Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-18

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HENRY h. ROGERS.
kings door and thrust the paper into
his hand as he stepped into cab
Even then burly attendant almos
knocked the process server down. As
for Rockefeller he fed to Florida t.
avoid testifying. One big Standard of
fetal escaped in an open boat. Others
kept in hiding or skipped the state
Out of over score Of big Oil men want
ed only two, Rogers and W. G. Rookie
Teller, were caught.
This is an old game with the Stand
ard Oil crowd. In every legal inquiry
into their methods they have lodged
service or secured delay until their pa.
pers and chief witnesses were spirited
out of the country. If these methods
did not serve they wriggled out through
a technicalitr. ut the beginning of the
present hearing they demanded that
the testimony Ice taken down In long
hand, which legally they have a right
to do, but the result was that progress
was greatly irnpeded. At last they con
sented that q typewriter be used. but
this also greatly delayed proceedings.
Almost the universal method is to en-
ploy shorthand. Then, while the state
Of Missouri had only one lawyer pres
sent, the Standard had five. These
high priced attorneys interposed con-
slant objections, advised the witnesses
not to answer questions and blocked
the proceedings in other ways. One of
the trust lawyers who was not &C.
credited as representing any of the In
terests in action, made himself so OBJ
noxious that the commissioner con-
Quoting the hearing ordered him from
the room. Rather insolently the at
torney refused to so. The matter was
patched up by allowing him to stay
if he would keep silent, which he did.
Oil Magnate's Wit.
When Mr.. Rogers was on the stand
he still further occasioned delay by
asking that the stenographer repeat
each question, though all other persons
in. the room said that they heard At
torney General Hadley's questions
very distinctly. All germane inquiries
Rogers refused to answer, ION advice
Of counsel" Questions to which he did
.deign a reply were treated fippantly
for the most part. AS an example,
when he was asked as to his knowl-
edge Of one Of the other oil kings by
the name Of Van Buren,, he said he had
known a Van Buren, once, but he was
dead. When required to give the first
name he replied that it was Martin
and that he was once president Of the
United States. His wit was only
equalled by his lack Of memory and
assumed ignorance of all the affairs of
the oil business, yet he is popularity
credited with knowing more about that
business than any man on earth, not
excepting John D. Rockefeller. At one
time he was asked as to one Of the
Standards new refneries in Kansas.
He protested to know nothing about it.
When Mr.. Hadley evinced surprise
Rogers sneeringly Informed him that
he took about as much interest in a
Kansas refinery as he did in Carrie
Nation. The oil magnate made almost
as sneering reference to the supreme
court of Missouri. His manner was
equally offensive toward Attorney
General Hadley. He protested to be
amused at Hadley's questions, called
him Judge" or colonel" until correct
ed for doing so and sought in other
ways to make the entire inquiry a
farce. In practically a whole days in
vestigation Rogers succeeded in giving
his name and little else that was to
the point. AS result, Mr.. Hadley had
to apply to the supreme court of New
York to Force the witness to answer.
But Mr.. Rogers was not always hui
morous Sometimes he almost snarled.
At others he grew belligerent. But al
ways he was overbearing, patronizing
and evasive. One rather amusing but
momentarily startling incident occur
red. While Mr.. Rogers was testifying
a photographer set off a fashlight in
the back of the ROOM The oil mag
nate mumbled something, left the wit
ness chair and without so much as a
"by your leave fed from the room.
After one day., hearing Rogers took
the reporters into his confidence and in
formed them that the whole inquiry
was for political purpose, it's object
being to make Attorney General Had
ley governor of Missouri
Not Joke With HadIey.
Hadley himself has taken the mat
ter more seriously. 1t is not u joke
with him, and he evinces a determine
ton that before he is through with the
matter it shall not be a joke to the 9th
er people. The charge that he is try
ing to use the investigation as lever
to elevate himself into the governor
ship he said he would not dignity by
answering. Herbert S. Hadley Is q
young man, was born in Kansas, edu-
Gated in the Northwestern university
and began the practice Of law in Kan
sas City. In 1900 he was elected pros
ecuting attorney Of the county, where