The Sentinel=record., 1912-01-06
EVIDENCE IF
 PACKER POOL
GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES IM- PoRTANT WITNESSES AND
 DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.
Brings Date of Pool Down to Within Three Months of indictment Former Employe Gives Im-
 portant Testimony.

Chicago, Jan. 7-Documentary ev- iience ii support of tine government cts,ge that the practices of the old packers pool in fixing the price o1 fresh meat by means of a system of profit margins and apporticning the business on a non-competitiye basis, were continued after the organization of the National Packing company in March, 1905 was read to the jury to- day in the trial of the ten Chicago packers under indictment for criminal conspiracy in restraint of trade.
 The sosernment brought the opera tens of the alleged Illegal combina tons 6nwn to within seven months of the period covering the indictment.
 The information was furnished by Jerome H. Pratt. an employe of Ar mour and Company for more than 20 years and at one time assistant man ager of the dressed beef department.
 He testified to having attended the meetings of the old pool between 1896 and 1902 at which ne said percent ages of shipments to different mark cts were decided by ballot, and the margin profit was determined by an agreement among the members.
 The witness identnied a dozen let. ters he received while in the employ ment of Armour and Company in sup port of his statements.
 Three of the letters bore notations in peaeil of the shipment percent ages and profit margins In the hand writing of J. ogden Armour, Arthur Meeker and Thomas J Connors of the Armour Company. according to tine witness. He positively identified the handwriting of Arthur Meeker and said he was almost certain the oth. CT memorandums were written by J.. Ogden Armour and Thomas ]. Cen nors.
 Pratt was on the stand when court adjourned and will continue tomor- row
 The first document introduced was a copy of a resolution, said to have been made by the packers pool May 9, 1900, fixing penalty of 1 1-2 cents pound on all over shipments to competitive points made in excess of LOGO pounds a week the maximum allowed This was said to have been sent out from the office of Attorney A. H. Veeder. The next was a list of shipment percentages agreed upon by the packers January IS, 1901, for territories A. C.. D.. and F.
 Pratt identified a letter dated Oc tobers IS, 1904. addressed to J. Og. den Armour, which head:
 "T have attached herewith margin memorandum for the week We ship. ped 92la per cent to Armour and Co. houses and 91 per cent to Armour Packing Company. Today's margin will follow. J. H. P.r
 Pratt testified that the letter was returned to him the following day with the following figures pereenage margin for other firms in the compi- nation, which he believed were writ ten by J. Ogden Armor:
 "H 96Iz S 1O5 M 96; M minus 1S; s plus l2; 95 to 100 per centS this week.
 Another letter date June 20, 1905 containing 2 memorandum of margins which the witness identified as in the handwriting of Arthur Meeker, an. other defendant, read in part as fol lows:
 "Mr Meeker: Our shipments last week STE per cent; Margins yester. day, working minus Sc. close minus 70. Have complaints of encorach. ments on our territoruy by Swift This. however. has been stopped. "J. II. PRATT :"
 The figures said 10 have been writ ten by Meeker cn this letter are nine ty. said to be the shipment percent age. and 95.1. 9s and s4S, are inter preted as the profit margins.
 The following letter, said to con '
 tain pencil notations by Thomas connors, another defendant, was dat ed April 24, 1906 and reads.
 'Mr- Meeker: Shipments S3 Fl per working minus 67 close. minus 71 I, H. P"
 Another letter written by T. c