The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1912-03-19
CLOSING CHAPTER IN
TRIAL OF PACKERS
WAS ONE OF THE LONGEST LIE
GAL BATTLES EVER WAGED
BY GOVERNMENT.
The Trial Bega December 9th and
a Verdict by the Jury Is Ex-
pected this Week.
Associated Press Special.

piHdtiuIl III restraint Oh ITaue IN VIC
: lation of the criminal provisions o
! the Sherman antitrust law whicl
4 began December 6. Is the closin.
9 chapter OF long legal battle waget
by the government against the bi,
i packers
: The heads of the packing conipan
, les in the proceedings are named a;
+, individual defendants and vertiict
of guilty under the law would make
them liable to either fine of $50.
GOO each, or Imprisonment for ont
year or both penalties.
The ten defendants are:
J. Ogden Armour, president Ar
: mour & Company.
Arthur Meeker, director and gen
lereral manager Armour & Company.
Thomas J. Connors, director and
general superintendent Armour &
Company
Louis F. Swift, president Swift &
i Company.
| Edward r. Swift, vice-president
Swift & Company
Charles Fl. Swift, director Swift Il
Company.
Francis A. Fowler, manager beef
department Swift & Company.
Edward Morris, president Morris
& Company.
Louis H. Heyman, manager beef
department Morris & Company.
Edward Tilden. president Nation
al Packing Company. 1.
The government contends.
That prior to 1902 prices were
fixed, shipments regulated and ter
ritory divided by the old beef poor
which met every Tuesday afternoon.
That after the old beef pool dis |
solved in 1902 the packers held Sc
cret meetings at each others homes |
That the National Packing COM
pany since its organization in 1903
has been used as the clearing
house" for the alleged combination.
That the packers adopted test
cost and margin system which was
fused in the purchase OF cattle and
the sale of fresh meat.
That the allowances made for by
products in figuring the test cost
were inadequate and the Cost" used
by the packers was fictitious and
| higher than the actual cost.
That the representatives of the
different companies in New York,
Boston and other eastern cities ex-
changed information in regard TO
prices and shipments and telegraph
ed the figures to their superiors, in
Chicago
That the violation of the Sherman
law by the packers has been contin-
uous and practically uninterrupted
since 1898.
A chronological history of the
governments investi cation and
prosecution of the men alleged to
control the fresh meat industry of
the country is as follows.
| July /, 19O3--Injunction issued
lby Judge Grosscup restraining the
packers from entering into eombi-
nation.
Feb. 20, 1905-Investigation of
a,leged combination begun.
July 1, 1905-Sixteen packers
ana louE toi poi alipus AhuiSlou'
, Dec. 81, 1905-Cases called for
. trial
March 81. 1906-Judge Humph
reys renders the Immunity bath
decision, freeing the indicted pack
Iers
r Dec. 20, Decentralization TAX
en- up by federal grand jury bu
soon discontinued without indict
a iments being returned.
, Dec. Is, 1909-Investigatio re
h lsumed by the federal grand jury.
= March 81, Embellishments re
q turned against the national packin
icompany and ten subsidiary con
! leerns and bill in equity filed askin
A THAT the National Packing compan
v be dissolved.
! June "a, 1910-Indictment
against the National Packing com
- pany quashed by Judge Lands an
4 la special grand jury called to rene
d 1.-THE investigation.
II July IA, 1910-Special gran
y jury impanelled and inquiry begun
n August IL, 1910-Thomas G
+, Lee. manager OF the dressed bes
a sales department of Armour & Co
n indicted for perjury and Alfred +
J. Urion. chief counsel for the compa
J. ny, and three employees charged wit
h destroying stenographers notebook
= containing important informatio
a. desired by the government.
V. Aug. Is, 1910-Attorney Uric
a discharged with reprimand and th
,s other respondents held for furthe
d hearing.
l. Sept, IL. acknowledgements re
turned charging ten packers wit
l. conspiracy In maintaining comb
IL nation In restraint of trade.
r Dec s, 1911-Trial of the te
d packers begun before Judge Carper
n ter.
II The trial was one of the longet
,e criminal trials in the history of tn