The Detroit times., 1912-02-06
CHARGES OFFICERS OF
STEEL FIRM DESTROYED
VALUABLE DOCUMENTS
Department of Justice Asks Ia
junction To Prevent Destruc-
tor of Other Papers
MAY WEAKEN INQUIRY
Data Now Missing Is Said To
Have Strengthened Case
Against Combine

WASHINGTON. Feb. 6.-Charging
that president Frank Baackes
and other officers OF the American
Steel a. Wire Co.. have deliberately
destroyed a trunkful OF documents
tending 10 support the governments
case against the steel trust, OF which
me steel and wire company Is sub
sidiary, the department OF justice to-
day filed with the New Jersey court a
petition FOR an Injunction TO prevent
further destruction OF papers import
ant 10 the governments case.
The petition that Baackes helped TO
destroy correspondence which passed
between himself and Edwin Jackson.
supervisor OF the steel pool. These,
the government alleges, show that j..
\. Farrell, at that time president OF
the steel and wire company, now head
of the United States Steel Corporation
had cogniZance OF the pooling and
bidding arrangements OF the trust"
The text OF the petition was given
out today at the department Of JUS
tee by Judge Dickinson, special as
sistant attorney-general in the steel
prosecution. The prosecution claims
that & vast volume OF other alleged
incIiminatory papers. on which are TO
be based future criminal prosecution
OF steel trust officers, are row In the
possession OF the trust ard In i'm
Inlnent danger OF destruction
he destruction OF the trunkful OF
papers has already done the govern
ment's case against the trust irrepar-
able injury. according 10 the petition.
The papers destroyed had been exam
ined by the grand jury, but were re-
turned June %, 1911, 10 the corpora
ton. on the promise of Charles Mac
Weigh. general solicitor OF the trust
that they would be available TO the
government al any time
Tie destruction OF the papers was
discovered on Jan. 81, by Henry r.
Cotton. special assistant attorney
general associated with Judge Dick
inson in the prosecution OF the case.
Oh. Jan. 20, Cotton applied person
nlly 10 r. V. Lindabury, counsel for
the trust for an examination OF the
papers. Another application was
made on the Goth. The next day, Ray
nal c. Boiling. acknowledgement coun-
sci OF the steel trust wrote that the
trunk had probably been returned TO
Sist, Boiling said the papers had
been destroyed.
Cotton then wrote demanding that
no more papers would be destroyed,
but while Boiling has made no formal
reply. he told Cotton verbally, accord
ng 20 the petition, He would do what
he could 10 prevent IT,"
The petition charged specifically
thai he papers were destroyed be
cause OF the apprehension OF the
steel trust offlcials that they would
be prosecuted under the Sherman
law, and points out that the answer
II the corporation fled Feb. /. denies
charges which the government pre-
dicted on the destroyed papers.
There are a great many other docu-
ments which the government declares
In the petition may be destroyed.
The danger of such destruction"
the petition said. is especially i'm
mincnt because there are officers OF
the United States Steel Corporation
and its subsidiaries who have not yet
-haats- 4IatAtl- f-+-tiif -i,rsc-tcrs wtrtcfh
said papers tend 10 show them guilty
Of"
As soon as the petition was filed In
the federal courts In Trenton, Judge
Gray signed an order restraining the
officials of the steel and wire COM
pany from destroying further books
or records in accordance with the
government request.