Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-13

i, HENRY H. ROGERS.
 his hand as he stepped into cab. Even then burly attendant almost knocked the process server down. As for Rockefeller. he fled to Florida to avoid testifying. One big Standard of ficial escaped in an open boat. Others kept in hiding or skipped the state. Out of over score of big oil men want cd only two, Rogers and W. c. Rocke- felier. were caught.
 This is an old game with the Stand ard Oil crowd. In every legal inquiry into their methods they have lodged service or secured delay until their pa pers and chief witnesses were spirited out of the country. If these methods did not serve they wriggled out through a technicality. At the beginning of the present hearing they demanded that the testimony be taken down in long hand, which legally they have right to do, but the result was that progress was greatly impeded. At last they con scented that typewriter be used, but this also greatly delayed proceedings. Almost the universal method is to en- ploy shorthand. Then. while the state of Missouri had only one lawyer pres sent, the Standard had five. These high priced attorneys interposed con stant objections, advised the witnesses not to answer questions and blocked the proceedings in other ways. One of the trust lawyers, who was not ac- credited as representing any of the in terests in action. made himself so ob noxious that the commissioner con ducting 'thcrhearing ordered him from the room. T. Rather insolently the at torney refused to go. The matter was patched up by allowing him to stay if be would keep silent. which he did.
 Oil Msgnate's Wit.
 When MT. Rogers was on the stand he still further occasioned delay by asking that the stenographer repeat each question, though all other persons in the room said that they heard At torney General Hadley's questions very distinctly. All germane inquiries Rogers refused to answer. "on advice of counsel" Questions to which be did deign a reply were treated fippantly for the most part. AS an example, when he was asked as to his knowl- edge of one of the other oil kings by the name of Van Buren, be said he had known q Van Buren once, but he was dead. When required to give the first and that he was once president of the United States. His wit was only eaualled by his lack of memory and assumed ignorance of all the affairs of the oil business. yet he is popularly credited with knowing more about that business than any man on earth. not excepting John D. Rockefeller. At one time he was asked as to one of the Standards new refineries in Kansas. He professcd to know nothing about it. When Mir. Hadley evineed surprise Rogers sneeringly informed him that he took about as much interest in a Kansas refinery as he did in Carrie Nation. The oil magnate made almost ss sneering a reference 10 the supreme court of Missouri. His manner was equally offensive toward Attorney General Hadley. He professed to be amused st Hsdley's questions. called him "judge'' or ''coIoneI'' until correct ed for doing So and sought in other ways 10 make the entire inquiry farce. Tn practically a whole days in- vestigation Rogers succeeded in giving his name and little else that was to the point. A result. Mir. Hsdley had tc appty tc the sIpreme court of New York to fcrce the witness fo answer
 But Mr. RogerS was not always hu- m3rous. Sometimes he almost snsrled At others he grew belliSereut But al- ways he WAS oye-bearing. patronizing and evasive. One rather amusing but momentariIy startling incident occur red. While NIT. Rogers was testifyirz 6 photoraDheT set of a fzshlight in tle Itfn Dl NHf Ep4N8s AA% Nti Hl@E- nate Inunlbied something left the wit ness ehsir and without S3 much as a by your leave ss-i from the room. After ono days hearing RezeTs toes rhe reporters into bis c0Bfsienee and in- formed then that tie whole inquiry v-ss for a political purpose ifs object ieinC 10 make Attorney General Had ley roverao- Of Missouri