The Sentinel=record., 1912-01-09
EVIDENCE
 OF COMBINE
TRIAL OF PACKERS SHOWS POOL ING IN CASE OF BIDS TO SUP
 PLY SOLDIERS HOME.
Swift and Armour Companies Inter ested in the Deal--Pratt Still Occupies Center of Stsge
 in the Case

in the Case.
 Chicago, Jan. S.-A letter showing alleged collision between Swift and Company and Armour and Company in bidding for the annual meat con- tract of the Old Soldiers Home al Togus, Me, Nov. 6, 1905 was intro duced in evidence today by the gov ernment in the trial of the ten Chica- go packers charged with criminal violation of the Sherman law
 The letter wa received by Jerome H. Pratt, former assistant manager of Armour and Company's dressed meat department, and was sigened with the initials of IF. A. F.p which Pratt said indicated 1t was written my Francis IA Fowler. one of the de- fendants in the case and head Of the dressed meat department of Swift and Company
 The letter read
 "J. H. P.-please bid over beef ' S-4 mutton 8 1-2, Togus Home. You have had for year IF. A. F.'
 Mir Pratt was on the staad through out the day and will resume his story tomorrow
 The witness was shown summaries of shipments and margins sent him by Arthur Meeler in 1903 and asked what the figures conveyed to him. An objection was sustained.
 Later the witness was permitted to answer the question in another form and said the figures were the shipments and margins of Armour, swift, Morris and the Nation Pack .Hg Company
 "Did you make any use of the Ma tional Packing Company figures20
 s'Yes, we kept track of their ship ments to see they didn't exceed their percentage to different points. 7 re- piled Mir. Pratt
 The witness said he often spoke to MT. Meeker about the National Pack iag Company's shipment into eer- tain markets.
 Mir Pratt said the order in which the margin were entered on the week ly reports was.
 Armour first. National Packing Com pany, second, Morris third and Swift last.
 Every question Ut by District AL torney Wilkerscn to have the wit ness explain the significance of the percentage and margin figures, alleg- ed to have been written by J Ogden Armour. Thomas J Connors and Ar thur Meeker, was met with a volley of objections, nearly all of which were sustained.
 District Attorney Wilkerson persist cd and finally the witness was permit ted 10 explain the meaning of plus, ..minus." !" test cost'' and average mar gin and other technical terms used by the packers.
 He declared the word margin as used. signified the average price to be charged
 Many letters were introduced to show the close relationship of the al leged packers combination, but Judge Carpenter declined to permit the wit ness to state what he thought the letters meant.
 One of the letters related to ship ments to Catskill, N. Y, and bore a notation in pencil reading:
 s.Is this not neutral territory?' which the witness said was n the s.edwriting of Thomas ]. Connors.
 Pratt said his understanding of "neu trals territory was where two or more hackers shipped to the same point.
 You cannot prove by this witness what any of these defendants meant bv the use of certain words because this witness may place an entirely dif- ferent construction than that intend ed by the writer" said Judge Carpen- ter
 At this point court adjourned until tomorrow