Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-03-27
JURY OUT 10 HOURS
TOO MANY STATISTICS PROVED
DOWNFALL on GOVERN
MENTS CASE.
OFFICIALS DISAPPOINTED
The Government VIII Now PrObnbl,
Bring Civil Suits Against the
Beef BarOns.

CHICAGO, March 26. Chicago
ended a ten years battle with the gov
ernment today when jury in the
United States District Judge Carpen-
ter's court found them not guilty OF
violating the criminal section of the
Sherman antitrust law.
Whether further investigations in
the beef packing industry will be made
District Attorney Wilkerson refused TO
say lie was overwhelmed by tho
verdict. lie had been confident OF
conviction.
! The verdict came after the jury
was out nineteen hours. At no time
during the deliberations were tho
packers in danger. only three ballots
were taken. The first was 8 to I for
acqulttal, the second II to / and the
verdict came with the third
Failure of The government to prove
beyond reasonable doubt was respon-
sibo for the verdict, several Jurors
said They did not review the eX-
hibits of the case. The mass Of fig
ures and reports mystifed them. TO
nave attempted to untangle them
would have been useless, II was agr, ed
The verdict was received quietly.
only two defendants, Thomas j. Con-
nor, director and General Superin-
tendcnt Of Armour and Company. ana
Edward w. Tilden president of the
National Packing company were i'm
court when the jury returned It's yer-
dlct AS soon as the verdict was read
the two packers leaped to their feet
and shook hands with their attorneys
and the jurors. Attaches of the dis
trict attorneys office were greateIy de-
pressed,and left the court room hur
riedly. The two hundred spectators
made no demonstration In half an
hour the room was clear.
a Bitter Disappointment.
WASHINGTON, March 26.-OHic-
la!s Of the department of justice show
&c their disappointment over the ac-
quittal of The packers. but declined to
make any public statement. The
president declined to commit himself
pul SAID the government would pro-
coed against the packers with civii (,
suit under the antitrust law.
from the department OF justice Il
was freely confessed that the outcome
OF the trial was a disappointment /
under the criminal clause of The
Sherman antitrust law. 1t was pre-
mature, officials added however. to
forecast the ultimate standing Of that
clause before courts and juries.
The present, they state, was per
Iod for marking time.
Before generalizing as to the suffi-
'lency or insuiisiency of the criminal
section, the government intends ia
iWalt the outcome of some Of the
pending prosecutions, including mar
icularly the case against the United
states Shoe Machinery company the
american Sugar Refining company
ma the National Cash Register com
,any.
II was pointed out that only In one
Instance involving Industrial dlies- ,
ions had the government obtained {
under the Sherman Iaws a
rimlnal section. That was in the /
ase of the so-called turpentlne trust :
which is under appeal to the supreme q
curt. I
The acquittal Of the packers end the
ase' The government has no appeal.
he attorney general has not vet giy-
n consideration to the question of
ihether he will revive the civil pro-
eedngs under the Sherman law 4,
gainst the packers. which were dis :
llssed by the government q few r
ionths ago.
The trial of the ten Chicago pack. /
rs nm charges of conspiracy i'm mair. d
aiming combination in restraint of /,
-ade In violation OF the criminal pro- r
lsions Of the Sherman antitrust lav u
hich began December o. was the G
losing chapter OF a long legal battle n
aged by the government against the e.
lg packers
The heads OF the packing compan-
5 In the proceedings were named as
diyidual defendants and verdict OF =
iilty under the law would make them 81
able to either a fine Of s. 900 each m
Imprisonment for one year or both ~
snalties. OF
The ten defendants were. n
J. Ogden Armour. president Armour NJ
I'd company. VI
Arthur Meelser. director and gener- l.
manager Armour company. 5.
-.-.------
Continued On rage 2.) s,