New-York tribune., 1906-10-12
OIL STOCK HELD ABROAD.
Ohio Investigation Shoes Manhattan
as English OzCned Company.

FindIay, Ohio. Oct n-Bvidence was brought out
by the state to-day in the trial of the Standard
oil Company, OF Ohio for conspiracy against trade
showing the ownership Of the Manhattan on COM
pany. of Ohio 10 be in the General Industrial De
velopment Company. Limited. OF London England
Also that the Manhattan which buys and pipes
crude oil. does compete with the Standard. but
does compete with independent companies.
These facts were brought out in the testimony
OF p T. Cuthbert. president Of the Manhattan A
similar criminal suit to that on trial is pending
against his company. and he testified under the
order of the court. which renders him iHinluhe
from future criminal prosecution This course was
taken the suggestion Of the prosecution, upon
the appeal OF Mr. Cuthbert to the court TOT pro-
lection.
The witness had been summoned and ordered TO
bring the books of his company showing the record
OF stockholders meetings. The books were pro-
duced The record of the last annual meeting
showed that Mr.. Cuthbert had been elected presi-
dent by voting under power of attorney, 1885
shares OF stock owned by the English holding
company; that this comprised the entire stock OF
the company, with the exception of five shares OF
which each is held by the president and rour
directors Of the company who are all residents OF
Lima, Ohio, the home of the company. Mr.. Cuth-
bert said he had been president since 1903 and that
he had held the same power OF attorney since that
time. He knew nothing about the English COM
pany had never seen any one connected with IL.
but had corresponded with ]. w. R. Francis. its
secretary. and w. W. Johnston. its managing di-
rector, whose addresses were London. He RENTS
money 10 them. Mr. Cuthbert said he had been
connected with the company about eight years, and
before his election president had been Its con-
troller Previous TO this he had been an expert
accountant for the National Transit Company,
pipe line company
PRICES LESS If NO COMPETITION.
Explaining the nature of business done by tho
Manhattan. In answer to questions. Mr.. Cuthbert
said that before he became its president. the COM
IL SAaN rTVaI
producing properties, pipe lines and refinery at
Galatee. Ohio. It has disposed OF all but its pipe
line 10 the Ohio OIL Company, but he did not know
who operating the refinery at Galatea
The Manhattan company now does exclusively a
pipe line business. II buys the OIL transports ii to
storage stations and sells TO 9, p Trainer.
chasing agent for the Standard, who also buys oil
from Joseph 5eep. treasurer of the Buckeye Pipe
Line Company. In what Is known as the South
Lima field where the Manhattan and Buckeye pipe
lines both buy OIL the price paid 10 the producer Is
five cents barrel less than in the North Lima
field where what regarded as the independent
companies make their purchases.
Asked 10 explain why this Mr.. Cuthbert
said: TO protect pipe lines from the encroach-
ment OF competitors"
WHO are your competitorsT' asked State Attor-
ney Phelps
THE National Refining Company. of Findlay. and
the Paragon Oil Company, of Toledo"
do you pay cents a barrel more FOR OIL IN the
North Lima field than you receive for IL from the
puICAAslAs dseilCy
Mr.. Cuthbert then admitted that the profits of his
iff9alpyn' if any " 'H0 No''n Lama i9'a were ''' ''l'
PAY REGULAR PRICE IN INDIANA
Prosecutor David asked the witness about the
purchases in the Indiana territory covered by the
pipe lines of the company. He said the Sun Pipe
Line Company and the Indiana Pipe Line Company
competitors in that field. but the price there
was the regular market price
The witness said his company bought oil for
transportation at the wells of the Ohio OF Com
pany, and in doing did the business with F. S.
Bates its secretary, at Oil City. Penn Asked if
Mr.. Bates did not use the telegraph wire of the
Buckeye Pipe Line Company in doing business with
the Manhattan, Mr., Cuthbert said he did not know.
that the kilograms from Mr. Bates the
blanks of the Buckeye company.
The witness was not oss-examned by the de-
In the preliminary skirrnish regarding the inter
MIR Motter. an attorney Of Lima, was brought into
the case as the personal attorney of the witness
Inunity before the witness testified. particularly as
had given his name and occupation Mr. Kline also
took this view and Mr. Troup. also for the defence
defence had has % nothing to do with the witness. The
speoac objection to some Question Which he held
you'd you'd tend end 10 cTiminate him If he answered Mr..
recors Of company and that it's pr3ca G9 G place
ever; witness regarded ,wouI5 3Fsminate him if
court TT thereby extended The immunity act.
me quesu3h was: where does your company
keep its books showing the record Of PROCEEDINGS
of the last stockholders meeting?'
me day began with extended argument bv
counsel as 20 the admissa bility as evidence cf
documents certified TO by the Secretary of State OF
New Jersey. showing the corporate powers Of the
STANDARD OH Company Of that state and the seven
annual reports since those powers were increased.
The court ruled the evidence in. This argument
and the reading Of these reports consumed the
greater part OF the day Just before Mr.. Cuthbert
was put on the stand the state had Frank c.
Shank. deputy county auditor OF Hancock County.
sworn He identified several tax certificates
III file in, IN the sudtors ONCE. showing that Theodore
NJ. Tolles. OF No. 26 Broadway New York. tax
agent for the Standard oil Company of Ohio. the
Buckeye Pipe Line and the Ohio oil Company.
This testimony was also objected to by attorneys
for the defence, but was admitted by the court