Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-26
Heads of Great Packing Com
parieS Accused of immoral
and Unlawful Conspiracy 10
Cheat and Cypress the People
PRISON TERM IS PENALTY
FOR GFFENSE ALLEGED
Action is Climax of First Con-
certed Effort to Fix Response
biIity for Prevailing High
Prices of Food Commodities.


New York. Feb 25.-rhe 'Hbcel
trust Of the United States embrac-
ing six great packing componies and
twenty-one packers several of them
multi millionares, was indicted by u
grand Jury in Hudson county, \. j.
today, charged with conspiracy In lim
iting the supply Of meat and poul-
try.
The indictment Is drawn under the
laws of the state of New Jersey which
provides upon conviction maximum
penalty OF three years in the peniten
tiary or il $1,000 fine. or both. The
offensc is extraditahle, which means
practically that the harons either must
successfully resist extraditiun or come
To Jersey city for trial
Pierre Gnrvcn tho public prosecutor
Of Hudson county tonight said that
he would forthwith notify the defen
dants Of their indictment and would
be ready to enforce extradition IN each
case where the individual concerned
Is not willing to face trial,
The defendants named are.
Corporations.
The National Packing company,
Armour Co, Swift AZ Co. Morris A.
Co Hammond Packing Co. and q.
II Hammond X Co.
individuals.
j. ogden Armour a Watson Ar
mour Louis H. SWIFT. Edward r
swift, Charles II Swift Edward Nor
rls, Ira N Morris, Arthur Meeker.
Edward ridden, l.. A. Carton, Thomas
T.. Wilson Thomas j. Connors, II, a
Fowler, i. Il Huymnn James Il.
Rathgatc ir. George j. Edwards,
Frederick q. Cooper, y. y. Hartwell,
Henry II Darlington, a A. Fuller and
Lcmuel &. Patterson
Ira n Morris sent lawyer from
Chicago to Jersey city this week to
inform Prosecutor Garven that he had
retired from the directorate OF Nor
ris & Co, hut, nevertheless, he was
indicted.
Cooper Is the New Jersey manager
for Swift q Co. Bathgate. Edwards
Hartwell, Darlington and Fuller are
said to be officers and eastern agents
OF the National Packing company.
while the others named are either di-
rectors or officers or former Officers
of the National Packing company.
Capiases Tor the arrest of all the de-
PENDANTS viii be issued Immediately
and the grand jury win resume its in
vestigation Wednesday.
The Indictment, which bristles IN
It's arraignment of the men named.
ing responsible These latter how
ever, are not specified.
The list of names, II viii be seen,
the backbone of the great
industry OF the country, con-
tanning. as it does. two Armours.
three Swifts. and two Morris most of
hem residents of Chicago
Their indictment brings to Il eli
max the first concerted effort in the
EAST to fix responsibility for the pre-
Vailng price of food.
Jersey city. as n cold storage CEN
Ter. where the packing companies
Of the west maintain their vast
in when are stored the
thousands of pounds of meats and
poultry. proved "A fruitful source OF
More than Il month
lgo, the inquiry by the grand jury
VAS started. cold storage plants were
inspected witnesses were examined.
To-day the indictment was handed up
n the supreme court before Justices
ilair ana Carey
The proceedings were formal In the
.xtreme and there was nothing dra-
Matte In the presentation of the doc
lment that win mean the trial by jury
# some of the most prominent men In
ne United States. charged. in effect.
With cheating the public 10y manip-
llating the rood supply through the
Medium Of cold storage
or this alleged manipulation, the
Indictment charges that the defcn
ants consplred within the jurisdie
ion of this court willully, unlawful
y and fcioniously dovising. contriV
lg and intending for their own un-
lst excessive immoral and unlaWfui
ront and gain, 70 niuro, defraud.
rejudice damage cheat. impoverish
nd Cypress the public ana the people
y cornering and limiting the neces
lrY and reasonable supply of meats
nd poultry for consumption by the
ublio. and the people of said city,
nd said county So as 10 produce an
rtihcial scarcity IN the supply of said
.eats and poultry and Ia greatly, ex-
and eXtortionatelS enhance
nd increase the cost and price there
According 20 tho indictment an IL
sgal agreement 10 hold and control
ices was entered into by the defen-
ants as far back as March /, 1908.
hen. 1t is charged. a meeting was
I'D in Jersey city az which the de-
ndants -wilfully. unlawfully. fraud
euty and extortionately' bound
to maintain and exercise
iutrol over a. monopoly of the meat
ld poultry supply and to arbitrarily
ld unlawfullN increase the price of
eat and poultry and not to sell to
Il public meats and poultry except
eNorhitant prices agreed upon.''
The Indictment goes on to state