The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-12-03
Shorthand Expert Is 0lny Member
OF Sex Preset At Recent
Writ Hearing
INVESTIGATING LAND COMPANY
Money-Lending Concern Charged
$ll5,O0O For a Loan Of
100000, Charge

Chicago, Dec. 2.--One woman
only was in the United States Cir
cult Court room OF Judge Kohlsaat
when the drama of habeas corpus for
the Chicago meat packers was enact
ed. She was court reporter come
to relieve a man taking in short
hand the arguments of the array OF
opposing attorneys, which Is said to
be the greatest array ever seen in
any case in any court room In the
land. 1t was not "woman's" case
from sentimental viewpoint; at
least there appeared to be in it moth
ing OF interest. 1t was spectac-
ular contest over a dry matter of
law, whether the criminal clauses of
the Sherman antitrust law defines
a crime hereunder. Many men COM
mented, however, upon the fact that
women pay the butchers bills and
women have many times during
many years been told by their
butchers that an advance of price
was due to the big meat packers"
But IL was mans occasion and the
men who crowded the court room
were keenly interested, leaning
forward to hear each word when q
speaker lowered his voice There
was little moving about; little noise;
no intimation. Men nodded when a
strong point was made in the tech
nical arguments, smiled when an at
torney doubled on his tracks or al
most was trIpped up. They were en-
tertained by they appreciated the
far reaching significance of the scene
When the old English barons wrested
from a dcspotic king the right to
writ of habeas corpus arnor may
have changed and swords may have
clattered but the stage setting was
no more dramatic. Six of the pack
ers were in the jury box, as if I'M
consciously tryin to decide
why they were in court, Among,
: the lawyers there was not one with
mustache or whiskers, from John S..
Miller, veteran of many great legal.
battles, to A. r. Urion. Judge
kohlsaat imperturable. looking like
an old Roman senator, faced four
teen eminent attorneys; listened
mopassively while they argued at
him. at each other and at times to
the spectators Occasionally he said
few short sentences. Most of the
time he. leaned his head against the
back of his high chair and gazed, at
the ceiling Occasionally he tapped
the nose quickly, gently, as is punct-
uating' an Illuminating thought.
The large court room was crowded
Men were ranged along the walls
and punches, standing, before the
door. inside the railing were scores
TO lawyers and law students. One
'of the court stenographers, tables
was pressed into service for the use
of newspaper reporters, but another
long table had to be pushed against
1t, and even this did not accomrno-
date all the atribes. Others sat
in the wide-slled, low windows;
some on the floor; using their knees
for writing desks.
The troubles which at nd get
ting rich quick have brought into
court in Chicago by the price for a
loan o. $4,000 by a Florida land
company which the federal govern
ment now has under investigation
The loan was made when II was
needed most by the Assets Realiza-
ton Company which 1t is alleged
exacted notes for $4,000 fer the
100000 loan, the notes bearing 6
per cent interest. The proceeds en-
abled the land company to refund to
an accumulated number of dissatis-
fled purchasers the sums which 1t
was necessary to refund to keen a
safe distance ahead of the posior0ce
departments requirements and to
ray some very pressing claims. Dur
Ing the hearing of the case the presi-
dent of the company, temporarily
famous as "the man who made Fiori-
d." testified to the dramatic still
ation,of hts company when the money
lenders drove their bargain. For
security for the $115.000 of notes
the company. was obliged to turn
ever the contracts Of several tho,s-