Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-03-04
PACKERS INDICTED
FOR RAISING PRICE
SIX CORPORATIONS AND Fl Dl-
REcToRS NAMED IN CON-
SPIRAcY CHARGE.
NEARLY ALL ARE MILLl0NAIRES
Heads of Alleged Beef Trust Accused
of cornering and Limiting Neces-
sary and Reasonable Sup
ply of Meats.

New York City.-The heaviest
blow yet struck the beef trust by
way of punishment for arbitrarily
raising the price of meat and poultry
came when in Jersey City the grand
jury of Hudson county filed blanket
indictment charging a criminal con-
spiracy in restraint of trade. Six cor
porations, including the parent organ
ization, the National Packing Co., and
Fl individual directors were named
in the conspiracy charge. Most of
the individuals indicted are million
aires of Chicago. Kansas City and
st. Louis. Many of the names best
known in the packing industry are in
cluded in the conspiracy charge. All
will be arrested as soon as the au-
thorities can locate them unless they
surrender of their own accord. They
will be extradited to Jersey City and
held on bail for an early trial
Corporations and Individuals Named
The corporations indicted are: The Ma
uenal Packing Co., Armour & Co., Swift
& Co, Morris & Co., The Hammond
Packing Co., The G. II. Hammond Co.
The individual directors indicted and
labeled ITO heavy fine and imprison-
ment' are: j. Ogden Armour, A. Watson
Armour. Louis F. Swift Edward F. Swift,
Charles Fl. Swift, Edward Morris, Ira N
Norris. Arthur Meeker. Edward Tilden.
J.. A. Carton. Thomas T.. Wilson, Thomas
J. Connors. F. A Fowler, l.. II. Heyman.
James h. Bathgate, jr., George II. Ed
wards, F. " Cooper Henry p. Darling
ton. d. e. Hartwell, l.. b. Paterson. A.
a. Fuller. The name of Kenneth X Nc
Laren appears in the list of directors, but
he is not among those indicted for the
reason that the grand jury called him as
witness.
The vital evidence on which the in
dictment is based is said to have
been given by the Jersey City agents
of the National Packing Co. and the
other big packing concerns. These
agents testified that the price of beef
and poultry was fixed in Chicago and
sent on to them.
Charges Against Beef Packers.
The indictment sets forth that the Ma
tional Packing Co. and other corporations
mentioned are organized and exist under
and by virtue of the laws of the state of
New Jersey. They are engaged in the
buying and selling of cattle, hogs. sheep
and other live stock poultry and other
agricultural and dairy products They
maintain and operate stock yards, pack
ing houses, refrigerating and cold storage
houses. In the course of their business
they make large purchases of live stock
throughout the United States, shipping
the same to Chicago and there slaughter
ing large numbers of such live stock then
shipping carcasses to retail and whole
sale butchers
rieL Dbl
Then comes the direct charge that the
corporations and their directors ION the
first day of March, in the year of our
Lord one thousand nine hundred and
eight with force and arms, at the city of
Jersey City aforesaid, in the county of
Hudson aforesaid, and within the juris-
diction of this court. wilfully, unlawfully
and feloniously devising contriving and
intending for their own unjust. excessive
immoral and unlawful profit and gain, to
injure. defraud, prejudice, damage, cheat
impoverish and oppress the public and the
people of the said city and of the said
county of Hudson, by cornering and linn
iting the necessary and reasonable sup
ply of meats and poultry for consumption
by the public and the people of said city
and of said county so as to produce an
artificial scarcity in the supply of said
meats and poultry for said public and
people of said city and OF said county eX-
price thereofto said public -" F." and others
who on needful occasion and desire to
purchase meats and poultry for their
necessary sustenance, nourishment. sup
port and maintenance, did wilfully, un-
lawfully, immorally, fraudulently, extor-
tionately, knowingly and corruptly COM
bine, unite, confederate, conspire and
bind themselves together by agreement
for their own just, excessive. eXtorton-
ate, immoral gain and profit. by the pow-
er OF their numbers and wealth, and by
their greed and cunrin Id their diverse,
subtle, immoral. dishonest, colusive and
unlawful contrivances, methods and COM
pacts between and among themselves to
acquire, possess. maintain and exercise
control over and monopoly of the meat
and poultry supply of the public and the
people of Jersey City and fic-
titiously and unla wfully to raise, enhance
and increase the price and prices of meat
to the public-and not to sell any Of their
meats and poultry except at unjust and
ex cessive prices and not to
market any of their meats and poultry
except in quantities Inadequate to sup
ply the needs of the public
which said quantities were agreed on by
and between said defendants and cur
tail and restrict the supply of meat and
poultry in the markets.
Hold Meat in Cold Storage.
All this the indictment says was to
prejudice and to cause great injustice,
and eXtortion and oppres-
sion to the said public and to subject
them to the unlawful power of the said
confederated defendants and directly to
Interfere with. impede the further course
Of trade and dealing inmeats and poultry.
The corporations and their directors are
further charged with keeping of the meat
In cold storage warehouses and else
where meat and poultry which were re-
luired and desired by the public. II this |
supply had been put upon the market II
would have been sufficient to meet the
needs of the public.