The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-05-10
TELLS CALMLY HOW
EVIDENCE IN POOL
CASE WAS BURNED
Cragin Says Papers Were
Burned After Judge Arch
bald Imposed Nominal Fines
TO FOIL GOVERNMENT
WAS EVIDENT PURPOSE
Witness Testifies in Federal Suit
! Aimed at Steel Trust and
Subsidiaries

NEW YORK, May "a calm and
decidedly positive admission that the
evidence In the wire pool case was
destroyed by his order was made
tOuay by George Il. Cragin. OF Wor
cester, Mass. assistant general sales
manager OF the American Steel ana
Wire Co. He said he could not re"ol-
lets the date that he had the papers
burned in the furnace OF the VOL
cester plant, but though II vas las
November.
Cfagin was the first witness when
the hearings in the governments suit
, 10 dissolve the steel trust were re-
sumed today. He said that he had
represented the American Steel and
Wire Co. in all OF the wire pools
engineered by Edwin Jackson, who
is now in Europe. He received all
OF the evidence against the wire pool
participants after Judge Archibald,
now being Investigated by congress.
had imposed nominal enes on the
participants in his office N Worcester.
Soon afterwards, he said, Frank
Dackus. vice-president of the com
pany, came 10 the plant and asked
him IL the evidence had been destroy
ed.
Il told him. said Cragin, that |
would give the matter my personal at
tention."
Why did you do that?" demanded
J. NJ. Dickinson for the government.
Well, supposed that ! should have
done IL before and gave him an evas-
I've answer"
Witness insisted that was the only
time he ever heard Backus mention
burning the evidence and ne declared
soon afterward he nad the documents
burned. Cragin denied ever cores
ponding with James A. Farrell, now
president Of the steel trust, about the
wire pools.
Dickinson and Lindabury. attorney
for the trust. clashed when the gov
eminent tried TO impeach Cragin's
Testimony that President Farrell, OF
the Steel trust knew nothing about the
wire pool agreements.
Did you not in the postoffice
building, in Washington. in February
OF this year, tell II. Il. Cotton and l..
r. Clark that you had talked the entire
poll agreement over with Farrell?'
demanded Dickinson.
Lindabury objected, characterizing
the question as improper and the mo-
tive behind II as Sharp practice"
Dickinson was angry, and declared:
I'VE have had to resort 10 this
method because OF the action OF these
consprators in covering their tracks
and destroying evidence. AS we can
not make the conspirators talk, We
must get the evidence from their en-
ployes"
Cragin declared he had no recollec-
ton OF any such talk or meeting.
Cragin said that the reason he
burned the papers was because he did
not believe they would ever be needed
again. He declared that so far as he
knew the litigation was closed Incl
dent as all OF the participants in the
pool had admitted their guilt and had
paid their fines.
There was filed In the federal court
in Trenton. n. j. today an order by
Judges Mcpherson, Gray and Bulting.
ton, dismissing the injunction, re-
straining the United States Steel
corporation and it's subsidiary COM
panies with the exception of the Am
crican Steel & Wire Co, from de-
stroying evidence in the governme nt's
DISSOLUTION suit against the trust. The
opinion says that no evidence was
presented TO substantlate the charge
that officials of the corporation plan
ned 10 destroy evidence, excepting so
far as the American Steel a Wire
Co. is concerned, and In it's case the
Injunction Is made permanent