Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-03-06
OFFERED HIM 100000
TO STOP HIS PROSECUTION.
Honey, 1t I~ Snid, Was to BE Put j"
Safety Vault ana kry Handed 10
an ONlcial-'Thc Gu Between
WINS to Receive %IOO,nOO.

| George Rice, a veteran oil rehner WIN
has fought the Standard Oil company
for years, is on his way to New YORK
city. Before leaving Ohio for New YORK
he gave out a long statement regarding
| the investigation now being conducted
by Attorney General Monnett against
the trust in his efforts to Gust the Dig
corporation from Ohio under the anti
trust law. Mr.. Rice said:
1T might be of interest to the citizens
of Ohio to know that they have an in
corruptible official in the attorney gen
aral, F. S. Monnett, who within month
has been offered the sum of s500000 less
a fee OF 100000 to be retained by the
person attempting the bride, to stop
proceedings against the Standard Oil.
'"The evidence has come to me from
such sources and in such manner that
it establishes this fact beyond the posi-
bility of a doubt
Several of the officers of the Standard
company are in this state. coming from
Ohio, where they were wanted to testify
N Monnett's investigation
MOnnett Admits story.
Columbus. O., March 6. - Attorney
General Munnett has arrived home from
Michigan. \ newspaper repre- sentative
met him at his office and asked for a
statement in regard to the story of
George Rice oc Marietta that a bride of
100000 had been offered to him If he
would drop the suits against the Stand
ard OH company. He replied that he
could not discuss the matter now,
Can 7 say that you do not deny it?
"No. | do not say that" And then,
after moments hesitation. he added,
We'll, you may say that we do not
deny it,
why can you not make a statement
of it 1t this time?"
81 think I would better wait for the
other side to make a statement"
Continuing, Mr. Monnett said the
proposition was made in the presence of
Smith w. Bennett. his assistant counsel.
The man making the proposition"
said Mr.. Monnett. does not live in Co.
lumbus. The proposition came through
some friends Of mine. whom should
not like to involve in the matter"
| Many Persons Uneasy.
IT was suggested thatIo friend Of his
would be the bearer of Euch a PROPOSE
ton. He replied that it would seem So
| but such offers always We're carefully
managed and must be made through
some friend, who is often an innocent
| party.
Pressed to make further statements
In regard to the matter, the attorney
general peremptorily refused.
What I have given you he said,
will put at rest number of persons
who have been made very uneasy by
| the published repOrtS''
"Will you say whether this matter is
| Of recent occurrence?'
Yes, of comparatively recent occur
renee"
Did you know of it when the deposit
tions We're taken last week."
Yes"
Did Mr.. Rice know about it when he
was in the state?'
Yes
Mr.. Monnett closed the interview by
stating that he had been informed that
some one had sent out an interview
with him from Toledo Saturday morn
ing in which he was made to deny the
bribery story.
II saw no one in Toledo" said he,
land certainly made no such denial"
Story of Alleged Offer.
The story as told here is that be-
tween and 6 o'clock of the afternoon
of Jan. "A Cleveland business man sat
on a sofa in the Office of Attorney Cen
eral Monnett and told him that $500. 900
would be placed in a safe deposit box
in New York city and the key given to
the attorney general if he would agree
to allow the Standard Oil litigation to
lapse by default
The negotiations which led up to the
making of this proposition began. it is
alleged. in the Windsor hotel. in New
York. The man who came from Cleve-
land to Columbus to close these nego-
tiations is personal friend Of Mr..
Monnett. It was this intimacy which
protected him in submitting the prop
osition and it is in part because of this
friendship that the attorney general de-
clnes to make full and complete
statement of the case.
There is another reason for his reti-
cence. The charge Mr. Rice makes
bears upon litigation pending in the su-
preme court and the attorney general
thinks it would be improper for him to
make a statement which either the
public or the court itself might inter-
pref to be prejudicial to one of the par
ties to these cases.
There is nothing to show that the Of
fer was bona tide one, and some sug-
gest that a plan may have been made
by making out that he had tried to
blackmail the Standard Oil company.