The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-12-07


asreea with saegu, Aa1 q March II.
land. ~sanonneea his tasnens '*sm-
E,antty hath es4s a-sh nme to.
caused the then eresidea, Roosevelt
to announce HIS public disapproyAl
and cessa.e.
Banied. the government rested for
IA couple of years. but made another
Intellectual attempt TO ecu indtct-
mems in the early par of 1905. Ia
1909 the grand jury also probed the
combine. but did not return indict-
ments.
On March 81, 1910, however, af-
ter the Government had laid care
ful plans. the grand jury indicted
tho National Packing Company and
ten of its subsidiary concerns. on the
ground that it was q combination in
restraint of trade. Dissolution OF
the trust was demanded. This suit
was under the civil section of the
Sherman Law.
Exhaustive Investigation.
On the ground that this indictment
faulty, Judge Kenesaw NJ. Lands on
June "a, 1910, sustained the demur-
rer entered, by the packers and dts
missed the indictment. At the same
time he directed another investiga-
ton by q specially created grand
jury, which on July "a, began its la
bors. Probably no jury in the coun-
try Went into a case in more detail !
than the 23 members to wnom Judge
Lands recommended Investigation
of the packers. More than 200 wit
nesses were examined. Some of
them were brought from distant
cities. Stormy scenes were enact
ed behind the closed doors of the
juryroom, and on August II, the in
quisitorial body sprang the first of
its sensations by returning indict-
ments charging perjury by Thomas
G. Lee, manager of the dressed beef
sales department of Armour & Co.,
and alleging that Alfred f. Urion,
chief counsel for the same company,
had conspired to destroy evidence in
the case with three other employ
ees. 1t was asserted that Urion and
the three stenographers destroyed
st~enographic notes Of various trans
actions when they discovered those
acts were under Investigation. On
August is, ORION was arraigned on
a citation rule and reprimanded. He
was discharged, but the three other
defendants we're held for a further
hearing.
The climax Of the grand jury's
work came on September 10, when
indictments were returned under the
criminal section of the antitrust law
against tho following ten magnates:
Lewis. F.. Swift, president of Swift
& Co..
Edward H. Swift, vice-president Of
Swift & Co.
Charles H. Swift, director of Swift
& Co.
Edward Tilden, president of the
National Packing Co, and also OF
the firm of Libby, Mcneil & Libby.
Francis a. Fowler, OF Fowler
Brothers.
J..Ogden Armour, president of Ar
mour & Co.
Arthur Meeker, general manager
of Armour & Co.
Thomas J.. Connors, su~perirterd-l
ent Of Armour & Co.
Edward Morris, president Of Mo7-
|ris & Co.
Louis. II. Heyman, manager, of
Morris & Co.
How 1t Is Done.
Tho government contends that the
packers Joined hands to eliminate
all competition between the Swift,
Armour and Morris groups Of pack
ing houses in the purchase Of live
cattle. sheep and hogs, and in the sale
throughout the country of fresh
meats. The exact method of opera
tion to this end, the government al
leges. was for the parties to the
Trust to; refrain from bidding on
livestock; to.agreo on..a uniform. sys-
tenn EN- 2 figuring the ssoealled request
cost Of meats sent to branch house
managers, which resulted in an ex-
cessiye cost or "request price. being
placed on meats. Then, it is assert
ed, tho next step was to require the
branch house. -managierfs' TO 70 Secure
this cost" r. any margin less than
the cost was permitted, It is charged,
that this was agreed nnon. nv all thel