Iowa County Democrat

CHICAGO PACKERS ASK DELAY IN CASE.

Petition Causes Surprise to Government Officials.

KENYON DUE IN CHICAGO TODAY.

Packers Ask Prosecution of Criminal Charges Be Postponed Until Case in Equity Before Grosscup Is Disposed Of.

Chicago, Dec. 7.-Counsel representing J. Ogden Armour and other indicted packers have filed a petition in the United States district court asking that further prosecution of the criminal charges against the members of the so-called beef trust be postponed until the suit in equity pending before Judge Peter S. Grosscup in the United States circuit court be disposed of. This suit was filed last February and seeks to dissolve the National Packing company. The petition came as a surprise to the government officials, who had been expecting that a demurrer would be filed.

John S. Miller, of counsel for the packers, gave notice to District Attorney Sims and James H. Wilkerson, that arguments on the petition would be called before Judge George A. Carpenter in the United States court today. Judge Carpenter is absent from the city, and was reported as having been in Washington Tuesday. It is thought unlikely that he will return to Chicago before next week.

As soon as copies of the petition were placed in the hands of the district attorney and his aid, he called a conference with Mr. Wilkerson and Elwood Goodman. W. S. Kenyon, assistant attorney general of the United States, was expected to arrive here today.

A decree of injunction granted in the suit of 1902, it is stated, is still in effect. The suit in equity filed last February, it is set forth, is directed against certain of the same persons who were made defendants to the injunction proceedings in 1902.

The only new defendants, it is said, are Charles H. Swift, Frank A. Fowler, Edward Tilden and Louis H. Heyman.