The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-21
STANDARD OIL SUYRENDERS?
PRACTICALLY AEANDcNS I'm
NTSSOI M 81 r. DE"HACE.
IT'S witnesses Wake such n Poor "
That the Taking W FURTHER Testimony
In This city II I'm cn UD--NO ENpec'a-
tiOn Of Further right b. the case

Thu Standard Oil Company h. n practically
~ndo it's defence in the ants brought
against il by the State OF Missc uri for VIOLA
tions OF the antitrust laws there after a
svht that hes lasted more tina o n year and
a half. The end came yesterday when the
taking of IL. timony for the Offence before
Commissioned Anthony was alb ruptly halted
mar the conclusion of the NOR ning session.
The Stands I'd Oil attorne Us had put
several witnes ses on the sta nd to reiute
the testimony Of the witnt sses Tor the
ur~osecution AMI they Jared 80 baby AT the
hands of Atton ley-General Hadley OF Nils
aouri hat il wa : decided to call no more
witnesses until "A consultt ton had oeen
held with NJ. s. Elliott, the general counsel
Of the trust.
After the morn ing session was oVeu the
attor,eys for two Of the three cohlA'hiee
involved. the Rep bile on company Oh
cleveland and the Standard on company
~ Indiana went To - Broadway and had a
In. congeyence with Mr.. Elliott. when
,h.y ratu rned they consulted with MI
Hadlev and the ann0Incemei1t was theh
maae that no more testimony would be
taken in New York. There was some AK
that other witnesses for the defence might
he examined in the West, but owing 10 Ino
confessedly poor showing ma ae mus lar
nv the trusts witnesses II Is coipsiueieN
improbable that the Standard Woulu care
20 put ir any more testimony.
Ii was the intention OF the nda
IL is said. 10 put on the stand some OF the
laad;ng orfcials of the conce IN, including
William Rockefeller and John D.. Archbold'
~ show that the trust, while acknowledging
the absolute control of the stock OF the three
companies involved, had never violated
the ANTITRUST laws of Missouri or permitted
comnetition 10 be curtailed. Some OF the
officials of the minor concerns were put
unnn the stand first, and in cross examining
tbam Attorney General Hadley got what
he considered more valuable Information
for his side than the State was able to get
from its own witnesses.
All his testimony had a tendency 10 sho"
that the Republic Oil company was a con-
Germ which was organized simply 10 lake
over the business of Schoield, Shuriher
and Teagle, large independent operators
who sold out 20 the Standard after fighting
the trust for wears. The directors were all
dummies and the officials were employees
of the trust. who had organized the company
merely 10 accommodate their employers
Those who testified for the defence ad-
mitted that they had never owned a COLLARS
worth of the stock carried IN thar names
and that the dividends were paid over 10
the Standard Oil Company OF New jersey
which is the parent trust. In one case
.acoording TO the testimony brougnI Out
on cross-examination the witness. George
B. Wilson, who was the FIRST PRESIDENT Oh lne
Reu,bGc company, admitted that he had
s;gned the certificate for stock in his name
In blank and that he had never seen 1t again
IA ~ l.. lnav what diADDSlt1On was
made of ii.
]. A. MoGett, president OF the STANDARD
MI Company of Indiana. which had also
been doing business in Missouri as an in
deoendent concern, also admitted that the
stock was owned by the parent trust. PRIOR
IN that the Waters-Pierce company OIL
Ncials after a hard battle had confessed
that the majority Of its stock was con-
troIled bv the Standard of New Jersey.
Attornev-Genera Hadley refused yester-
dav 20 discuss the probable outcome OF the
case. From some of those close 10 MN
however, it was learned that the chances
are remote that the stanaara VIII cal any
over the breaking down OF the STANDARD 6
defence the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, 1t was SAID,
was somewhat disappointed, as ne pas a
great desire TO cross-examlhe some Oh tne
HIGHEST officials OF the trust.
h Ia likely now that the evidence taken
before commissioners in various states
will be presented to the Supreme Court oil
Missouri as soon as II Is ceruneo 10 Oy she
the Standard Oil Company OF Indiana ano
the Waters-Pierce company OF -; LOUIS
IN ouit business in Missouri. b he
public company has ppaG bHs ne qI now a.,
20 impose a heavy IN on the onenuers u
thew are convicted.
The Waters-Pierce company is one of thu
- 90 Lind "a ~ uAEId
II is credited with paying dividends OF GO
Der cent. and owns property worth IN TN
~neighborhood Of SIC, 900, 900, AT nrst tnt
attorneys for the company denied that the
STANDARD owned a controlling interest II
the stook. but the fact that it did was finally
admitted by H. Clay Pierce, the presldent
Ex-Judge johnson OF st, Louis VINO ma
re~presented the Waters-P1erce, company
in the present suits, said yesterday that h'
III rad several more witnesses TO examln
Tor the defence, and he hoped that the tax
ing of testimony would not be
until he had had a chance TO put Them OF
the stand. 1t was pointed out. however
~ that Judge johnson was practically Tn
counsel for Mr.. Pierce, who is q minorit!
~stockholder. -
Cremshaw OF Chicago, manager OF tn
q Gales department Of the Standard Oh Com
pany on Indiana, was on the stand. Judg
johnson objected repeatedly TO the ques
ions that Mr.; hadley was Ssklng sne WI!
A|- ASA0. DCNGl1 $3.50
N was about to answer the Judge interposeN
and declared that the questions were i'm
proper. Then Frank Hagerman OF counse
~ Tor the Standard took a hand:
II wish" said he with some heat to Judg
Johnson. -that you would let my witnes
alone. Let him answer the question as b
sees 1T"
Judge johnson persisted, however, an
he was overruled by Commissioner An
Cremshaw testified that in his opinion th
trust had carried on its business In Missoul
sin an ethical way
aDo YOU think it was ethical to run shaI
COMPANIES with dummy directors In orde
10 mislead the people as 20 the true charaC
ter Of the businessI' asked the Attorney
General.
b The witness said that he did not believ
that the Standard company had done so.
"a sWell,' persisted Mr.. Hadley, do 20
believe that IL was ethical TO use false gauge
in measuring up competitive shipment
~ oilfS