The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-01-14
Action Is Begun Against Some
Well. Known Gentlemen lsei
From Fridays Daily.

Cllel Wdllop was IdhSH Jul VI IhSS
alleged beef trust today The Farm
ers' Terminal Packing company in
corporated as a cooperative COM
pany to operate a plant and market
for livestock at st. Paul, instituted
suit today for $1,666.OOO damage for
alleged malicious SANDER and con-
spiracy to ruin their business. The
suit was brought in the circuit court
of the United States for the district
of Minnesota against r. A. Wilkin-
son, C. H. Whitaker, Thomas ].
Raleigh, F. A. Teigen, J R. Kirk,
Joseph e. MonkmaR-, and George
Lidern James Manahan, former
United States congressman and Kay
Todd represent the plaintiffs as at
torneys.
Wilkinson a Defendant
Colonel Wilkinson is one of the
chief defendants. Wilkinson's con-
nections with the capitalistic interests
of the Great Northern, the Northern
Pacific, and the Hill millions, are
generally known, since his retirement
from this capacity. Wilkinson has
been an agriculturalist on large
scale, and is believed to own land
near Lake Elmo, Washington county,
and in Kittson county, in Minnesota.
He, Raleigh, Whitaker and Teigen
mentioned as defendants are officers
of the Minnesota branch of the
American Society of Equity, which
offices they are alleged to have used
in their conspiracy to which the
farmers movement several years ago
as now, the Swift monopoly of the
meat market became SO obnoxious and
intolerable that farmers in many To-
calities rebelled against the arbitrary
market regulation the complaint al
leges.
Grill For Wilkinson.
Wilkinson, it is alleged by the COM
plaintants, improperly posed as a
friend Of the farmer. In 1911, the
complaint alleges, he and other Of
ficers of the Minnesota branch of the
American Society of Equity, formed an
alliance with the J. R. Kirk Com
mission company, which, it is said,
sought to relieve itself of the pressure
of the farmers revolt. This alliance.
the complaint charges, resulted in
commission on live stock being split
between the defendant commission
company, and the defendants, Raleigh,
Teigen, Wilkinson and Whitaker.
Commission Men HoIIered.
The alliance was discovered and
other commission men hollered, with
resultant widespread publicity, the
complaint recalls. 1t was then that
Kay Todd st. Paul attorney and Ira
NJ. j. Charyst, who lives near Hud-
son, Wis, and is president of the
National Society of Equity, formed
the Farmers Terminal Packing COM
pany to operate in opposition to the
Swift combine. The capital stock of
the new concern was placed at ST.
100000, divided into 10000 shares
valued at 500 each. Farmers of the
entire northwest, the bill states,
bought stock enthusiastically.
But then's when the fireworks start
ed. Agents were employed by the de-
PENDANTS named in the complaint, it is
| charged to circulate malicious sland-
| er among farmers who had procured
stock in the new organization The
defendants bill charges, told stock
holders in the newly organized CO.
operative company would never carry
it through and that the capital OF the
cooperative organization officers was
to defraud farmers soely to the Of
| ficers interests. These agents, the
complaint charges, caused persons
who had bought stock to become dis
satisfied, and several suits by these
farmers to get their money back were
started. Some of these suits are still
| pending.
Suits Induced BY Farmers.
These suits, it is alleged by the
| plaintiffs, were induced by farmers on
the promise of the defendants in to-
days suit that the farmers would not
bear a cents cost for any purpose
Auditing of the cooperative companys
books, at the expense of the defend
ants for the purpose of obtaining lists
OF stockholders to work upon in the
defendants conspiracy compafgn is al
| SO charged.
The Kirk Commission company and
Swift & Co., are also made defendants
| in the action.
Inc Ian FaLcn ROAD is laying rails
on its old roadbed from the cutoff
north OF town into the city. Work was
pushed rapidly forward Wednesday by
the Randolph Mortified section crew
and rails laid as far as the city linn
its. The ties have never been taken
up on this section of the line.
The mid-winter activity apparently
confirms the current rumor that the
Dan Patch is getting ready to give up
its lease of the Great Western branch
from Randolph to Mankato, saws The
Mortified News. This part of the
road has not proved profitable and it
is said that with the lease cancelled
the road can be put in better condi-
ton financially. The Great Western
demands payment of $4,000 before
they will cancel the lease.
No announcement has been made by
the Dan Patch concerning the condi-
lions under which the road will oper
ate If the lease is cancelled.
1t is rumored among the local rail-
road men that the Dan Patch Railway
company will soon surrender its lease
to the Great Western tracks between
Mankato and Randolph, and '],~@ he
Great Western will itself age -o,n
h6 rlIOninO ito tcoino ;,to