The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-12-26
immunity Bath Declslon Was Inject
ed Into the Morning Trial
Of the Ton Million
aires.
STARTS THE TESTIMONY
Ono Of the Organizers Of tho Ma
tionaI Company Which Trust 10
Alleged to Have
Formed.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.l
CHICAGO, Dec 26.-Judge Humph-
rey's famous immunity bath decis-
ion was injected into the packers trial
here today, as an additional obstacle
in the way OF the governments at.
tempts to fasten criminal liability un-
der the Sherman law on ts-e ten mil
lionaire packers.
Citing the decision, the defense to-
day gave notice of their objection to
all evidence to be offered by the gov
ernment concerning the packers prior
to 1905. Specific immunity was de-
nanded for Edward Tilden, Francis A.
Fowler and Lewis H. Heyman.
The defense's claim was that these
three defendants, and the other seven
had furnished information concerning
their business to the commissioner OF
corporations, and. under the ruling
established by Judge Humphreys,
could not be prosecuted on the basis
OF this information.
While the jury was excluded, at
torneys for both sides threshed out
the question. Judge Carpenter finally
ruled that counsel on both sides should
confer regarding the evidence which
sthe government proposed to introduce,
relating to acts prior to 1905, that the
defense should indicate specifically to
which portions of this evidence they
would object, and that the court would
rule on the question when the govern
ment completed its Introduction OF
direct evidence. Attorney John s.
Miller, for the defense, gave notice
that he would make the same objec-
tion at the beginning Of the testimony
of every witness called by the govern
ment.
The defense, by bringing up the i'm
munity question, hopes to secure rul-
ing from Judge Carpenter which would
exclude all evidence of the operation
OF the old pool Of the packers-the
very evidence on which the govern
ment bases its plea that there was a
motive behind the formation of the
National Packing Company-that mo-
tive being the intention to monopo-
lize the beef packing industry.
Immediately after Judge Carpenter
had ruled the prosecution called to
the stand Alfred II. Veeder, in whose
Offices in Chicago the meetings of
the old pool of the packers vas held.
Before Veeder was pc .uittec 10 be.
gin his testimony, Judge Carpenter
announced that he would permit the
Introduction of testimon7 regarding
acts of the packers prior to 1905 with
the understanding that the attorneys
were to submit their arguments when
the states case is concluded. Then,
he said. he will hear arguments on a
motion to strike this testimony from
the records. With this stipulation
agreed upon veeder began his testi-
mony. while the defense objected to
each question and answer regarding
acts prior to 1905.
veeder traced the Transformation OF
the Swift partnership into the Swift
corporation and told Of the organizar
tion of the National Packing company
OF which he said he was for a time
the general counsel and treasurer, as
well as director.
veeder divided the credit of the
organization OF the National Packing
company with Louis Krauthoff, then
personal attorney for j. Ogden
Armour He testified that he acted at
the time as personal counsel for the
individual members of the Swift
group and for Francis A. Fowler.
These defendants were In court and
the government attorneys asked them
to stand up and be identified. They
did
From veeder, Assistant Attorney
Pierce Butler drew, but by bit, the
history OF the formation Of the pool
1t was evident that the prosecution in.
tended to create the impression that ii
was Veeder who conceived the idea
of a gigantic trust which should hold
In iN all-encircling grasp the whole
dressed meat industry. The witness
himself admitted that he and Louis
v. Krauthoff were the prime movers
in the formation of the pool
The defense was busy throughout
veeders' examination. Objection was
strenuously registered to Veeders'
mention of the name Of Nelson w
Morris. The defense claimed that
since he was dead, his name had
no relation to the case, but the prose
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