The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-06
Information Is Furnished by J. H. Pratt, a Former
 Employe
LETTERS WRITTEN
 BY ARMOUR SHOWN
Pratt Positively Identifies the Hand- writing of Arthur Mee,xer--Al- most Certain of Armour
 and Connors

Chicago, January 5.-Documentary eNl- dence in support of the government charge that practices of the old packers pool in fixing the price of fresh meat pN means of a system of profit margins ana proportioning the business on non-eom- petittve basis were continued after the organization of the National Packing company was read to the jury today in the trial of the 10 Chicago packers under indictment for criminal conspiracy in re- straint of trade.
 The government brought the operations of the alleged Illegal combination down to within seven months of the period GOV cred by the indictment.
 The information was furnished by Je- rome H. Pratt, an empoye of Armour K Co. for more than 20 years, and at one time assistant manager of the dressed beef department.
 Attended Meetings
 He testified to having attended meet ngs of the old pool between 1898 and 1so2' at which he said the percentage of ship ments to different points were decided by ballot and the margin profit was deter mined by agreement among the members.
 The witness identified a dozen letters he received while In the employ of Ar mour & Co in support of his statement.
 Three of the letters bore notations in pencil of the shipment percentages and profit margins in the handwriting of J. ogden Armour. Arthur Meeker and Thom- as J. Connors of the Armour company, according to the witness.
 He positively identified the handwriting of Arthur Meeker and said he was almost certain the other memorandums were written by J. ogden Armour and Thomas J. Connors.
 Pratt was on the stand when court ad- journed and will continue tomorrow.
 Resolution Introduced
 The first document introduced was copy of resolution. said to have been made by the packers pool May g. 1900, liS- ing penalty of 11se a pound on all over- shipments to competitive points made in excess of 10,000 pounds a week above the maximum allowed. This was said to have been sent out from the office of A. II. Veeder Tho next was a list of shipment percentage agreed upon by the packers.
 Pratt identified a letter dated October IS 1901. addressed to J. Ogden Armour, which read:
 T herewith attach margin memorandum for the week. We shipped 921a per cent to Armour & Co. houses and 9l per cent to Armour Packing company. Today's margin will follow. J. II. P"
 Pratt testified that the letter was re- turned 10 him tho following day with these figures of percentage markins for other firms in the combination, which he believed were written by J. ogden Armour.
 I'll, 96is; s, 105; NJ. 96 M. minus 13; $. plus 12; 90 to 100 per cent this week."
 Another letter. dated June 20, 1905, con taining Il memorandum of margins. which the witness identified as in the hand writing of Arthur Meeker anothed de- fendant, read in part as follows;
 "Mr Meelser: Our shipments last week, STE; margins yesterday working minus IS, closed minus 70 Have complaints of en- croaehments on our territory by Swift. This, however, has been stopped. J. II. Draft