The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-25
BEEF PACKERS
ExC0RIATED BY
PIERCE BUTLER
Final Arguments in Beef Trust
Case Made Today
CRIMINAL CONVICTION
Sought by Government-Case
Goes to Jury Late
Today
TEN MILLIONAIRE PACKERS
WHO FACE CRIMINAL CON.
WCTION UNDER THE SHER-
MAN ANTITRUST LAW.

tICIlON UNDER THE SFIER.
MAN ANTITRUST LAW.
The Swift group:
Louis +. Swift, president Swift
& Company; Edward F.. Swift.
vice-president Swift & Company:
Charles III. Swift, director Swift &
Company: Francis A. Fowler. di-
rector Swift & Company.
National Packing Company de-
fendant:
Edward Tilaen, president.
Armour group:
j. Ogden Armour, president
Armour & Company; Arthur
Meeker. general manager Armour
& Company; Thomas j. Connors.
superintendent Armour & Com
pany.
Morris group:
Edward Morris. president Morris
& Company; Louis III. Heyman,
manager Morris & Company.
(Special from United Press.)
Chicago, March 25.-The closing
scene in the nine years legal fight
between the United States govern
ment and big business as presented
in the packing inquiry, was enacted
in Federal Judge Carpenters court,
today, when Attorney Pierce Butler
of the great array of trust busters"
serving the government. made his
final plea for the conviction of the 10
charged with the respon-
sibility for the meat trust The ten
were present.
The arguments of the lawyers have
closely resembied the oratorical ef-
forts of political spellbinders, discuss
ing on the public platform the politi-
cal causes for and effect of the Sher-
regulatory supervision over the coun-
trys big business Buffers sum-
ming up was a particularly bitter at
tack upon the motives of the defend
ants. He said:
THE Sherman antitrust Law is
not an effort of the. government to
aadd e-a. laad onto the. business of the
country. This law was absolutely re-
quired by the necessity of economic
development. Our great corporations
were growing abusive of the privileges
bestowed upon them. The law was
enacted as remedial measure to
stop the wrong doing done the public.
strict construction required in ordi-
nary criminal cases should be relaxed
and consideration had of the rule in
-ivil cases-proof by preponderance
Of evidence. Your decision in this
case will establish an important pre-
cedent.
''This law is not ambiguous as the
attorneys for the packers would have
you believe but it is plain, simple and
applicable in every case of it's VIOLA
ton. There has been violation here
and it was not unintentional but
specific. The violation was in de-
fance of this law. There can be no
~f aiv.i% 10S~
which prompted these violations as an
order of the court-Judge Grosscups
Injunction in 19O3-put these de-
fendants on their guard as to VIOLA
ions. Their subsequent acts were in
violation Of the courts order as well
as of the statute.
"The criminality of these defend
ants has been proved by abundant
evidence-the formation of the trust,
irst in the old pool, then In the un-
named association which held secret
meetings in the offices of A. III. Weed
sr which were enjoined by Judge
Srosscup and finally by the organiza-
When the effort to organize a billion
dollar trust had failed, this national
packing company was organized to
give the cloak of legality and legiti-
nate business purpose to the unlaw-
,ui and improper methods used by
.neSe OSI 0HudIIlS 10 manipulate JD0
market for meats and eXtort higher
prices The strongest circumstantial
evidence of guilt has been produced.
rhe test costs, mem orandum costs
ind profit margins sent to all the
branch house managers and o. ks
oy some of the defendants furnish the
strongest evidence.
'"This great packing business has
lot been developed through an evolu-
ion of the authors for the purposes
If economy and efficiency but it has
been built up solely for the purpose
IF profit making for the owners
Buffers address will be followed by
Judge Carpenters charge to the jury
t was expected that the case would
,e given into the hands of the jury
ate this afternoon.
For the first time in months the 10
were all assembled in the
court room today. All of the packers
lave consistently refused to discuss
he case except to say that they were |
confident it would result in their ac-
luittal and a complete v.ndication of |
he nethors in the packing industry
The millionaires gathered about the |
able used by the attorneys for the |
lefense. Occasionally they exchange |
comments on the argument of Attor- |
ley Butler. but for the most part they |
eceived the arraignment silently and |
.pparently indifferently.
The court room was crowded with |
prominent lawyers. politicians and |
xecutives in the packing house con-
erns. Judge Carpenter ordered the |
Ioors closed and hundreds were turned |
way while Butler spoke.
CHINESE GAMBLERS CAUGHT.