Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-02-26
JERSEY GRAND JURY
CHARGES CONSPIRACY
AS Result Of Long Probing Into the
High Cost of Living the Backbone
Of the Mammoth Meat Packing
Must Answer ct Bar of Justice
Largest Concerns Involved.
(By Associated Press)

NEW YORK. Feb. 25.-The beer
trust of the United States. embracing
six great packing companies and
twenty-one packers, several OF them
multimillionaries, socially and indus
trially prominent, were indicted by
grand jury in Hudson county, n. j.,
today. charged with conspiracy in lin
ting the supply of meat and poultry
. The indictment is drawn under the
law of New Jersey, which provides,
upon conviction, a maximum penalty
of three years in the penitenuary or
Il fine or both. The offense is eX-
traditable which means practically all
the meta barons of this country must
either successfully resist extradition
or come to Jersey City for trial.
Al. Must Answer.
Pierre Garven. the public prosecutor
of Hudson county, announced tonight
that he would forthwith notify the de-
tendants of their indictment and
would be ready to force extradit:on IN
each and every case where the in
dividual concerned is not willing to
face trial Voluntarily. None, he says,
VIII be spared.
The defendants as named are as
follows:
Corporations-Th National Pack
Jig Company; Armour & Company;
Swift e. Company: Morris & Com
isany: Hammond Packing Company;
c. II. Hammond & Company
The individuals include:
J. Ogden Armour. A. Watson Ar
mour. Louis F. Swift. Edward +.
Swift. Charles n. Swift, Edward Nor
lis. Ira n. Morris. and fourteen others.
Capaises for the arrest of all OF the
defendants will be issued immediate
" and the grand jury will resume its
Investigation on Wednesday next
Cooper is the New Jersey manager for
Swift & Company.
Strikes the Backbone.
The Indictment. which bristles in
its arraignment of the men named.
i; will be seen represents the very
backbone Of the great packing indus
try of this country, containing as II
does. two Armours, three Swifts and
two Morrises, all for the most part
residents OF Chicago. together with
less important figures in the packing
world. Their indictment brings to
climax the first concerted effort IN
the east to fix responsibility for the
prevailing abnornally high prices OF
commodities.
Jersey City. as cold storage cen
ter. where the packing companies OF
the west maintain vast warehouses
il which countless thousands OF
bounds of meat and poultry are stor-
I'd, proved fruitful source OF inyes-
tigation. More than a month ago the
inquiry by the grand jury was start
cd. Cold storage plants we're inspect
cd, witnesses were examined and to-
day the indictment was handed up IN
the supreme court before Justice
Blair and Carey.
The presentation Of the document
will mean the trial by jury OF some
a the most prominent men in the
United states charged. in effect, with
cheating the public through the med
ium Of cold storage.
Charges Of Indictment
or this alleged manipulation the in
dictmcnt charges that the defendants
cid meet and conspire within the
jurisdiction Of this court ...---.- viii
fully. uniaxfuIly and feioniously de-
v.sinE. ccntriving and intending. for
their own unjust. excessive immoral
and unlawful profit and gain. to In
Jure. scfraud. prejudice. damage.
cheat. impoverish and Cypress the
public and the people by cOrner.ng
and limiting the necessary and rea-
sOnsble supply Of meats and poultry
tor consumption by the public and the
people Of said city and said county. so
- 20 produce an artificial scarity In
the supply e said meat and poultFy
end TO gcratiy. excessively and ex-
tortionstcly enhance and increase the
cost and price thereof
Agreement on Prices
According to the Indictment sn u
legal agreement 10 thus control prices
vas thus entered into bv the defen-
dsnts - far back as March :. 1908.
when. h j. charged. meeting was
held IN Jersey CIV ~ which the de-
scrdarts ~vilifuIly. unlawfrily. fraud
trinity and cxfcrtionafcy. bound
thcsuseivrs 10 maintain and exercise
toutrfi over a monopoly n the most
and pgultry slypiy. and 20 arbitrarily
and uniavfui.y Increase the pricc ~
meat and poultry and not 20 sell 70