The Virginia enterprise., 1914-10-16
CITY ATTORNEY CHARGES WITNESSES IN MEAT INQUIRY have
Been BOUGHT UP BY LOCAL ENGEL TELLS HIS STORY


ing lost the best Of their trade.
"Did you draw any of your profits ?"
City Attorney Montague askel Engel.
"No, I've still got 'em coming," re-
piled Engel.
A Corner in Pork.
After he had retired from business
Engel said he had purchased quan-
tity Of pork, which he intended to sell
in bulk about the city. The meat had
been purchased at about II cents a
pound and was to be sold at 16 cents.
Shortly after Engel started to sell it
the price of pork went to II cents
and he was compelled to take a loss.
Engel said that on one occasion when
he had been in competition with the
combine they had sold pork at 10 1-2
cents when it actually cost II cents
a pound. He had been shown the book
records Of customer who had bought
case of loins. He declared that he
had been informed the meat had been
sold by Patrick Coffey and had said to
the customer that there must be some
hing wrong with it. They had weigh
ed the contents of the case with
small scale and found it 80 pounds
short. The woman Of the house had
later informed him that Coffey had
visited her and refunded her $40. He
refused to give her name.
'"They would get to her as they have
gotten to Barney Schneider tonight"
said Engel. "He used to tell me how
5hey we're driving him out of business
and of their unfair methods and was
one Of the loudest of those complain
ing against them here two years ago.
He called them all the names he could
think Of and said it was impossible for
him to make a dollar.
Abattoir Roundly Roasted.
Concluding his evidence Engel said
1e local abattoir was disgrace to
he town. He said a charge Of 81
head was made to persons desiring
20 slaughter animals there and an ad-
litional charge of 81 a head was made
or dressing them in case Of beeves.
He said the city could build muni-
'ipal abattoir near the incinerator and
slaughter beeves for $3.50 head. If
t were located on the Eveleth road
1veleth might be induced to cooper
tie with Virginia in the matter of it's
use and operation.
H. P. Christensen, proprietor of
boarding house at 730 Poplar street
estified that from the date the Inde-
pendent Meat Market went into busi-
ness in Virginia the packing companies
lad declined to sell to private con-
;umers within the city limits. Before
hat time their statesmen called on
1otel and boarding house keepers. He
aid there was little difference in the
orices charged at the various shops in
the city.
At the conclusion of Christenson's
evidence City Attorney Montague
;aid referring to the testimony of all
the witnesses except Engel and Christ
,nson: ''The best evidence I have yet
'oeen able to find to the effect that a
neat market trust exists in Virginia
have discovered in the last two
lays. Our witnesses have either been
intimidated or bought out"
Schneider a Disappointment.
Much had been expected from the
testimony of Barney Schneider of
Hibbing. He has the reputation To-
ally of being the bitter enemy of
most of the dealers who are under fire
It this time and was said to be anxious
testify at the investigation to even
'p old scores. His testimony was
vasive. He did not know whether
here was a combination of local deal
ers or not, thought the Incidents COM
blamed Of were the legitimate out
'ome of close competition and at times
assumed an arrogant attitude to the
questions of the city attorney. He was
dropped before his examination had
proceeded to any length. Schneider
made an appointment to meet City
Attorney Montague at T. o'clock last
evening which he failed to keep. The
:ity attorney claims to be in posses
sion of positive evidence that he was
approached by local meat dealers
under fire in the inquiry.
Nothing pertinent to the inquiry
| vas developed in the evidence of Nick
Fujanic or Victor Rebrovitz. They
were able to give no evidence Of a
positive nature tending to show that
combination of local meat dealers
existed.
There is the keenest interest over
the city in the investigation which will
probably require several more hear
ings before it is concluded.
Entertained Last Night.
Mr.. and Mrs. Michael Rooney, wht
returned last night from a honeymoon
"trip to the head of the lakes wer,
ihonor p11ests at a marty piven at tn,