Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-02-24
INDICTMENT FOR
PACKING COMPANY
tAN ---
New Jersey Grand Jury Charge
Conspiracy
BASED ON OLD COMMON Law
Officers and Directors are Charge
With conspirine to Raise Prices
Of Food stun to the Detri-
nnent Of Public.
BASED ON OLD COMMON Law


New York, Feb. 19.--The beef trus
directors, with the exception OF one
were indicted for conspiracy by thu
grand jury Of Hudson county; that u
Jersey City
The indictment is not based upol
and new antitrust law or upon an.
old one drawn to correct the trus
evil, but upon the old common law o
conspiracy. This law has been uphelt
by the highest court Of the state and !,
epitomized in the expression that y
is a crime to do lawful, thing in al
unlawful manner, or to do an unlawful
thing In a lawful manner"
The Indictment is against ever,
director OF the National Packing com
pany, with the exception of Kenneu
X. McLarin. The indictments will b.
handed up by the grand jury on mex
Wednesday before Judge Francis G
Swayse. The men indicted may b.
extradited If necessary. The charge
is a criminal one and the punishment
provided is three years in state'
prison or $1,000 fine. or both.
The of,cers and directors of the Ma
tional Packing company are Edward
Tilden, president; L. B. Patterson, A
T. Fuller, vice-presidents; G. G. Snow
secretary; Arthur Colby, assistan
treasurer; Directors ]. Ogden Armour
L. F. Swift, Edward Morris, E. +
Swift, Ira N. Morris, Arthur Meeker
Edward Tilden, T. J. Connore, L. A
Carton, X. X. McLarin, 7. E. Wilson
G. H. Swift. L. H. Heyman, Samue
McRoberts, F. A. Fowler and A. W
Armour.
The reason for the failure to indie
McLArin, 1t Is stated, was that he wal
merely a representative here in tho
East and was not supposed to have
had any part in the fixing Of the pricei
Of food stuffs.
The indictment charges that the de
PENDANTS conspired to raise the price
Of food stuffs by putting them in colo
storage and releasing them from time
TO time.
The indictment OF the beef trust III
roctors who have through the National
Packing company set at defiance the
law of supply and demand. raised
prices on food stuifs as they saw Al
and forced the prices Of meat beyond
the reach OF the poor, was brought
about by Prosecutor Pierre Carvin aft
er weeks Of hard work,
It was announced that the indict
menta are based upon the testimony Of
the employees Of the storage plants and
packing houses in Jersey City. Fol
weeks, employees high and low, have
BEEN trooping into the grand jury.
room in the cort house in Jersey City
One witness was played against the
other Just as the police would question
witnesses in a murder mystery seek
ing to get at the truth.
II was soon discovered that some
Of the emplyes were not telling the
truth and they were kept on the grid
die until they did tell 1t. The result
was that the % grand Jurors were con
WINGED that through the National Pack.
ing company, the beef trust fixed the
prices Of meats and other food stufisI
and in doing so, was guilty of the
crime Of conspiracy under the common
law Of New Jersey.
1t is not expected that the cases Of
the indicted officials Of the beef trust
win be brought to trial without a
struggle but that there will be any
long delay In bringing the cases to
trial is not believed.