The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1919-09-19
milk PRODUCERS
CASE BEFORE JURY
FIVE DAY TRIAL
ENDS THURSDAY NOON
Attorneys for Defense Score Prosecu.
tiGn In Final Arguments to
Jurors

With the statement by At
torney Walter d. Meals, attorney for
the defendants, that Cleveland milk
determine the cost to the
consumer and take sc per cent of the
price the consumer pays.
Attorney Meals, former appellate
court judge and VIM. H. Boyd, we'll
known in this county from his work
at the Blakeslee trial, represent the
milk producers who were recently in
dicted by a special grand jury on
charge of violating the Valentine anti
trust laws. The defendants are W. H.
lngersoll, president of the milk COM
pany; Allen Mills, Chagrin Falls; S.
A. Hull, Painesville; S. w. Keller, La
grange; z. A. Kent, Aurora; W. B.
Elyria; and ]. A. Clark, of
Medina. County Prosecutor Doerfer
and Stephen M. Young, an assistant,
represent the state. The case is being
heard in the court of common pleas
Judge Homer G. Powell.
Most of the first day was taken up
with the securing of jury, which was
completed late in the afternoon.
Attorney Meals, in stating his case
to the jurors declared that the milk
producers have just the same right
to combine for the purpose of protect
ing themselves and selling their
product to the best advantage as
laborers have to organize to market
their labor. The prosecutor had pre-
viously quoted from speeches alleged
to have been made at producers meet
ings by Attorney Ingersoll. He also
charged that the milk company re-
fused to Endorse" the Clover Meadow
Dairy Co. when that concern went into
the hands of a receiver. ...
Attorney Meals replied to this
charge with the statement that the
milk company owed the producers
SAT 900 which was the real reason for
lack Of Endorsement. He declared the
defense would show that the price
paIa 70 the producers. really has but
little to,do with the price charged to
the consumer.
Friday the taking of testimony was
begun. Emil Luginbuhl, of Solon, tes-
tilted that he had been advised by In
gersoll or someone else not to sell
milk to the Clover Meadow concern.
When asked to produce the letter the
witness stated that he had lost or mis-
laid it.
VIM. loot, a former purchasing
agency for the Clover Meadow COM
pany, stated Mr.. Ingersoll told a num-
ber of farmers that if they would join
the association milk would be retailing
in the city Of Cleveland at zoe quart
before snow flies.
Jamse Coolidge, Jr., vice president
and manager of the Telling-Belle Ver-
non Co., on the stand declared his
company purchased milk from about
1000 producers within a radius of SO
miles from Cleveland and that he had
discussed the price with the men on
trial, and that the price was fixed
from month to month. Asked what
the price was at present the witness
stated producers received 33c per gal
lon for August and 30-31 1ac for July.
He also testified that checks were
made payable to the individual pro-
ducers and not to the milk company.
Edward Soeder, of Soeder & Sons,
independent milk dealers, was the next
witness and testified practically the
same as Coolidge.
A large number of spectators were
present at Fridays session and the
Judge had to caution some against
an oyer display of applause which
burst forth whenever a telling point
was brought out.
The trial was adjourned Friday I'M
til $3.50 o'clock Monday morning when
Attorney Afford L. Bishop, receiver
for the Clover Meadow Dairy Co.,
took the stand, and testified that he
heard Mr.. Ingersoll make the state
ment that cut rates initiated by the
Clover Meadow company cost northern
Ohio farmers half million dollars,
and suggested that was the reason fo1
what he called the producers boycott
Of his company, and not, as alleged
by the defense, it's indebtedness to the
farmers. Mr.. Bishop also denied that
1ngersoll was referring to increased
costs Of production when he said at
the Mantua meeting that Cleveland
would be paying 20 cents for milk be-
fore the snow flies.
When cross examined Bishop ad-
mitted that Ingersoll had stated the
throwing of the milk company into the
hands of a receiver was simply fol
the protection of the company's cred.
itors' but declared that he had Offered
Ingersoll ample security and "Inger-
soil was the whole show and wouldn't
permit endorsement Of the Glover
Meadow"
Attorneys for the defense then sub
mitted a balance sheet of the dairy
concern which Bishop had sent to In
|gersoal sand stated that a piece Of xea
estate which was listed among th'
assets for $33, 900 had been purchased
but short time previous for $4,000
Bruce Spencer, dairy farmer O.
Mantua, was also called on the stan,
for few minutes and testified tina
he had applied for membership in tn
Farmers Cooperative Milk Co., an,
had received a letter from the presi
(COntinued on page six)