The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-05-08
BURNED PAPERS
IN TRUST CASE
discriminating Documents Of Wire
Company Were shoveled Into
the Furnace by
Whitney.
HIGHER UPS ORDERS
Whole Trunk Full Went Into the
Flames But Officials Now
Deny Having SO
instructed.
HIGHER UPS ORDERS

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service. ]
NEW YORK, May S.-Just how the
papers containing all evidence against
the American Steel and Wire company
and every concern that participated
in the steel and rope pool and on
which the government relied as part
of It's foundation for the dissolution
suit against the steel trust, were
burned after the action was begun,
was related before the referee today.
Harry A.. Whitney, of the Worcester,
Mass, plant Of the American Steel
and Wire company, testified regarding
the gathering of these documents, Of
bringing them to the office of George
A. Cragin, assistant sales manager OF
the American Seel, and Wire company
In New York city, and placing them in
a trunk and shipping them to his Of
flee in Worcester.
What did you do with them them"
demanded Jacob M. Dickinson. rep
resenting the government.
Had them taken down stairs to the
boiler room and directed the fireman
! to shovel them into the boiler fire. l
stood by and watched until this was
DONE" was the reply.
How did you come to gather these
documents together"
4 81 was directed to do so by my SUI
4 3neriors,'' said Whitney. II
when you took them to Worcester
did you know what was to be done
a with them?"
Not at that time, learned later.
.When?'
We'll. when got to Worcester, Mr.
Frank Beaches, president of the
American Steel and Wire company
came to my office. He asked me If
had the papers and l told him that
had. He told me to destroy them and
& had the trunk taken to the fire
room and saw that they were placed
in the fire and destroyed.
You took this action under
Baaches direction?'
81 did," said Whitney.
The witness insisted that he coult
not definitely fix the date of the
burning of this evidence but was
reasonably certain" that it was ir
October or November of last year.
Dickinson was insistent in his ques
tioning but the witness claimed hi
could not fix the date although hi
willingly swore that 1t was subse
quent to the filing of the dissolution
suit against the steel trust.
Whitney told of the operations o
the wire pool under the direction o
Supervisor jackson and stated tina
jackson fixed all prices and arranged
Just what companies participating II
the pool were to bid on contracts. HI
was asked regarding his testimony be
fore the grand jury which investigate
the burning of the evidence and wit
visible signs of embarrassment relat
ed what Dickinson charged was a d.
rect effort to influence his testimon
: before that body.
l While in the ante-room of the gran
jury room, he said, George A Cragir
assistant sales manager of the Amel
ican Steel and Wire company, tol
him that Beaches wanted to see hi1
: out in the hall. He went out.
l mfr. Beaches said TO me" continue
the witness, I suppose you RI
member your instructions regardin
those papers?'
Il told him that I remembered di
tinctly that he had directed me
: see that they We're burned He said
s 4 never told you any such thing; an
when insisted he said to me, that
8 I could In my testimony avoid refe
: ence to the destruction of the paper
he would like it. told him | woul
have to tell the truth and he wake
off saying: tell anything you please
Then Cragin also told me that /
could not remember my getting al
order to burn the papers and told n
r that he had already testified to thu
effect and hoped that would mai
- my stoiy Noilloi III W ms hoth ny al
!. Baaches told ME they wanted me
tell the truth, but that they hops
v that | would not say anything abo,
g any order to burn the papers.
But both Baaches and Cragin trie
TO tell YOU what to say, and Crag
asked you to tell a story that wou
+. support the one he had told didr
(. he?" demanded Dickinson.
0 Attorney Lindabury objected and Il
1t