The Mena weekly star., 1912-03-28
PACKERS co FREE
AFTER LONG TRIAL
AFTER Debating Nineteen Hours the
dury Gives Not Guilty Verdict,
Clearing the Millionaires of
the Meat Trust.

,.nicago. ILL.,, March 26-Not
guilty. was the verdict which the
Jury returned today in the trial Of
the ten Chicago packers accused by
the government Of violation of the
criminal sections of the Sherman
ANTITRUST act. The verdict was re-
turned before Federal Judge Car
penter after the jury had deliberat-
ed over t9 hours.
Thomas J. Connors and Edward
Tilden we're the only defendants in
the court room when the verdict
was read They soon were joined
bv Edward f. Swift, Charles II.
Swift. Francis A. Fowler and j. Og-
den Armour, who hurried to the
court room on receiving notice that
the Jury had reached a verdict. Ed
ward Morris, Louis II. Heyman, Ar
thur Meeker and Louis +. Swift did
not reach the federal court build
ing until after the proceedings
were completed.
There was no excitement, al
though each defendant smiled and
some shook hands with their attor-
news. The courtroom was crowded
and the hurried exit of many from
the room when the verdict was
read was checked by the judge.
The verdict came as a surprise
TO many who had been watching
the ease, and had feared the i9
hour wait meant long drawn-out
battle III the jury room.
Instructions from United States
District Judge George A. Carpenter
held the Jurors attention for more
than am hour. A short conference
between counsel and the court fol-
lowed. and at 4:i0 o'clock the jury
retired 10 consider the verdict,
which viii. bring to a close trial
which has lasted since December 6,
more than three months.
Must BE No Doubt OF Guilt.
In his instructions to the jury,
Judge Carpenter laid great stress
Oh the doctrine OF a reasonable
doubt to be exercised by the jury
in determining the guilt or inno-
cence Of the defendants. The court
said IN part:
''rhe guilt of The defendants, If
they are guilty, can be established
only ps evidence submitted at the
trial and then only if such evidence
satisfies YOU beyond all reasonable
doubt.
'tNers defendant in this case is;
by the law, presumed to be lnno-
cent ef each and every charge in
the Indictment. The burden of the
issue at every stage of the pro-
ceedings is upon the government.
Every element necessary to con-
stitule the offense must be proved
beyond all reasonable doubt.
A reasonable doubt in law means
substantial and well founded
doubt, and not a mere possibility OF
a doubt"
Ia discussing the Sherman act,
Judge Carpenter said:
"A combination between several
Independent concerns or traders
engaged in interstate commerce,
the dominant and controlling pur-
pose Of which is to eliminate COM
petition between themselves, or to
fix, regulate and control prices of
fresh beef. is a combination in re-
straiut OF trade within the meaning
and intent of the law.
III YOU do not believe from all
the evidence, beyond reasonable
doubt, that the different groups OF
defendants. or any two of them,
were engaged in interstate COM
merce. carrying on separate enter
prises and were within three years
prior 10 september i2, 1910, engaged
in combination among themselves
deliberately and intentionally plan
ned, The main or controlling pur-
pose of which was either TO eliml-
nate competition or TO fix, regulate
and control prices of fresh beef IN
manner and form as charged IN
The Indictment, or some count
thereof, then you will not be justi-
fled in finding the defendants
guilty.
The necessary acts which the
government must have established
to warrant verdict of guilty was,
first, that The defendants carried on
the trade in the period of the in
dictInent as charged, and, second,
that the defendants prevented, re-
strained, restricted or stifled com
petition and fixed, regulated and
controlled sale prices Of fresh beef,
as the direct result of a combina-
tion between them, the eeurt de-
rldnn