Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-15
UNDAUNTED BY
TWO PREVIOUS FAILURES TO
CONVICT BEEF TRUST.
uNRELENTLEss PROSECUTION
RACED AGAINST PACKERS
Indictment of Lee and Accusations OF
Contempt of Court Indicate Grand
Jury Has Been Unjusty Chareeo
With lnactivity-No Immunity Bath
to Be Accorded Lawyer Orion.
[ spe cial Correspondence

Nashirgton, Aug 15.-The federal
grand ,ury which is impaneled at -nl-
cage for the purpose Of going after the
beef trust, is on the trail! Of the men
higher up"
In two previous attacks on the beef
trust, the government has come OF
worsted This fact has led many to
believe tina; the third investigation is
not 10 be taken any more seriously
than the preceding ones. But there is
:. ason - belivye that this is not the
case and that The government i going
= leave no stone unturned 20 probe the
.harges 4galust the beef packers 10 the
bottom.
1restden, Tai, ana the department
OF justice are said 20 be thoroughly in
earnest in tAis matter. From various
sources and developments it Is learned
that if there is any warrant in law for
il. the big packers are going TO be in
dicted and relentiessly prosecuted. This
i true not alone II offending corpora
,.oa< but Of indy idualS.
The late del eippments in the investi-
CATION have been extremely significant
% hose who are familiar with the
case The grand jury returned an in
dictment for perjury against one Ar
nour " Co. official and brought pro-
ceedings for contempt against four 9TH
ers. The perjury charge was against
Thomas =. Lee, manager OF the AR
mour dressed Beef sales department.
The contempt proc edings reached
aigher and included Alfred Il. Ccion,
chief counsel for Armour & CO. and
f-, h. a-1 Of aI1
cation The charge against Jrion.
along with three laser officials Of the
company. arises from alleged destruc
;iion OF certain stenogra phic note books
after they had been asked for by the
grand jury.
Som e.hing Doing.
For four weeks, he grand jury has
been digging away on the Investigation
and It has been accused Of inaction.
But the explosion Of the bombs in the
shape of perjury and contempt pro-
ceedings indicates the accusation has
not been warranted. The jury as a
matter OF fact has not been inactive
but has been hammering away steadily
and has examined a vast number of
witnesses and gathered much evidence.
The inquiry is not by any means end
ed and 1t shows every symptom OF be-
ing thorough.
The perjury and contempt proceed
ings are of i'm portance apart from the
question Of consequences 10 the indi-
viduals who are involved. They are
taken TO indicate that the government
mas In its hands evidence Of moment
that goes deep into the ramifications of
the beef trust business. They are also
taken 70 indicate that the grand Jury
is in no mood 70 be triefid with. The
investigation is in the court OF Judge
kenesaw NJ. Lands. the judge who i'm
posed the big fine on the Standard Oil
Company. Judge Lands has been Bit
terly criticised for this fine but there
is good reason 20 believe he is deter
mined on a thorough probe of the beef
trust and that he does not want 1t all
legged that this third Investigation has
been weak and lacking in thorough
ness.
No Immunity Bath.
One Of the interesting phases of the
contempt proceedings is that the grand
jury has carefully avoided taking the
testimony of Chief Counsel Urion him
self with respect to the alleged de-
struction Of the note books. II has done
so because it desires to give Mr. Urion
10 !IlllIullIkN I'd I'm. SuIIi d. OONSt IL u4lI
phrey bestowed in 1905.
1t has been disclosed that the govern
ment has intimate details of the meet
ings which were held by representa-
tives Of the big packers to fix the prices
Of meat.
Many signs are given that the admin
istration is taking an even keener con-
Germ in the war on the beef trust than
it is in the Standard Oil and Tobacco
Trust cases. One reason for this,
doubtless. is that these cases are con-
sidered won by the government. In its
experiences with the beef trust. the
government has always found itself
{, beaten. 1t has found that the big pack
ers have so hedged themselves about
with expert legal advice that it had
been hard 20 break down the barriers.
Government attorneys are convinced of
the fac, the Sherman law is being
grossly violated but it is a tough prop
osition to get the offenders, high and
low. in the dragnet and crush the
combination. However, they are hope
full of doing 1t.