Document yrRdqXvMBjBJNmQVenKMqQ0E3

FILE NAME: New York State & NY Times (NY) DATE: 1964 May 22 DOC#: NY016 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NYT Article - Asbestos Concerns Acquitted by Jury ASBESTOS CONCERNS ACQUITTED BY JURY Special to The New York Times New Yorlc Times (1857-Currentfile); May 22, 1964; ProQucst Hislocical Newspapers The New York. Times (1851 - 2002) ASBESTOS CONCERNS I ACQUITTED BY JURY Special to The New York Tim. PHILADELPHIA, May 2 1 Two asbestos-products compa nies and an official of one of them were found not guilty to day of charges of price fixing. After one of the longest civil trials ever held in the Federal District Court here, the Jury of six women and six men reached Its verdict in eight hours. The trial began Jam 9 and testimony was heard from 150 witnesses. Their testimony filled 14,044 pages. Aquitted were the JohnsManville Corporation, of New York; Keasbey & Mattison, of Ambler, Pa., since acquired by the ,Certain-Teed Products Cor poration which was not involved, and Robert F. Orth, vice pres ident and general manager of the pipe division of JohnsManville. The defendants were accused of conspiring to restrain trade through the fixing of prices for asbestos-cement pipe and coup lings. The indictments were re turned June 1, 1962. Early in the trial Judge Francis L. Van Dusen directed ,a verdict of acquittal for Rob ert P. Porter, former president and chairman of Keasbey & Mattison. He also directed that the two companies and Mr. Orth be acquitted of charges that they sought to monopolize the asbestos-cement pipe busi ness. Three others indicted in the alleged conspiracy have been granted severances for separate trials. They are Louis F. Frazza, sales manager for Johns-Manville; Norman Barr, vice president of Joluis-Manville, and James R. Reichel, general manager of Keasbey & Mattison.