The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1898-12-22
KLINE RECEIVED A TIP
And Quickly Notified the Standard
Oil Folks to burn Books.
STARTLING CHARGES MADE.
Attorney General Monnett Takes De-
positions at Cleveland to Prove
Valuable Records of the Com
Germ Were Destroyed.

Cleveland, Dec. 21.-Developments Of
J. most sensational nature in the Stand
ard Oil investigation came to light
when Attorney General Monnett began
taking dispositions for the purpose of
proving that the Standard Oil COM
pany, just previous to the issuance of
the order by the supreme court that
the books of the company be produced
in evidence, had destroyed a large
number of it's books.
Upon the strength of information re-
ceived by the attorney general from
that it could be proved that the Stand
ard Oil company had burned a lot Of
its books, journals, ledgers and other
valuable books, the state served notice
upon the Standard Oil company that
dispositions would be taken before a
notary in this city.
During the investigation of the
Standard Oil trust before Commits
sioner Brinsmade few weeks ago, the
Standard refused to produce its books
to the supreme court, and on Dec.
that court ordered the Standard Oil
company to produce its books, cover
ing the period from 1892 to 1897, to
show whether the Standard had paid
dividends during that time to the hold
ers of trust certificates.
KIine's Information.
Previous to the discussion of the SUI
preme court, Virgil P. Kline, attorney
for the Standard, spent several days at
/ Columbus, and it is alleged that he
received information beforehand in re-
gard to the courts decision, and at
once notified the officials of the Stand
ard Oil company.
! Attorney General NOnnett expects to
be able to prove that the officials of the
Standard destroyed their books three
or four nights before the supreme
court ordered F. B. Squires, secretary
of the company, to produce the com
panys books in evidence.
The taking of dispositions to prove
Attorney General Monnett's allega-
tions was commenced before Harry G.
Mason. The most important witness
produced was John Darmstetter,
rabbi of a Bohemian church.
Rabbi Darmstetter testified that one
evening, three or four weeks ago, he
went into the saloon of E. H. Pollock
to see Pollock, who is an official of his
church.
He said that at the time Pollock was
waiting upon several Bohemian labor
ers, who were employees Of the Stand
ard Oil company, and he sat down till
the saloonkeeper got through with his
customers.
| Darmstetter said that one Of the men
in the saloon was quite hilarious, and
was asked: why are you fellows do
ing so much treating?"
Two of the men then engaged in
conversation and, flashing a roll of
bills, said that they had got some good
stuff working over time. One of them,
who was a steamster, said that he and
another teamster had loaded up lot
of books at the Euclid avenue ONCE of
the Standard Oil company and had
taken them to the company's furnaces,
where they were burned.
Fear OF Losing His Job.
Attorney General Monnett secured
the residence and name of one of the
drivers, and when a constable went to
subpoena him the man exclaimed: "LIy
Job is gone II 1 have to testify"
Another Of the transfers of the
Standard company, when informed
that he would probably be called upon
to testify, is reported to have said:
They can't catch me. What we took
| were boxes, and can not tell what
| they contained"
Rabbi Darmstetter, when placed on
the witness stand, was very unwilling
to testify, saying that II he did so he
would injure the members OF his con-
gregation, many Of whom were en-
ployes of the Standard.
! The dispositions of Ave other wit