The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
FAMOUS GROCERS' CASE WILL START
 FRIDAY MORNING Date Agreed Upon By Att torneys for Beginning of
 the First Session FIRST EVIDENCE TO
 BE DOCUMENTARY Letters Written By J. A. VanHOose and Other Correspondence Will
 Be Introduced-Cla-
 baugh to Testify

The first testimony to be oIIeieu III eio case of the United States against the Southern wholesale Grocers' association will be taken next Friday by special Examiner Robert N. Bell. The case VIII he called in the federal building, and from the date set until several months have elapsed the government Will uhoer- take to prove the existence of the south ern Wholesale Grocers' association IS menace to the trade and that the orgah- lzation has operated and now operates In restraint of trade and in violation or the interstate commerce laws.
 At a conference held yesterday oe- tween Assistant Attorney General U. h' Harrison of the department or Jusuce and District Attorney o. D. Street the dsto was fixed for next Thursday whieh was agreeable to Gen. Luke E. Wrlght' representing the association. However. General Wright telephoned yesterday from Memphis that ,Caruthers Ewing one of the attorneys for the association could not be here Thursday, so Friday was agreed upon.
 MT. Ewing, General Wright and prob ably a private stenographer of MT Ew- ing will reach here next Friday mnrning to open what is expected to be one of the most interesting cases ever heard in the federal court in Alabama.
 Harrison Leaves
 Assistant Attorney General Harrison who has been here several days shaping up the details of the case, left last night for Cincinnati, where he will be en- gagged for a few days, and will return to Birmingham by next Friday. All the attornevs and others connected with the case have been consulted as to the date set for the hearing, and any untoward developments afe not expected to pre- vent the calling of the case on the orig inal date.
 The announcement was made yester- day that a signed agreement had been entered into by the attorneys for both sides In the case, agreeing to the appoint ment of the court officers, and that this would be recorded in the office. Of the clerk within the next few days. The agreement was purely perfunctory, and does not change or affect the existing lineup as agreed to in the past.
 Documentary Evidence First
 It was given out yesterday that the first testimony to be offered by the govern ment will be in documents. This evil dence is expected to require two days, after which it will be announced what witnesses will be examined first by the government. The written testimony to be introduced will probably include about 1000 letters written by former President VanHoose, trunk filled with corre- spondence tending to show how the asso- citation operated in restraint of trade, a huge mass of other documents, includ- ing the celebrated "blue book" the al- legged unfair list, and various other kinds of written testimony
 Clabaugh to Testify
 After this is completed 1t is expected that the government will examine Hinton G. Clabaugh, special agent for the de- pertinent of justice, who has been work ing against the association for many months.
 The announcement was made yesterday by attorneys for the government that the first session to be held here would not last longer than three days This time is expected to be sufficient for the for nal written testimony to be introduced.
 In addition 1t Is stated that the attor- peys for both sides have hopes that a great deal of the testimony will be agreed to and that this will eliminate the testi- mony of various people who would necessarily have to appear should the written testimony be disputed or sigma lures be denied
 The beginning of the dissolution suit by the United States government against the Southern Wholesale Grocers' associa- tion is anticipated in Birmingham with keen interest. The case has been filed here for almost one year and no devel- opments have taken place until very re- gently. The ball was started with the sudden appearance in Birmingham of Mir, Harrison and then the appointment of Robert N. Bell as special examiner.
 Case to Be Rushed
 It is stated that the case has just been reached by the department of justice and that it will be rushed forward to the end The government attorneys and