Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-04-03
FINDS PACKERS
ARE. ] NOT GUILTY G |. II
Jury Acquits Meat Barons in
Federal Court
SHERMAN Law NOT VIOLATED
Battle Lasting Several Ysars 10 Do
clded in Favor Of Accused Men
j( Defendants Expected the Re-
suit, They Say.

a. ~ -tt
Chicago.-A verdict OF not guilty
was returned in the case OF the Chi.
cago packers trial before Judge Car.
penter in the United States district
court on indictments charging them
with violating the Sherman antitrust
law. When the words "Not Guilty
fell from the lips OF the clerk Of the
court the defendants rose to their
feet, shook hands with each other and
their counsel, and then bowed their
acknowledgment OF thanks to the
Jurors, who stood In B the box while
the verdict was being read.
The Defend ants.
The defendants were:
]. Ogden Armour. president Of Ar
mour & Co. n u 55s
Arthur Meeker, on executive com
mittee for Armour & Co.
Thomas J. Connors, on executive
committee for Armour Geo.
Edward Morris. president Morris h
Co. g s b + IS,
Louis H. Heyman. beef manager for
Morris & Co. 4. K /;
Louis F. Swift, president OF Swift
& Co.
Edward F. Swift. vice-president OF
Swift & Co. 8
Z Charles Swift, second vice-presidsnt
for Swift & Co. 5,st 4. W. =.5 B
Francis A. Fowler, beef manager
for Swift & Co. 5s
Edward Tilden, president Of the
National Packing company.
Spectators Are Warned. Isl
The court room was fairly we'll
filled when the verdict was read.
Judge Carpenter was notified by the
bailiff that the jury had reached q
verdict. sss II.
Before the court instructed the jury
to file into the court room he warned
the spectators to refrain from making
any demonstration. III Az 4
Fl The packers took their usual seats
and the jury filed into the box.
Gentlemen Of the jury, have you
reached a verdict?" asked Judge Car.
penter. ;55.5. ;.&.
4 1--WE have" answered the foreman.
Then the verdict was handed to the
clerk and read. s3s
The jury had been out since 1870
p. m. Monday. ~. sS.$..
United States District Attorney
James H. Wilkerson and his aids, who
conducted the prosecution, refused to
make any comment on the verdict Of
the jury. @ 81
The packers were charged with VIC
lation OF the Sherman antitrust law,
the government charging that the
packers were in restraint ofstrade.
Not a Monopoly. &
The jury's verdict of not guilty
showed that the twelve men believed
that the men who represented the
packing industry were not a monopoly
in restraint Of trade. but reasonable
ione,s which was the contention Of the
defense from the beginning of the
trial. The jurors believed that many
Of the motions made by counsel for
the defense relative to the striking
out Of certain testimony and exhibits
introduced by the government and up;
held In ruling by Judge CARPENTER
should have been stricken from the
records. = M .,+i =. ..s .js
a The jury also held that the govern.
ment did not prove that the packers
had violated the Sherman antitrust
law from Sept. L., 1907, to Sept y,
1910. 5-.I.5; q,
They did not believe that the pack
ers met every Tuesday to, Ak the
price Of fresh meats. as charged by
the government in the Indictment.
The; jurors held that the supply and
demand controlled the price Of meats
and that the packers could not there
fore fix the price to suit themselves.
The members OF the Jury reviewed all
OF the evidence and carefully read the
instructions from the court before
they began balloting. FL +
4 Verdict 10 40 Expected. Z,
s"'The verdict Of the jury is what
we expected" said one Of the attor-
neys for the defense after the verdict
had been read which gave the pack
ers their freedom.
More than 1.400 exhibits had been
introduced as evidence by the: govern
ment and 100 for the defendants dur
ing the trial. Fs5{s5
The defendants we're placed on trial
Dec. 6. 1911. The fury was completed
Dec. 26, 1911. and "A. H. Veeder, for
years counsel for, Swift & Co., was the
first witness called by the govern
ment.
In all 49witnesses were called to tes-
tify for the government. The defense
placed no witnesses on the stand and
submitted no evidence. @