The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-23
The STANDARD OIL INQUIRY.
MORE TESTIMONY As TO THE burn
ING OF ACCOUNT BOOKS.
the Burning says the Books De-
stroyed Were Simply Old Letter
Press Books. and Order Books.

CLEVELAND. Ohio, Dec 2a-T'he TAX
Ing of dispositions by Attorney General
Monnett to attempt TO prove that ths
Standard OH Company had destroyed q
lot of It's books and papers a Few days
before the supreme court ordered the
books 10 he produced as evidence in the
investigation OF the Standard company
was resumed today. John McNierney
testified that he had been In the employ
OF the Standard company for over two
years.
McNierney sstii that on Saturday morn
ing. November Il. he was ordered 10 burn
lot OF the Standard conIpanys books.
He burned them at about O'Clock in the
furnace Of the shops. Later in the day he
said he was ordered to go TO the Euclid
avenue offices and get some boxes. The
boxes Were taken from the NTH roor in
the elevator. bur some one objected 10
them being taken out of the front door.
Thereupon the boxes We're taken back 20
the fifth floor
McNterney said that he remained around
the office until o clock that afternoon.
and then the boxes were io@<sred uy a rope
from one of the windows. He vas assisted
by four other employees OF the company.
The boxes were taken 20 the company
warehouse. They remained there until
Monday. The witness said that about 10
o'clock Monday he ard a man named Mo
ran took the books from the boxes and
burned them in the furnaces. There were
nine boxes of books and six sacks OF pa
pers. Some OF the books were about twenty
inches high. and others much smaller.
McNierney said that the books that were
burned on Saturday morning wee taken
from the Euclid avenue office FRIDAY night.
He received his orders TO get the books from
George Field. the cashier.
on cross examination Nc Sierney said
that he and Moran burned the books that
were destroyed Saturday morning. Moran
helped open the boxes and took Out me
books and burned them.
The regular Standard Oil inquiry before
Special Master Commissioner Brinsmade
was not taken up today because Messrs.
Rockefeller, Squire and Ssverai nc, VINO
ATTORNEY General Monnett wanted II pro-
coed with the hearing and To subpoena
the bookkeepers and other employees OF the
Attorney Kline. for the company. OBJ
jected and argued for more delay.
Said Mr. Monnett: I'VE nave been
Year and two months getting three days
testimony. We nave met with nothing ou.
delays and the state is ready 10 60 on now
Mr. Kline stated 10 the best OF his knowl-
edge Secretary Squire would return TO
Cleveland January 4. He said that Mr. Sew
GRANGE had been OUT OF he city for several
months and he did not know where Frank
Rockefeller was.
lie further said none of these gentlemen
had left the city TO prevent service being
served them.
After a debate Of some length by the at
fQTNeyS, Master COMMISSIONER Itfi!A>IilAIE
ordered the investigation postponed until
January at 10 ii. m.
Mr. Virgil p Kline; OF the law firm Of
Kline. To.ies & Gofr. OF this city, attorneys
for the Standard oil Company. sesds the
following communication 10 the Associated
Press:
My attention has been called 10 A print
| ed statement 10 the effect that previous
| as attorney for the Standard Oil Company,
| spent several days in Columbus, and 1t Is
| lntimated that | received "A tip" before.
| hand in regard TO the courts decision and
| at once notified the officials OF the Stand
| ara company.
| That statement Is an absolute false
hood and an insult to The court. -, E.
| save that ! spent a part Of one forenoon
| in Columbus with Mr.. Neal. preparing a
| brief in the case.
| pany has destroyed any Of It's books Of
| account for the purpose OF evading the or
| "(Signed) VIRGIL p KLINE"
| AtA O'Clock the taking Of testimony be-
! fore Notary Mason was resumed: Charles
| Z. Hogan, a foreman in The employ OF the
/ Standard Oil Company, was the only wit
| ness examined He has been In the EN-
/ poy OF the company for tweuty-one years
| He said he gave orders In accordance with
| Instructions 10 George Fields, 10 burn the
accounts and books IN the boxes hauled
| from the offices OF the company In the In
| Dependence street warehouse. The box 81.
/ he declared, contained n miscellaneous col
| lection OF papers and 4 few books which
| might have been letter press tO0is stock
| books or order copy books. He declared
| positively that no ledGers or journals were
| burned. The burning OF this ma terial. he
! said. was OF no consequences, ana was ac-
| corilng 20 custom
| In July. 1886 he said a lot OF similar ma
| tevtai was burned and In 1895 more ac-
counts and books were DESTROYED. The last
/ time number OF account books Were burn
| ed Hogan said he had been requested to
/ look al the books before destroying them
/ and not burn Any that were less than ten
| wears old He saved few that were less
Than ten years old. thar had been set aside
| by mistake.
| The ring before the notary will be re-
| sumed tomorrow morning.
/ GENUINE solid gold sprctac,es for hoi-
/ idav gifts at Evsrsole's. No limitations