Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-12
PIERCE AGAIN ON The STAND
Head Of Missouri Oil Company Tells Of
Relations with Combine.
OCTOPUS TOOK cosIRot IwoYEARs acc
AHditOr sent fresn New York Assumes
Charse aud THembtes 400 Em-
Pioyes, Replacing. Them e. T..
'i with Standard Men,. y .>... e.

'.r E.-'r.v" g.. ;. - - 49,
-.~..s..e to +Is;ss u.s "a sNe4r~r .s..ts
ST LOUIS. Sept, .1lsrrT The hearing in the
custer proceedings. of the state of Missouri
against the Waters Pierce. sthe Standard
and the Republic OH companies was re-
sumed today. ssf.< 80 s'7r@t ~:t -' .-i''
II. Clay Pierce, cehaisnan' of the executive
committee OF the 'NVatersNPierce company.
who was -vh thSiswitness stand all day
yesterday was the principal witness again
today. Attorney General. Hadley stated
that he desires 10 complete the taking of
testimony in behalf Of the state today. He
expects the attorneys representing the oil
interests to complete their testimony dur
ing September SO that the case can be
submitted to the supreme court at the
October term. n this'is' done a decision
may be rendered by Jsndsry 1 next.
In his cross examination by Attorney
General Hadley, H. Clay Pierce explained
what he termed the vicious usurpation Of
authority in the Waters Pierce company of
which he was president, by r. p Tlnsley.
who had been sent here by H. M. Tilford
of the Standard, oil TO, assume the duties
of auditor. Pierce declared that Tinsley
discharged 200 employees for the Waters
Pierce company and filled their places with
Standard men In numerous places. he as
serted, ,the4empleEes substituted by Tinsley
we're Incompetent .4.H .t -.
He became so.vieious.p asserted Pierce,
that his refusal to- obey instruction an
noyed President Finley to the extent OF
breaking down his health and forcing him
to go to Europe to rscuperate" 9
Attorney General Hadley asked:
when did Mr.. Tinsley come to st. Louis
to take charge or'te become connected with
the management of the business Of the
Waters-Pieroe Oil coshpany?"
"Mr Tinsley came to 81. Louis. as
remember, In April, 1904. to assume charge
of the accounting department as successor
to Mr., ]. p Gruet, who had been secretary
of the waters-Pierce company. but because
of an infrmity had been disqualified. From
the time he came in. 1904 until he left finally
Mr. Tinsley remained in, the Office OF the
waters-Pierce OIL company, but. not at all
times In connection with the management
OF the waters-Pierce OIL company. think
in February, 1904, he was elected vice presi-
dent. Several months before Mr.. Van
Buren, became the, owner of the stock, or
before It was transferred to him on the
stock books, .y :,.l, .-,
TinsIey TIA kes .. Control.
''what was, the date when Mr. Tinsley
began to assume control over the affairs
and operations of the company?'
Immediately on Mr.. Finlay's departure
for Europe for the purpose of restoring his
health Mr.. .Tinsley assumed charge of the
Waters-P Pierce -rOil' company in all depart
ments. He took away from General Mama
ger Ackert the management. of the Mexican
divisions and assumed entire charge of Il
himself. He sent stos Mexico as manager
under the general manager an employe of
the Standard oil company from Cleveland.
o. who was entirely unfamiliar with Mex
leo. The resignation of, the general man.
ager in Mexico left that department prac-
tically without a. proper head. Mr. Tinsley
proceeded at different Aates-t to remove i'm
portant officers, or rather employees of the
company. the heads afsdepartmsnts, and to
substitute In theiys rtiaoc inefficient, incom-
petent and inexperisnced men. The num-
ber of changes In the management Of the
company .eQualled 200 or 300 In the aggre-
gate, and In nearly all cases those substi.
tuted were Standard OIL company employees.
When this, information came to my knowl-
edge sufficiently to enable me to take action
1 protested to the officials of the standa ri
OIL. company in New York against the 'un-
warranted action OF. Mr.. Tinsley In violation
Standard Oil company and myself at the
time. of the organization OF the Waters
Pierce Oil company In 1873. and this implied
continuation of that understanding at the
time the present Waters Pierce Oil COM
pany was organized.Y ''
= Protest Against TinsIey.
when did you make your protest against
Tinsley?" IS -"''
II made the protest, / think, in the
months of April, May and June. 1906"
After the commencement of this suitr'
II believe so; do mot recall the date OF
the suit" -
Let me call your attention to your testi-
mony on yesterday when you made this
statement: To the spring of 1904 the Stand
ard OIL company made no attempt to inter-
fere in any way with my management and
control of the Waters-P Pierce Oil company
but at that time they transferred the stock,
which had stood in my name, to Nj. NJ.
Van Buren, and began in other ways to as
sumo control over the affairs and operation
of the company. l protested against this
conduct, but this protest was not made un-
til the year after Now was that the year
after the spring Of I904?"
There is nothing In the statement that
shows the protest was made in the year
1904 The stock was transferred In the
month of June. 1904. think"
When did you learn of the transfer OF
the stock to Mr.. Van Buren. on the date q
was nader" .sf-
"on the date II was made"
did you protest against that?'
II did not; there was no occasion to pro-
test" s-.r
Attorney General Hadey caused Mr..
Pierce considerable annoyance by asking
him who wrote the typewriter statement
he read at the hearing yesterday concern
ing the Waters Pierce Oil company's agree
ment with the Standard OIL company in
Texas resulting from negotiations con-
Quoted by an inexperienced agent. Mr..
Pierce replied that, he had written II him
self. but. under persistent questioning he
asserted he was unwilling to declare him
self its author. The hearing was then con-
tinued until October 16
Attorney General Hadley departed tonight
for Jefferson City
FOurth-Class tPOstmasters Meet.