The Mena weekly star., 1906-06-14
NR. PIERCE DODGES AGAIN
Slippery Standard Oil Magnate Not in St. Louis to Testify in
 Oil Hearing.
HADLEY THREATENED AN ATTACHMENT
Attorney General Angry at the Continued
 Disregard of Supreme Court Process Illness of an Attorney Given as an Ex-
 cuse for the Continuance by the De- fendant's Lawyers-Pierce in New York


 St. Louis June 12.-The hearing of evidence in the Missouri custer pro- ceedings against the Standard and Waters Pierce Oil companies, was re- sumed Monday at the Southern hotel before Special Commissioner R. A Anthony. Attorney General Hadley and his two assistants, John Kennish and Rush c. Lake, arrived Sunday night to participate in the case, and will also represent the state in the first test case under the railroad max mum freight rate law, which pro- ceedings were begun Monday before Special Commissioner Scofield. Eigh-
 cen railroads have been cited to ap- pear, and the state will select one of which to make test case.
 H. Clay Pierce, chairman of the board of directors of the Waters-Pierce oil company, was expected to be the thief witness at the oil hearing. He IS now in New York, and when this
 act was elicited from Judge John D Johnson, general counsel for the Waters-Pierce company, who asked a continuance of the hearing on the ground that Judge H. S. Priest lead ing counsel, was detained at home by illness, Attorney-General Hadley sharp y declared he would not consent to l continuance, and threatened to have an attachment issued for the appear ance of Mir. Pierce.
 Attorney-General Hadley asserted hat the illness of Attorney Priest was made subterfuge for delay of the hearing. This hearing has been post poned three times already" declared Mir Hadley, first, because of the plea of pressing business engagement in New York by MT. Pierce, second because of the illness of Attorney Charles Nagel; third. because of the illness of MT Pierce, and now, you want a continuance because of Judge Priest When the hearing was post poned because of Pierces Illness he was making a reservation on a train for New York under the name Of Stewart, and only abandoned the pur pose when discovered by opposing parties"
 In view of Pierces penchant to dis regard the obligations of the court the continuance asked for should not only not be granted, but the opposing counsel should have sufficient respect for the court not to ask it. Pierce s evasion is a continued progress of pro. crastination. He entertains the ar rogant assumption that the case will be continued and disregards the court s process by remaining away. I think an attachment should be issued for his appearance.
 Attorney Johnson warmly asserted that the attorney-general was endeav- bring to conduct the proceedings to suit his own convenience and without re- gard to the convenience of the oppos ing counsel, and referred to Hadley's recent illness on account of which the hearing was postponed two months He declared that common justice and equity demanded a continuance on ac- count of the illness of Judge Priest inasmuch Judge Priest is the leading counsel for the defense.
 Special Commissioner Anthony then stated that the court was of the opinion that MT. Pierce hould be here to testi. fy instead of being in New York, and that the case would be continued from day to day until MT. Pierce arrived From New York. The court inquired when Mir Pierce would arrive from New York and Attorney Johnson re. piled that he would ascertain by tele graph and inform the court
 The oil hearing adjourned until next Friday morning at 10 o'clock, with an admonition from the court that Mir. Pierce be notified to be here at that time for examination