The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-27
Ten Year Legal Battle With the Government Is
 Ended
WILKINSON IS VERY
 MUCH DISAPPOINTED
The Verdict Is Received Quietly. At No Time We're Packers in Danger-Case Began on
 December 19


 government today when jury in United
 States District Judge Carpenters court found them not guilty of violating the
 criminal section Of the sherman anti
 trust law
 Whether further nrestiga tions into the
 beef packing industry will be made, Dis
 rict Attorney Wilkerson refused to say. ] He was overwhelmed by the verdict. He had been confident of convictions. The verdict came after the jury had been
 out 10 hours At no time during the de- l Vibrations were the packers in danger. | only three ballots were taken. The first was eight to four for acquittal the sec
 ond. II to one. and the verdict came with
 the third,
 Figures Mystify Jurors Failure of the government to prove it's
 case beyond reasonable doubt was re- spcnsible for the verdict, several jurors said. They did not review the exhibits in tho case. The mass of figures and re-
 ports mysteified them. To have attempted 10 untangle them would have been useless. it was agreed.
 Tho verdict was received quietly. only
 two defendants, Thomas J. Connors, de
 rector and general superintendent of Ar
 mour & Co, and Edward Tildcn, president
 of the National Packing company, were
 in court when the jury returned it's vef-
 dict As soon as the verdict was read
 the two packers leaped to their feet and
 shook hands with their attorneys and tie ! jurors Attaches of the district attorneys
 office. greatly depressed, left the court
 room hurrledly. The POO spectators made
 no demonstration. In half an hour the
 room was clear The acquittal of the packers ends tine
 case. The government has no appeal. The l Attorney General has not received given l consideration to the question whether he Twin revive the civil proceedings under
 theJ sherman law against the packers,
 which were dismissed by the government
 u few months ago. The Defendants l The 10 defendants were: l J. ogden Armour, president Armour a Co.
 Arthur MeelIer, director and general
 manager Armour X Co.
 Thomas J. Connors, director and general superintendent Armour x Go.
 Louis r. Swift. president Swift X Co.
 Edward F. Swift. vice president swift
 X Co.,
 Charles H. swift director Swift & Co.
 Francis A. Fowler, manager beef de-
 partment Swift & Co. Edward Morris, president Morris ts Co: Louis IL Heyman. manager peer
 IT .sI ffst4 den, president National Packing eonl- pany.
 History of the Case
 A chronological history of the gov ernments investigation and prosecu- ton of the men alleged to control the fresh meat industry of the country is las follows
 July 1. 1903 Injunction issued ny Judge Grosscup restraining the packers from entering into a com bination. February 20. 1905-Investigatlon 0f alleged combination begun. July 1, 1905-Sixteen packers anJ four corporations indicted. December si. 1906--Cases called for trial
 March 2l, 1906--Judge Humphreys renders the Immunity bath decision. freeing the indicted packers. December 20. 190S--Inyestigation was taken up by federal grand jury, bur soon discontinued without indictments being returned. December 15. 1909--fnve stigation re- sumed by the federal grand jury. March 21, 1g10--Indictments returned against the National Packing company and 10 subsidiary concerns and bill in equity filed asking that the National Packing company be dissolved June 24, 1910-Indictments against ba Nat ran q s eH by Judge Landis and special grand Jury called to renew the investiGoe tion.
 July 14. 1s1o-Speoal grand jury im- paneled and inquiry begun.
 August n, 19f0-Thomas q. Lee, manager of the dressed beef les de- partment of Armour & Co.,. indicted for perjury and Alfred R. Urion, chief counsel for the company, and three em- ployes charged with destroying stenog- ra phers' notebooks containing impor- tant information desired by the gov ernment.
 August 15, f91o--Attorney Urion dis charged with q reprimand and the other respondents held for further hearing. 1 September f2, t910--yudictments re- turned charging 10 packers with con spiracy in maintaining combination | in restraint of trade. | March 26, 1912--Verdict of not guilty. The trial was one of the longest | criminal trials in the history of the | federal courts. It began December i, I1911. and the jury was sworn in Ds-
 cember O. The first witness was called l by the government December 20. The lgovernment put 49 witnesses on the
 stand and introduced 14sS documents in ievidence. The records of the case con- tains 5000, 900 words. | It Is estimated that the trial cost
 the packers s50o,o00 a.rd the govern
 ment about si00.000. The Jury | The jury which hoard the case was composed of the following: l J. E Harvey, 50 years old, grocer
 Edward J. Ryon. i5 years old. car penter foreman. | Asa Bannister 55 years old, farmer. | IT. l. Bucklin. 40 years old farmer.
 Burton H. Meyers. i5 years old, liy- eryman.
 William J. Thomas. i5 years old, gro- cery clerk. c. H. Mars. 5s years old. drug sales | man.
 l Howard O. Bates, 43 years old, tailor. | j. IT. Edwards, 2S years old. ern-