officials of Swift, Armour and Morris concerns. There are three indictments against each, charging combination, conspiracy and illegal monopoly
 The men indicted are L. F. Swift, pres- ident of Swift X Co.,, and Edward Swift, vice president of Swift & Co.,. Charles H. Swift, director of Swift & Co.,: Edward Tilden. president of the National Pack ing company; J. ogden Armour presi- dent of Armour & Co.,: Arthur Meeker, general manager of Armour & Co.,; Thomas J. Connors, superintendent of Armour & Co.,: Edward Morris. president of Morris & Go. and Louis H. Heyman, manager of Morris & Co.
 The first indictment in detail charges all defendants with engaging in a combi- nation in restraint of interstate trade in fresh meats.
 The second charges conspiracy
 The third charges the defendants with nonopolizing the trade in fresh meats by unlawful means
 That the purpose of the grand jury in- qury was the indictment of individuals rather than the packing corporations was shown when Judge Kenesaw M. Landis. famous for the s29,Ooo,0oo Standard oil fine, launched the investigation
 Change of Name
 "It sometimes happens that a person about to violate the law takes a name other than his own," said Judge Landis, in his charge to the jury.
 "John Jones, undertaking to counter felt gold dollars, changes his name to John Smith or the Metals Fabricating company, and under that name does the thing forbidden by law
 "If your investigations disclose such case, do not ndict mere alias, but follow the trail wherever it may lead until you have located. identified and pointed out the real offenders
 The investigation which has just ended was the second started by Judge Landis within year. On January 20 he ordered a grand jury inquiry which on March 20 indicted the National PaeKing company and ten subsidiary concerns.
 Attorneys for the packers filed a de- murrer to the indictments. On June 23 Judge Landis sustained the demurrer. killing the governments case against the packing companies. At the same time he issued an order for a special grand jury venire of 70 men for July H.
 The witnesses who were summoned in- cluded employees of the Chicago compa- nies, eastern packers, small independ- ents, New York wholesale and retail meat dealers and packers from as far west as Denver, Col
 A. T. Fuller, vice president of the Ma tiona Packing company; C. c. Snowm, secretary and treasurer and Arthur Col by. assistant treasurer. were among the witnesses and were said thus to have ob- tained immunity.
 Important Witness
 Moses H. Joseph, secretary of the New York Butchers Dressed Beef associa- tion, was the most important witness early in the investigation. He told. un- der protest, how the Chicago packers got control of an independent concern found ed by the butchers for the purpose of fighting the so-called trust. Altogether more than 200 witnesses, more than half of them from out of town. were exam ined The grand jury continued it's work for about month, when. on August Il. the first sensation was sprung Thomas c. Lee, manager of the dressed beef depart ment of Armour X Co.,, was indicted for perjury The grand jury also returned sensational report charging Alfred R. Urion, chief counsel for the company and president of the Chicago board of educa- tion, and three Armour office employees, with having destroyed stenographers notebooks demanded by the inquistoral body.
 The men appeared in court and after hearing lasting several days, Judge Lan- dis dismissed the charge against uron. Final disposition of the perjury case was set for September 19.
 Tn the Lee perjury indictment 1t was charged that weekly meetings are held In Chicago at which the packers fix prices and decide how much business shall be done by each company during the week
 The grand jury practically ended its inquiry a week ago. Since that time government attorneys have spent their time in conferences at which indictments were prepared.
 The first federal grand jury investiga- tion of the packers began March 22. 1905. On July 1, 1905, Inducements were re- turned against 16 individuals and i've corporations. On December 13, l905 the only trial of the packers began. This dragged along until July 1. 1906, when Judge Humphreys gave the famous ''in- munity bath to all individuals on trial He declared the defendants had been compelled to furnish testimony which re- suited in their indictment and that the case against them should be dismissed In December. 1908, another federal grand jury inquiry was begun. This dragged on until April, 1s09 when fl was dropped with no indictments and no reasons given.
 Object of Agreement The indictment charging the 10 packing officials with engaging in combination in restraint of trade declares that the object of the agreement is the elimina- tion of competition between the Swift. Armour and Morris groups of defend- ants in the purchase of live cattle sheep
 
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