The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-14
ROCKEFELLER COURT.
Can Not Explain Why He is Not
Guilty of Contemnt


New York, Oct. 14.-America's wealth.
lest man sat before commission in the
New Amsterdam hotel today trying to
evolve reason why he should not pay
fine to the state of Ohio for contempt
or court. Inc man was John d. Rocke-
feller,the controlling spirit of the might
lest corporation on earth He is worth
5000, 900, 900.
In no photographers in the world. so
far as known, can picture of this man
be found 1t is no marvel therefore,
that the dragging of this amazingly
wealthy person into the glare Of public
ity should be a thing of great note.
A judgment was rendered in 1892 by
the supreme court of Ohio barring the
Standard Oil company of that state
from participating in or having any
connection with the Standard Oil trust,
which grips in its tentacles the entire
country.
1t is now six years since the Standard
Oil company of Ohio was ordered by the
court to dissolve. In that time half
the stockholders have ostensibly turned
over their stock.
The other half hangs on, and for all
PRACTICAL purposes the company still ex-
lists. 1t has paid no dividends, but has
saved up 500, 900 in the six years it has
continued to hang fire, in spite of the
mandate of the court. This constitutes
the contempt upon which Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter has been dragged out OF his retire
ment and made to suffer physical and
mental torture such as only great
millionaire can suffer.
Mr. Rockefeller was on the stand
from 10 a. m. until 1880 p. m, and from
1 80 until 4:30. He probably did not ut
ter I, 900 words during all that time The
time was consumed by the questions OF
the inuuisitors, the objections of Mr..
RockefelIer's lawyers, who sat right
back of him and did not let him answer
anything until they had clearly 1ndl-
Gated to him how they wanted him to
answer. and the arguments upon these
objections.
He acknowledged that he was one of
the trustees of the company at the time
of the entry of this judgment. He start
ed a promising yarn, but II Iaued, ana
for time the ticking of the ancient
clock seemed to say cent per cent.
cent per cent" He was one OF the
trustees of the Standard Oil company OF
Ohio in 1892 when the transfer of stock
was made.
Did the stock certificates for your
individual holdings go into the hands
of the trustees when the order to DIS
solve the company was given
Here was question that the great
millionaire did not seem to relish. After
deliberate reflection he said:
Neither could he say how ne got that
certificate, necessary to the dissolution
of the company, into the hands of the
trustee.
II cannot speak of that definitely at
this time, The said deprecatingly. There
is nothing which we wish to conceal"
90, no, of course not" replied MI
F'Iagg, with fine sarcasm. Anyhow.
your stock got into the hands of the
trustees
ct did,
Mr.. Rockefeller acknowledged that he
and his cotrustees had always been
owners of a majority of the stock in
the constituent companies of the Stand
ard Oil trust.
I'VE are all in the same boat" he
said. Nobody is asked to take any po-
sition that we ourselves are not willing
to take. AS far as my corporate stock
is concerned Chere Mr.. Rockefeller held
up both hands pleadingly with the fing-
ers extended) it is all 1 have in the
world.
For a moment the lawyers sat stun
ned, between pathos OF the attitude and
the comedy of the lines.
Did you say the Ohio company Meth |
er made earnings nor distributed any?''
Il said they were not distributed"
"Ahp'
HAS the company made earnings?'
Yes" The magnate then confessed |
that the trustees were holding 100000 !
in earnings, which they would distrib- !
ute by and by.