The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-07
adjudged

MT. 4fNOB6IS QtChuCu tc LSBA9 bO HAS9 aions as to whether he controls the Waters-Pierce oil company, whether w. T Vanburen of New York holds con- trolling interest in that company with the Standard Oil company of New Jer- sey, whether the New Jersey company controls the Standard oil company or Indiana or the Waters-Pierce company and whether two-thirds of the dividends of the Waters-Pierce company are not paid to H. M. Tilford, who MT. Rogers said has an office at 26 Broadway, this city.
 MT. Rogers did say, however, that he never heard of an agreement between the standard oil company of Indiana and the Waters-Pierce company to divide the trade of Missouri, and that he did not believe it was ever made.
 MT fEfadiey said afterwards he had an Injunction against division, that he was unable in Missouri to show from the officers of the oil companies that they are owned by the same parties This is what he is aiming to show in the New York hearing.
 MT. Rogers was still on the stand when the hearing was adjourned until Mon- oa.'
 Mrs. Butts First Witness.
 The first witness today was Mrs. Ida Butts of Marietta, Ohio. When the ex- animation of Mrs. Butts was begun the
  Hagerman for the Standard oil company demanded that the operator repeat each question and answer before he had writ ten 1t. MT. Hadley agreed to this.
 Mrs Butts said she was a stepdaughter of the late George Rice of Marietta and had been employed in his office. MT. Rice was an Independent oil operator and was engaged In litigation with the Standard oil company almost constantly for more than twenty years, up to the time of his death, about a year ago
 When Mir. Hadley asked the witness if Rice was ever connected with the Stan dard oil company, counsel for all the oil companies represented objected but the witness said: If holding certificates is membership he was a member of the Standard Oil trust"
 Were those certificates issued by the Standard Oil trust?"
 Yes
 Counsel also objected to this question d answer
 Witness said the Standard oil company was organized in 1882. George Rice died last year and witness now holds these certificates as his administrix.
 "So far as I know" Mrs. Butts replied. She said that suit was brought against the Standard Oil company of Ohio to drive them out of the trust or out of the state if they remained in the trust. In response to a request by MT. Hadley for a statement of the history of that litiga- ton and what the Standard oil company did in defense Mrs. Butts said
 History of Litigation.
 .'The Standard oil trust moved to dis solve in 1892 and these were liqudating trustees certificates. This went on until about 1897 very few certificates being liauidated General Monnett. attorney general of Ohio brought suit, and I think
 
 should get out of Ohio in 1899 and then the Standard oil company, of New Jersey became the holding company"
 Was this move in 1892 to dissolve the Standard Oil company after a judgment of the Ohio courts against the Standard Oil company of that state?' asked MT. HadIey.
 MT. Hadley asked that if after the adverse judgment of the Ohio court the Standard Oil company did not enter on a dissolution by using liquidating certif- cates in place of the original certificates and if in 1899 when the Ohio state court forced the order of dissolution the Stan dard oil company of New Jersey became the holding company.
 Mr Hagerman objected, but MT. Hadley said he had a right under decision of the supreme court of Missouri to ask leading questions.
 Mrs Butts said in reply to Mir. Hadley's question that the statements were exact ly correct.
 MT Hadley asked if the Waters-Pierce oil company was one of the original mem bers of the Standard Oil company coun- sel objected but Mrs. Butts replied:
 .It is one of the companies named in the trust agreement" She never saw the original agreement, but saw certified copies She does not know where the original trust agreement is now. She said that she does not know of any other trust certificates and the liquidating cer- tificate than the one she holds. Asked for the names of the companies which composed the original Standard oil company, she said there were so many of them she could only give them from the trust agreement
 Mir Hadley showed Mrs. Butts three diff ferent kinds of trust certificates.
 .One of them she said, represents six srares in the original Standard oil trust