Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-26
STANDARD OIL
INSTRUCTIONS.
10 Agents Were to Kill Compel.
itors by Fair or Foul
S& Means.
SENSATIONAL TESTIMONY.
News Of oil shipment of Rivals Was
Brought 10 the Office by
Draymcn

Cleveland, May pa total Of 10
witnesses were called by Interstate
Commerce Commissioners Prouty and
Clements In the Standard OH inquiry
here today. Commissioners counsel
and everybody connected with the In
yestigation put in a hard day and the
work OF the two sessions was prolific
OF substantial results.
Testimony bordering on the sensa-
tonal was obtained from several WITT
nesses That Of George H. Lane Of
Mansfield. o., former employe or
the Standard OH company, was re-
garded as particularly important Ac-
cording to his evidence, Lane was for
about IA months. In 1901 and 1902,
employed by the Standard oil company
for the particular purpose Of driving
all Of the independent oil peddlers In a
dozen or more OF the principal cities
and towns OF northern ohio out Of
business.
He said he was employed by G. NJ
Lynns OF the cleveland Office OF the
Standard oil company to go to GER
tain designated places and use every
means, fair or foul, 10 force the inde-
pendents to quit. lie described the
methods pursued IN detail.
My instructions" he said, were to
kin them. and | was told that II l
could not do the job somebody else
would be sent to take my place.
worked IN Youngstown and surround
ing small towns. Canton. Girard War
rem, Ravenna. Massillon, Mansfield
Elyria. Oberln and other places In
all of the towns, with the exception
OF Youngstown. the Independent ped
dlers were forced TO abandon their
business.
In Youngstown a man named VIII
liam II. Valley was encountered ana
despite everything we could do he held
his trade. We gave oil away by the
barrel and tank load but it did no
good Valleys customers threw II
away"
Miss Elizabeth Protzman, stenog-
rapher and booltkeepcr In the Dayton
Office Of the Standard OH company, tes-
titled that Information concerning the
oil shipments OF rivals was brought into
the office by draymen and that she
made careful record of II and gave II
TO her superior
John Obeirn general superintendent
Of the Lima division OF the buckeye
Pipe Line company. Standard con
cern. was asked particularly about the
STANDARD telegraph system. especially
that part connected with the pipe line
company The inquiries succeeded IN
establishing the general fact that the
Standard has an immense telegraph
system of itF own extending 10 nearly
every part of the country. and That In
carving on its great volume OF trade
ho af
regular lines OF the big telegraph COM
pantes.
The company has rs own wires,
leased or otherwise. operators, offices,
regulations. blanks and other station
cry. and sometimes sends messages for
persons not connected with the COM
many. Witness denied that the COM
many exchanged business With the
Western Union Telegraph company at
points where one had an oIhce and the
other did not.
d. H. Byles. secretary and treasurer
of the Independent Refining company,
limited. Of oil city, Pa, offered testi-
mony concerning the railroad rate dis
elimination against his company, es-
pecially by the Lake shore ana Penn
sylvania roads. which had practically
driven his company out OF the entire
New England field. and that In order
TO hurt their business in Indiana the
STANDARD agents circulated reports to
the effect that the Oil city company
was in reality Standard oil concern.
Frank j. Hcuerich Of Bellevue, o.,
told how his independent oil business
was all but ruined by the methods OF
the Standard.
w. ]. Cram OF Marietta. o., testified
that the Standard for years bounded
his company and that the company was
finally compelled to sell its property at
a low figure.
w. T.. Wall, president of the Fred T
Clarke company, oil dealers Of Clevc-
land. pointed out on rate sheets inegu-
laritics IN rates TO different points IN
the country.
r. NJ. Gibbs. a merchant Of Upton
O.. said he was compelled 10 handle the