The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-01
FREE CHIEFS OF /.
FOOD COMBINE
Jurors Out Five Hours and Then
Acquit Butchers and
GrOcers.
FORMER OFFICIAL SWEARS
THAT PRICES WERE FIXED
One Witness Testifies That
Rebellious Tradesmen We're
Disciplined.
,ecIal TO The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
PROVO, Feb. 2S.-Not guilty was the
verdict OF the jury in the case OF the
state of Utah against John F. Harris CT
al. (the Butchers and Groccrs associa-
tion). The jurors were out five hours
before returning their verdict.
The trial began yesterday when the
Judge overrulcd the demurrer OF the de-
fense-
Thomas c. Thompson testified that he
had been a member OF tho Butchers and
Grocers association. and helped TO organ
ze it.; the association met together once
or twice d month and fixed prices. Cd
lection was here made to further Ques-
tons because II had not been shown. tnat
the defendants were members Oh thae
association.
The secretary of the association, John
Saxey, was then called and testified that
the defendants were members, except III
corporations, and in these cases the
firm. rather than the individual. held
membership in the association. Secre
tary SaXey further testified that at meet
ings prices were discussed, but prices
at which tho dealers should sell was not
agreed upon; he stated, however. that
at meeting held November Is. 1910, the
price of turkeys was discussed and the
price had been stated TO be 80 cents
pound In Selt Lake, and on the. sugges-
tion OF one OF the members OF the asso-
C1dllpu u WIS dSICCu W Sci a
27 cents pound so as to be under the
Salt Lake price, and the witness be-
iicNed that turkeys were sold at - cents
after the meeting. The secretary said
bers OF this discussion on the price o.
turkeys.
Mr. saxey said he knew of members
having failed 10 sell at prices fixed by
the association, but he did not know that
anything had been done TO such mem
bcrS in the way Of discipline.
Price of Eggs Fixed,
At meeting held in August 1910. the
association might have agreed. said Mr..
Saxey. TO buy eggs at 27a cents and sell
them at so cents
AT meeting December 10. 1910. a mo-
ton was made and carried by which sew
eral flour mills were to be requested TO
cut off the supply from customers who
would not agree to make profit OF %
cents on a hundred pounds OF flour. On
oss-oxamination Mr. SaHey said lie
were present at any OF the meetings. The
witness said that he was supposed to
look after the credit part OF the asso.
citation. and credits were The principal
things discussed in the meetings.
r. C. Thompson was recalled and tes-
titled that he helped to organize the as
sociation and was n member UP to two
and e-half years ago: the secretary al
ways kept the minutes of the meetings.
When asked what took place in the
meetings Mr.. Thompson refused TO an
-
Mr.. Thompson also refused TO answer
the question, "Have the members of the
association uniform price on meats?"
on the ground that II might incriminatc
himself.
Bishop Ralph Poulton was called and
was excused from answering whether or
not one OF the objects of the association
was to establish uniform prices on ar
ticles sold by the members.
State Rests its Case
T e Thurman an independent grocer
of Provo, testified 10 a conversation with
John SaXey, secretary of the association
about joining the association. In this
conversation Mr.. SaNey stated that one
OF the objects of the association was 10
keep a record OF persons who were not
good pay, and also to establish uniform
prices.
Here the state rested and the defense
moved to instruct the jury 10 bring in A
verdict of not guilty. OH the ground that
the evidence had not connected the de :
PENDANTS with the fixing of prices OF be-
ing present at any meeting when such
prices were hXed, The motion was re-
sisted by District Attorney Cluff, and
after lengthy argument the court over
ruled the motion. The defense offered
no testimony.