Note 291 — Chapter XXVI · PRIVATE-CAR ABUSES.

Mr. Streychmans has been accused of stealing this code book and also certain letters and papers, but in fact he took no original papers, but only carbon copies of letters and statements he wrote for the company, and the code book was put into his possession for use in his work by the secretary of Armour’s general manager. If any charge of stealing or any other criminal charge could be made, Streychmans would long ago have been prosecuted by the Beef Trust people. When he began giving publicity to the facts in his possession the general manager tried to buy him off. He was shamefully treated by some of the Armour officers, and partly in revenge, probably, and partly in gratitude to the editor of the San Francisco Examiner for helping him out of California and the Armour grip, he gave the editor copies of letters, etc., the publication of which led to his examination by the Commission.