Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-03-26
PACKERS IRE
NOT GUILTY
At End of Nineteen Hours
Jury Brought In Verdict
For Defendants
RESULT WAS 4 SURPRISE
Many Who Watched the Trial
Believed the Chicagoans
Would Lose.

/ Chicago, ILL.,. March 26.-Not guilty
was the verdict which the jury return
! ed today in the trial of The ten Chica-
go packers accused by the government
of violation OF the criminal sections
of the Sherman antitrust act. The
verdict was returned before United
States District Judge Carpenter afte"
the jury had deliberated more than
nineteen hours.
Thomas j. ConnOrs and Edward Til
den We're the only defendants, in
court when the verdict was read. They
We're soon after joined by Edward F.
Swift, Charles II. Swift Francis A.
Fowler and j. Ogden Armour, who
hurried TO the court room on receiving
notice that the jury had reached a
verdict. Edward Morris, Louis Fl.
Heyman, Arthur Meeker and Louis F..
Swift did not reach the federal build
ing until after the proceedings in the
court We're completed.
Three ballots were taken today on
the question Of guilty or not guilty.
The first ballot resulted four for ac-
quttal and four for conviction. The
second ballot showed eleven for ac-
quittal and one for conviction. The
third ballot was unanimous for ac-
quittal
The only ballot taken last night was
on the question whether if one was
guilty, all We're guilty. This ballot
stood ten to two in favor OF the prop0-
sition The verdict was handed to
the clerk of the court by Judge J. f.
Harvey, who was selected foreman. 1t
read; we, the jury, find the defend
iants not guilty"
James Fl. Wilkerson was deeply al
fected by the verdict. He jumped to
his feet as the words sounded through
the court room and tears filled his
eyes.
Il have nothing to say" was his
| only comment as he walked from the
court room.
Figures Didn't Count.
The court session occupied less than
ten minutes. J. H. Edwards of Street
er one of the Jurors, discussing the
! proceedings in the jury room said
! The reason on which the acquittal
was based was that we gave the de-
| PENDANTS the benefit of the doubt. We
! did not believe that the government
had made out a strong case. The peo-
pie had not suffered and We could not
see our way clear to convict the de.
PENDANTS, under the evidence pre-
scented. We did not attempt to ana
lyze the figures presented by the gov
ernment and decided the case on the
broad lines Of the arguments and
the testimony which we remembered. .
Provisions Go Up.
Chicago. H., March 26.-After the
announcement of the verdict in the
packers trial, provisions advanced all
around. The rise was Is cents for pork
and bacon and T ID to 10c for lard.
The addition to the cost of packing
house products was attributed on
change to active covering by shorts
and TO sympathy with a bulge in the
price of corn. Swift & Company
shares advances . 81 points on the
Chicago stock exchange today, an hour
before the verdict. After the jury had
. come in a further jump upward oc-
Cured, making a total advance of six
points.
Verdict a Surprise.
Chicago H.. March 26-The ten de.
PENDANTS accused by the government
and acquitted, are:
Swift group--Louis F. Swift, presi-
dent of Swift & Co.; Edward F. Swift,
vice president of Swift & Co; Charles
H Swift, director of Swift & Co.;
Francis A. Fowler, manager dressed
beef department Swift & Co.
Armour group. Ogden Armour
president Armour G. Co.. Arthur Meek
er, director and general manager Ar
mour & Co.; Thomas J, Connors, dir
ector and general superintendent, Ar
moar & Co.
Morris group-Edward Morris, pres
ident Morris & Co.; Louis H. Heyman
manager beef department Morris "
Co: Edward Tilden, president of the
; National Packing Company
I The court room was crowded and d
( hurried exit of many from the room
/ when the verdict was read was check
5 ed by the judge.
The verdict came as a surprise tc
l many who had been watching the case
1 and had feared that the nineteen-houl
wait meant long battle in the jury