The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-08
PLUMBERS TRIAL
DELAYED TWO DAYS
Hearing Of Thity-six Men Indicted
for Alleged Violation Of Trust
Law Will Not Start Until
Wednesday.
JUDGE HAS BEEN I'LL
Telegram Announcing Delay Was
Sent to District Attorney and
This is All Information
Available.

les MONIES, Iowa, Feb. S.-The
trial of thirty-six midwestern plumb
ers charged with violation of the Sher-
man antitrust law, will start in the
federal court on Wednesday The
case was to have started today, but
telegram received Saturday by Claude
r. Porter, district attorney for south
|ern Iowa. from Federal Judge Arba S.
Van Valkenburgh of Kansas City.
Mo-, who will hear the case. said that
he has been slightly i'll for few days
and would not be able to reach Des
Moines before Wednesday.
The intimation in the telegram is
all the assurance Mr.. Porter has that
the Missouri judge will try the case.
1t has, been expected all along that
Judge. John G. Pollock Of Kansas City,
Kan, would be here, but 1t. Is consid-
cred certain now that Judge Van Walk
enburgh,' who is judge for the western
Mis- souria district; will be on hand.
Witnesses Are Notified.
The receipt of the message neces-
STATED the immediate dispatching OF
more than 100 kilograms by the dis
trict attorney to witnesses and jurors
who had been summoned to appear
today,
w. Emmett Crosby OF Philadelphia,
who for twenty-three years has been
executive clerk of the National Mast
er Plumbers association, arrived in
Des Moines late Saturday. He went
directly to the Office of Strock & Wal
lace No information was given out
from either the attorneys for the de-
tense or from the district attorneys
office in the federal building. The
prosecutors are promising some Are
works. however, soon after the trial
lis opened. 100 III
l.. C. Boyle of Kansas City, WHO will
assist in the defense, will arrive prob
ably today. Clark McKercher Of New
York. another member of the defend
ants staff OF attorneys, Is expected
any time, it was announced Saturday.
U. S. Agents to Assist.
MIR. Porter will be assisted by
George N. Murdoch of the department
of justice at Washington. E. e., Moon,
ant one il from no other standpoint
ial assistant to the United States at
torney general. So
The prosecutors have been going
through whole trunk loads of evidence
during the last few days. They de-
Tclare the case will be most import
ant one II from 10 other standpoint
than that of precedent and assert that
they will not leave anything unturned
in their efforts to secure convictions.
The thirty-six plumbers come FROM
a number of middle western states,
including Nebraska. Wisconsin, Mis-
isouri, Indiana, Illinois, South Dakota
and Iowa. They are expected to ar
rive here Saturday with the possible
exception of three or four who are
reported to be Ill.
The trial of the case will consume
the greater part Of one month. say
the attorneys for both Sides Moro
than 200 witnesses will be examined
in all probability. The prosecution ad-
mits that 100 is conservative esti-
mate on the number to be brought i'll
on behalf of the government
Is The, plumbers are under criminal
indictment for alleged violation of the
Sherman antitrust law and the max
i1num penalty, according to thei, atto7-
neys, is one year In jail or fine or
both
The defendants lawyers declare the
whole case is "big blunderbus5' and
that from reading the Indictment one
is unable to tell what the men are
specifically charged with.
Seventy-tive jurors have been en-
paneled and one day will be required,
it is thought, to secure the twelve men
who will hear the evidence.