The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-27
OWNERS
REPUBLIC OIL COMPANY PRETEND
 ED TO DE INDEPENDENT.
Under Guixe of Competitor of the Trust ft Went After Trade Which Was Sore on the Mo-
 nOpoly.

I doing business before Special Commis- l sioner Schwentner began here today | with B W. Brown. President and Treas uer of the Great Western Oil Company | of Cleveland, as the first witness. Mir | Brown testified that his company was I engaged principally in the marketing l end of the oil business. | Mir Brown continuing said; l T have been in the oil business for 1 twenty three years and for eighteen | years was connected with the old firm | of Schofieid, Schurmer and Teagle, | which sold out to the Republic Oil Com | pany This firm was an active com | petitor of the Standard oil Company | Our company was the largest compet- J itor of the Standard Company in the l State of Missouri and the Central West. | The firm ceased to do business in June. 1 1901. I have documentary evidence of 1 the negotiations which began several months. before the deal was consum- l mated. Mir. Teagle asked me early in | the year of 1901 to assist in the prep aration of schedules of the properties ! of the companies which he said he wanted to submit to J A. Moffatt and | H. M. Tilford of the Standard oil Con- pany of New York City"
 Objections of Hagerman. Attorney Hagerman had been object | ing to all the questions of MT. Hadley and at this point asked Commissioner Schwentner to rule on the relevancy of the question. saying that as all the witnesses knew.of the transaction be- ing obtained from MT. Teagle the evil dence was merely hearsay and there fore illegal. Commissioned Schwentner ruled that the evidence should go in under objection and that the proper court must pass on its legality. MT. Brown then continued as follows:
 The Republic oil Company appeared on the scene immediately after the deal was consummated, Louis H. Tur- rell, who testified yesterday, taking charge of affairs temporarily. Mir. Tur- rel told me when I was first intro- duced to him that he was a repre- sentative of the Standard oil Company. The Standard oil Company has always had what is called a dissatisfied trade which business was easy for the inde- public went after this trade under the guise of being an independent con- cern."
 Competition With Standard. Attorney Hagerman asked the wit ness whether the old firm did not direct its principal energies to get business in competition with the Standard oil Company instead of in competition with the other independent companies. Mir. 0EOWAC TCQltCo tHat LHGEG WaS nut much business to go after except that for which the Standard Company was competing.
 MT. Browne admitted that he knew nothing of the negotiations for the sale of the properties Of Scofleld. Shur- mer and Teagle except what John Tea gle told him.
 Redirect examination brought out the fact that Mir. Browne was a stockholder tKa C1in Apf Rf Scio. Ohio. which was included in the purchase of the plant of Scofield, Schur- mer and Teagle and that MT. Browne had been asked by John Teagle to turn over his stock. as the Standard Oil Company would not close the deal un- less the Scio company could also be bought.
 since I have left the Republic oil Company" continued Mir. Browne, T have had numerous talks with repre- sentatives of the concern. principally with Walter c. Teagle, the Vice Presi- dent, and I have learned from them that general instructions had been is- sued to make it appear that the Re- public was an independent concern and had no connection with the Standard oil Company. also learned from them that the Republic Company was going after the some business that was con- trolled by the firm of Scoheld. Schur- mer and Teagle, which business 1t was impossible for the Standard oil Com pany to get because of the prejudice against it. The firm of Scofield. Schur- mer and Teasle was for years able to sell its oil in competition with the Standard Company, notwithstanding the Standard Company sold at lower prices.
 Prejudice Against Standard.
 This was because of the fact that many dealers would not buy of the Standard at any price, as they consider ed 1t monopoly and used unfair meth ods in its business. This situation was, I have always understood, the principal reason why the Standard oil Company wished to get control of our firms property"
 Attorney Hagerman, re-cross exam ming, endeaVored to obtain from the witness the names of the various sta tion managers of the Republic Compa- ny, who, Mir. Browne had testified, had told him about the instructions as to the Standard Company having nothing to do with the Republic Company. At torney- General Hadley made vigorous protest against the names being re- vealed.
 If these names are given" said Mr. Hadley, "the Standard Oil officials will forthwith cause the discharge of the men. MT Browne has stated it will embarrass the men If he mentions the names, and 1 am not conducting this examination to cause the discharge of some little fellow earning $75 or $s0 a month"
 The matter was compromised by the agreement to withdraw all of the ques- lions bearing on the subject except that relating to Mir. Browne's conversation with Walter c. Teagle.
 At the conclusion Of MT. Brownes testimony. recess was taken.
 After the morning session, Attorney General Hadley said that ne would ex- anime only three more witnesses. Upon talking with Frank Rockefeller, James Corrigau and other persons suDpoenaed. he had learned, he said, that they did not possess information that would be of value to him.
 Would Not he of Value.
 They had been connected with the Standard oil Company previous to 1900 and what they knew of the Standard Oil Company methods up to that time, Mir Hadley said, would not assist him in the case which the State of Missouri had brought against the Standard oil Company.
 c. W. Scoheld, of the former oil firm of SeofieId Shurmer and Teagle of thls city was the first witness of the after noon session. Attorney Hagerman ob- 1ected to the further taking of testi- mony in short hand. He had waived the taking of the testimony of the for mer two witnesses in long hand, but he now made vigorous objection to short hand, on the grNund that 1t was not legal. After some lively sparring be- tween counsel and Attorney General HadIey Commissioner schwentner rul- ed that he had a right to take the tes- itIr,nn,, in short hand and the exam