The times., 1899-03-19
HOT SHOT FOR MIR. RICE.
ne Gets Severe Scoring at the
Standard OIL Hearing.


New York, March 1S.-At a hearing MT
the Hoffman House yesterday in the case of
the attorney general OF Ohio against the
standard Oil Company, John ID. Archbold.
Oh tnat company, took the opportunity that
the witness chair offered of attacking
George f. Rice, who, it is asserted. has
followed the company for years with pros-
ecutions, and who, it is asserted, is respon-
| slbie Tor all of the present prosecutions
now carried on in the State of Ohio At
torney General Monett, with his brother
in-law, S. W. Bennett and Lawyer Flagg,
who is assisting him. came on from Ohio
to meet Mr.. Rice and to conduct the States
case. NJ. F. Elliott and Virgil P. Kline,
with Mr.. Archbold, were first at the hotel
in the morning. The particular case In
which testimony was to be taken was the
charge of contempt of court, the attorney
general asserting that an order of the
ONO supreme court for the Standard Oil
Company of Ohio to withdraw from the
Standard Oil Trust had not been obeyed
but had been evaded. Mr. Archibald was
sworn and explained his connection with
the Standard Oil Company He said he
had been one of the liquidating trustees
of the trust since 1893. when the Ohio su-
preme court made its order. Regarding
his relations with Mr.. Rice about the sale
OF refining plant in Ohio, he said:
Rice came to see me at the Office of the
oil company. | told him l was willing to
ilsten to any proposition he had and he
began a general talk in relation to the
oil business and what he could DO and
what he had done in the matter of litiga-
ton and some of the methods he had used
against us and what he intended to use
against us in the future. He said further
that he was in the oil line and he had
the ability to put up oil in small quantities
in various markets and make US conform
to the price. l told him that / did not
for moment concede that he could do
anything OF the kind, but that he mad made
himself considerable of nuisance. II
asked him what he wanted. He said he
wanted 100000; $3.50, 900 in cash and $780,
900 year for five years"
Mr.. Archbold looked at Mr.. Rice as he
said this. Il said to him." continued Mr..
Archbold: IF l make this deal with you
what do you propose to do? He said
he would put all of his business into our
hands and run it under our direction.
said to him: And does this deal mean
the withdrawal of all such litigation as
you speak OFF, He replied: ''Oh yes,
wen work along together and I'll do ey-
erything for your interests well, +
said. it strikes me that s500,000 is a good
deal of money, and 1 asked him again
what he proposed to do: whether he
thought that his plant was worth that
much money. He said he was not making
any claim as to the value of his plant, not
for moment
At this point Mr.. Monnett began to OBJ
ject, but he was overruled.
Mr.. hrchbold went on: Il told him that
SSoo.O0o was big sum. and that did not
believe his oil plant was worth anything
like that amount. He did not dissent from
my opinion. but he said he could, through
litigation, hurt US to the extent of more
than $4,000 .00Q, and that it would be much
better for us to pay 100000 than to have
to pay s1.O00000 year, perhaps, in the
future. | told him l thought his propo-
sition was extravagant. but that we Would
take it into consideration"
Mr.. Archbold said: He has not got
cent and he won't get a cent. 1t was a
pure, unadulterated attempt at blackmail.''