The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-13
Ten Packers Are Caught
in G r an d j ury
Dragnet.
THEY MUST FACE
THREE CHARGES
Defendants Are Held Guilty Of
Combination, Conspiracy and.
Illegal Monopoly-Result Of
Second Investigation Start
ed by Jugde Landis-aoo
Witnesses Examined.

vVlSAAS0oSo GhoAAl4llVOs
Chicago. Ill. September 1.-THE
Federal grand jury which has been IN
vestigating Chicago packers late to-
day returned indictments against ten
officials Of the Swift. Armour and Nor
ris concerns. There are three ndict-
ments against each, charging corlpina-
| tion, conspiracy and illegal monopoly.
The men indicted are: l. F. Swift,
president of Swift 6; Company; Edward
Swift. vice-president of Swift. G. Com
| pany Charles II. Swift, director Of
| Swift G. Company; Francis A. Fowler.
| director of Swift &; Company; Edward
| Tilden president Of the National Pack
ing Company: j. ogden Armour, presi-
dent of Armour & Company; arthur
Meeker. general manager Armour &
Company; Thomas J. connors, super
intendent of Armour & Company; Ed
ward Morris. president of Morris &
Company. and Louis II. Heyraan, man
ager of Morris & Company.
The first indictment in detail charges
all defendants with engaging In
combination in restraint OF interstate
! trade In fresh meats. The Sec
ond charges conspiracy. The third
charges the defendants with monopo'
lizinG the trade in fresh meats D? uh-
lawful means.
Second Investigation.
The Investigation just ended WIS the
| second started by Judge kenesaw NJ
| Lands, who imposed the S29,coo'ovv
! Standard Oil fine. within year. VI
! January 90 he ordered a grand )ury NJ.
auiry, which, on March 20, resullea ~
| the Indictment of the National Packing
i Attorneys for the packers fled a de-.
nurrer to the indictments. On June 20
Judge Lands 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 seyenty-fye men
for July II
1 The witnesses who were summoned
/ included employees offthe Chicago COM
] panies, Eastern packers. small iade-
pendents, New York wholesale and re-
| tail meat dealers, and packers from as
far West as Denver.
A. T. Fuller, yice-president of the
/ National Packing Company: G. C. Snow
| secretary and treasurer, and arthur
/ Colby, assistant treasurer. were among
4 the witnesses and were said to have
obtained immunity.
/ Moses x. Joseph, secretary OF tht
New York Butchers Dressed Beef AZ
sociation was the most important wit
| ness early in the investigation. Ht
told how the Chicago packers got con
troll OF an independent concern found
ed by the butchers to fight the alleged
trust. Altogether, more than 200 wit,
| nesses We're examined.
The grand jury continued its wors
| nuiaf1v about month. 1lcN, OF
August II, Thomas G. Lee, manager O
the dressed beef department OF Az
mour & Company, was indicted Tor per
jury. The grand jury also returned
report charging Alfred r. Urion, chic
counsel for Armour g. Company, ant
1 president of the Chicago Board OF Ed
/ ucation, and three Armour office EN-
ployes with having destroyed steno
I graphers' note books, after the book
had been demanded by the tnquisitoria
body.
Charge Dismissed.
The men appeared in court, and aftel
hearing lasting several days Juog'
I Landis dismissed the charge agains
urion on testimony that the book:
were destroyed before the grand jury
asked for them and without the cogni
zance OF Mr.. Urion. Disposition OF tht
4 perjury case was set for September 10
II Tn the Lee perjury Indictment. 1t wa!
charged that weekly meetings wert
bald in chicago. at which meetings tn,
packers hSed prices and decided. how
a much business should be done by eact
company during the week.
The frst Federal grand jury investi
cation of meat packers began Marcl
%. 1905. On July l, 1903. indlctment
wera returned against sixteen irdivid
4 |
cen,ber 10. 1905, the only trial OF tn
nackers on these Indictments began
This dragged along until July I. 1906
when Judge Humphreys gave his fam
o,,s Immunity bath" to all individual
! ~ trial. He declared the defendant
hnd heen compelled to furnish testi
!, .s -. which resulted in their indict
,,,ant ,, and that the cases against ther
should be dismissed
In December, 1905, another Fedora
grand jury inquiry was begun, Thi
drarged on until April. 1903, when
was dropped with no indictments an
q no reasons given.
The Indictment charging the pack
inc. company officers with engaging y
, combination In resultant OF trade
declares that the object OF the agree
ment Is the elimination of compAt!
tion between the Swift, the Armou
and the Norris groups Of defendants i
! the purchase OF live cattle. sheep an
hogs and also in the sale Of fres,
meats throughout the United States.
Methods Alleged.
The Indictment further declares tha
the method for so doing was first I
refrain from bidding up the prices Q
live stock, and then to agree on a Uni
form system Of figuring the cost Q
! meats Of branch houses. This resulte
In the placing OF an excessive prlc
, on the meats.
J The next step, says the indismen
was to force managers OF branc
|shouses to obtain this rrice. II an
margin less than the price was per
milted, It was agreed by all Of tn
defendants.
The second indictment isvirtuall
the same as the first except that con
spiracy instead or combination |
I restraint OF trade is charged, Th