The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-20
BEEF TRUST TRIAL
OPENS IN CHICAGO
Jury Listens to Scathing Ar
gumert of Prosecuting
Attorney
PACKERS PALE AT
MENTION OF JAIL
Government Counsel Tells of
Pool to Fix Prices and
Denounces Methods
of Combination

CHICAGO. Dec. 1s.---A Jury OF
twelve men were sworn today In the
historic Beef Trust case ana the lib
erty Of Chicaso's ten millionaire pack
ers were technically placed in Jeop-
ardy Of imprisonment
District Attorney James wilkerson
for the government. told the frat
chapters Of the growth and compile
ton Of the Beef Trust. ''The most com
plete and Systematic engine for the
suppression Of competitive commerce
known to all the world"
All ten Of the indicted packers and
all ten ftheir attorneys were In court
when the jury was selected and At
toFnet WIlkerson opened q scathinE
Arraignment OF all OF the defendants
and part OF their attorneys
J. Ogden Armour. Louis Swift. Ed
ward Morris and the representatives
OF the branches OF the Broef Trust
Of which they are the heads, each sat
bolt upright and turned sickly white
when tho district attorney branded the
fresh meat trust as the most systcm-
attic and malignant trust In the world
ana demanded Of the Jury that II the
facts In the case warranted Z convic-
ton the fun penalty should be In
hicted and directed At the packers the
words: they shall be punished by a
hne OF not exceeding 5000 or by
or by both
Indictment Outlined.
District Attorney wilkerson after
outlining the charges In the indict-
ment and the import Of the Sherman
law ba9An = detailed history OF the
pool which was the nncius OF the
modern Besf Trust. He told how
Ira Nelson Norris @. r. Swift ana
the fathers Of the present defendants
Vesder every Tuesday afternoon ana
pa1csled out to the advertised world
the bsef It might eat and tho price It
must Pay.
He told Of tho uniform system Of e.
timating the cost 10 that the margin
OF profit was the same to each Of the
kroupa OF the pool. how secret codes
and Signs were used 70 transmit the
dictA Of the pool and how each men,
her who broke the agreements was
hned forty cents = hundred on all tho
meat sold.
He drew an amazing picture Of tho
austerc old ATTORNEY. Henry veeder.
who sits with hts brother Albert H. at
the de3endantS table. sitting In 1udg-
ment over the great miilionaircs
whose combination he manipulated.
fining Armour . few thousand here to
pay Swift for alleged wrongA but ever
keeping the production and price to
suit his clients. the story continued
up 70 the formation Of the National
Packing Company.
Government Has Minutes.
II cropped out during the hearing
that the government has In its pos
session some very interesting verbatim
reports Of these meetings In which
the worlds beef steak supply was par
celled out.
Mr. wllkerson will continue tomor-
row with the story Of the career Of the
National Packing Company. organised
"when the packers became tired OF re-
sorting to the methods Of common
criminals and set about to devise .
plan which while Il would be more
effective wc,1d have the appearance
Of some slight attempt TO comply with
the law"
The defense failed utterly In its at
temut to place men Of bic business
AFFAIRS on the fury although the Eov-
eminent succeeded IN seating but three
farmers.