The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-09-19
Against the Company and Its
President and Directors
UNDER SHERMAN Law
The Individuals Are Held to Be
Criminally Liable.
Collected a Royalty on All the
Shoes Manufactured.

Boston, Sept. 1.-two indictments
were returned today by the federal
grand jury against five officials and
large stockholder of the United Shoe
Machinery company. The indictments
allege conspiracy in restraint of trade
under the Sherman act.
The officials are Sidney W. Winslow
of Orleans president; Edward P. Hurd
of Newton, vice president assistant
treasurer, director and member of the
Executive committee, George w. Brown
of Newton, vice president member of
the executive committee and director
William Barbour of New York, vice
president member of the executive
Howe of Boston, counsel, member of
the executive committee and director
and Jas. J. Storrow, the largest stock
holder and formerly a member of the
executive committee and director. Mr..
Storrow resigned from the board on
Dec. 8, 1909 a month previous to the
municipal election in which he was a
candidate for mayor.
The penalty provided under the
statutes is a fine of $4,000 or impris-
onment for one year or both.
The six defendants did not appear
today, but probably will plead within
the next ten days.
According to VIM. S. Gregg of the
who has been in charge of the case,
the indictments charge that the six de-
PENDANTS have been working through
the instrum entality of the United Shoe
Manufacturing company in way to
make them criminally liable Ender the
Sherman act.
The second indictment also alleges
that the carrying on of the business
under the merger of three old shoe
machinery manufacturing companies
which was effected in February, 1899,
was engaging in a combination in re-
straint of trade; that it was a conspir-
acy in restraint of the trade of shoe
manufacturers and that the whole
transaction was monopolization of
interstate trade, all of which, it is al
legged further, has had a pernicious ef-
feet on the public. The United Shoe
Machinery company has branches in
various parts of the world.
Case Started in April.
Complaints made to the department
of justice against the United Shoe
Machinery company-the socalled
''Shoe Machinery Trust"-brought the
attention of the government to the
It is understood that the corporation
was charged with being a monopoly
in restraint of trade. Infringements
upon the patent laws were also alleged,
it is said.
Prompt action on the part of the
government followed the receipt of the
complaints. In April-a few weeks
after they had been fi1ed-Wi1Iiam S.
Gregg, special assistant to United
States Attorney General Wickersham.
began a government probe. Special
Agents George E. Kelleher and James
L. Bruff assisted Mr.. Gregg in his
search for evidence.
The result of the work of these gov
ernm ent officials was that on July 90
of this year Attorney General Wicker
sham ordered United States Attorney
Asa P. French and Mr.. Gregg to pre-
sent evidence obtained to the federal
grand jury that reported today.
History of the Trust.
The United Shoe Machinery COM
pany came into being in 1889. 1t was
founded by Sydney w. Winslow, it's
present head, who learned shoe max
ing in small factory in Salem, Mass,