Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-07
TRIAL MAY YET BE HALTED
Attorneys Expect Ruling of Supreme
Court on Latest Appeal.
NE JUROR Is OBTAINED
General Manage Vi Pullman Works
Tentatively Accepted.
STOCK YARDS SMELL A FACTOR
Each Prospective JurOr IL Asked ~
lie Has Friends In Districts
Affected by Odoru from
PackinEtown.

CHICAGO, Dec. G.--Ten Chicago pack
ers charged with violation OF the Grim
inal provisions OF the sherman anti
trust act went on trial in the United
states district court today. The way to
the trial had led through eight years Of
legal technicalitles
Tho trial, although actually begun. Is
likely even yet TO be stopped according
TO attorneys by ruling OF the United
States supreme court on the latest appeal
OF the packers, that the criminal sec
t!on of the law under which they were
being tried Is unconstitutional.
Pending such a decision the defendants
entered separate pleas Of not guilty to-
day.
Richard Dean, general manager Of the
Pullman company, was tentatively ac-
oepted as a juror after he had declared
that he had formed no opinion as 70
the proprlety Of government regulation
OF big industries.
Selection of a jury in the United states
district court to try ten indicted Chicago
meat packers on the charge OF criminal
violation OF the sherman antitrust law,
was begun today before Judge George A.
Carpenter.
Inu packers are:
j., ogden Armour president Armour
Louis f. Swift president swift and
koward f. Swift, vice president swift
and company,
Charles r, Swift, director Swift and
Edward Tlden, president National
Packing company, which the government
contends is the illegal corpota ation-the
Arthur Meeker, general manager Ar
moud d CO,
Edward Morris, president Morris & Co.
Francis A. Fowler, director Swift and
| company.
Thomas ;. connors, superintendent
Louis II. Weyman, manager Morris g.
Co.
Many Rum0rn Af1oat.
Rumors OF new moves by the packers
we're many. One was that the packers
would appear ana plead guilty Ito the
charge THIS wofld make useless all the
results OF months OF Investigation and
preparation on the part OF the govern
ment would place the packers In no
greater jeopardy than an unsuccessful
! outcome OF the case which otherwise will
drag on for months and, many contend,
would put the packers In better posis
ton than they would be In II they lost
their suit Fines, It Is believed would be
the extreme penalty imposed by Judge
Carpenter.
The extreme penalty which can be
given the defendants IN case OF convic-
tion is a fine OF 5000 or one year in jaii
or both
No apparent further effort TO delay
the trial in the United States district
court was made by counsel for the pack
ers when the case was called before Judge
Carpenter.
Attorney Johns s. Miller asked that a
plea OF not guilty be entered for each
of the packers All the defendants, with
the exception of J. ogden Armour, were
In court.
Later ]. ogden Armour entered the
court room and took a seat beside his at
| torney.
stock Yards Smell IA Factor.
That jurors might not be influenced
through having been victims Of the ia
nous stock yards SMELL which pene-
trates the south and west sides Of Chi
cago was indicated by further questions
Each prospective Juryman was asked
whether any friends or relatives lived IN
those sections most affected by the odof
and how frequently the venlreman Vis-
tied In the prescribed area
At noon the first panel OF veniremea
had been questioned by attorneys for the
government. The defense had taken no
part except for an occasional objection
by Attorney Miller.
Richard Dean, general manager of the
Pullman company, was questioned at
length regarding his acquaintance with
the defendants and bis opinion of the
! Sherman law.
Although he admitted that most OF tho
defendants were fellow club members an,'
personal acquaintance he declared he
could render a fair and impartial verdict.
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UuHh for Reaarva.to,,