The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-23
STANDARD OIL co. $ BOOKS
MORE EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT
 THEY WERE BURNED.

Ohio, Against the Trust Strongly Supp ported-An Employo Testihes That He and Another Man Burned Nine Boxes ofBooks and Six Sacks of Papers.
 Cleveland, O., Dec. 22.-The taking of dispositions by Attorney General Mo- nett in his attempt to prove that the Standard OH company destroyed lot of its books and papers few days be- fore the supreme court ordered the books to be produced as evidence in the investigation of the Standard Oil com pany, was resumed to-day. John Me Nlerney testified that he had been in the employ of the Standard Oil com pany for over two years. He said that on Saturday morning, November 19, he was ordered to burn lot of the Stand ard Oil companys books. He burned them in the furnaces of the car shops. Later in the day, he said he was order ed to go to the Euclid avenue office and get some boxes.
 The boxes were taken down from the fifth floor in the elevator, but some one objected to their being taken out of the front door. Thereupon the boxes were taken back to the fifth f1oor McNier- ney said that he remained around the Euclid avenue office until 5 o'clock that afternoon and then the, boxes were low cred by rope and tackle from one of the windows. He was assisted by four other employees of the company. The boxes were taken to the company's warehouse. They remained there until Monday. The witness said on Monday morning he and man named Moran took the books out of the boxes and burned them in the furnaces. There were nine boxes of books and six sacks of papers. Some of the books were about twenty inches high and others were much smaller. McNierney said that the books that were burned Satur- day morning were taken from the Flu cid avenue offices Friday night. He received his orders to get the boxes from George Fields, the car shop fore man. On cross-examination McNier- ney said that he and Moran burned the books that were destroyed on Saturday morning.
 The regular Standard Oil company inquiry before Special Master Commis- sioner Brinsmaide, was not taken up to-day because Messrs Rockefeller, Squire and Severance, who were wanted to testify, could not be found Attor- ney General Monett desired to proceed with the hearing and to subpoena book keepers and other employees of the Standard Oil company. Attorney Kline for the Standard Oil company objected and argued for more delay. Said MT, Monett: ''We have been a year and two months getting three days testi 1nony. We have met with nothing but delays and the state is ready to go on now" Mr. Kline stated that to the best of his knowledge Secretary Squlre would return to Cleveland January 1. He said MT. Severance had been out of the city for several months, and he dit not know where Frank Rockefeller was. He said that none of these gentlemen had left the city to prevent service be- ing secured on them. Master Comnlis. sioner Bransmaide order the investiga- ton postponed until January 4.
  before Notary Mason was resumed. Charles C. Hogan, a foreman in the employ of the Standard Oil company, was the only witness examined. He has been in the employ of the company for twenty-one years He said he gave orders. in accordance with instructions, to George Fields to burn the accounts and books in the boxes hauled from the offices of the company to the 1ndepen- dence street warehouse. The boxes, he declared contained miscellaneous col lection of papers and few books which might have been letter press books, stock books or order copy books. He declared positively that no ledgers or journals were burned. The burning of this material, he said was of no conse- ouence and was according to custom. Tn July, 1S96 he said, lot of similar material was burned and in 1928 more accounts and books were destroyed. This last time number of account hooks were burned. Hogan said he mad been requested to look at the books be- fore destroying them and not burn any that were less than ten years old. He cold he saved a few less than ten years old that had been set aside by mistake. The hearing before Notary Mason VIII he resumed tomorrow.
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