The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-04
Witness Tears Holes in Case
Prepared by Counsel for
Prosecution
SAYS COMPETITION
ALWAYS EXISTED
Former Manager for Armour
May Be Playing Part
Prepared for Him,
is Argument


Miles. former manager of the Armour
Packing Company. OF Kansas City.
participant in oil the old price fixing
beef pool meetings. and the star wit
ness for tho prosecution of the Beef
Trust. took the witness stand to-day
and proceeded to tear great holes in
the structure Of evidence built UP by
the government.
This man. who was expected to take
tho stand and tell In detail Of the
puhomtng and plotting of the packers
In supprossing competition and boost
I'm prices who was expected to reach
into his pocket and dole out daInAS-
in9 documentary evidence TO em-
phaslse his testimony. startled the
pteescution and electrified the pack
ars when he sounded the keynote OK
Ids testimony by saying:
I'VE were fighting swift just a.
hArd N We were fighting with other
packers independently at points
where there did not happen to be
branch houses OF other members OF
the association. The result of 1t was
that there was always competition In
practically every square mile OF that
caxtern territory"
May He Playing Part.
When the full import Of Miles
statement was Esalixed q murmur OF
establishment ran around the court
room. and the quarry general on all
sides was. What y the matter with
Miles, But one of two explana-
ttons were accepted AS possible. The
one was that something had occurred
which had soothed tho antipathy OF
old and brought Miles to see some
virtue In tho operations OF his former
frtends and recent enenataA Tho
;setAer that he was plAying part
rieverty staged ina intended to rc-
salt III 4 aurprising climax.
In the latter event 1t IL pointed out
that hy giving the jury the iszs pres
-xton- that ha Ia an unwilling wttneas
to-day any damaging evidence which
may be 'wrung'' from Miles later
will have a douhiy telling effect on the
jury.
Mites IL following government
instructions tho piayiet OF this az
t<rnoon was well staged. An he be-
ran his evasive answers and defend
Cd the packers against things their
onn attorneys had admitted, Attorney
Sheean appeared to reach the end
Of human endurance and the whole
government force seemed paralyzed.
Packers are Surprised.
Surprise among the packers turned
10 mtFth and they nodded to each other
ana tainted the newspaper men with
sallies about star Witnesses"
A long series OF questions AZ to
whether the packers agreed a. to
prices or margins finally brought the
following answer:
"A summary was prepared for US
shelving the tota: number of pounds
closed out by the companies named.
and the average price-that IL The
average margin obtained for such
beet
Here Attorney Sheean offered In
evidence and asked Miles to identify
ouch = rnasxin- sheet Al ha had been
induced TO describe.
n want to correct myself = little
- that last answer. Mr.. Shcean," said
lIlloo, sitting straight up In his chair.
N shows the average margin obtained
1oe tho beef sold. II does not show
- have anything to do with the price
obtAined."
Judge carpsnts- u..
Miles had just said. The average
pxsee-thAt II the Average Margin"
ana hi sudden change Of heart brought
JsA9s Carpenter to his feet.
Qe1a.ss ,9aspad XxtornAy Ehaesn.
win you kindly define the difference
6otWean price and margtnf"
70 denne the word margin would
require very extended answer" re-
plied Miles, cautiously. and It did. Al
~ explaining tn the extent Of I, TOO
W0rdD ~ actual count from the record.
lfiloo saSd, THAT It what 4 margin IL.
SanA that n the distinction between 4
margin and = price"