Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-30

TO raise any one for over an hour. At
| last a servant heard the racket and
came to the rescue. Pierce explained
| that he wanted the hotel to eject the
man with the subpoena, which was ac-
cordingly done, after which Mr.. Pierce
emerged from the bathroom in all his
| ruff1ed dignity. If an ordinary man Is
wanted for a witness, court officers
generally have no trouble in nabbing
him, but if the presence of Standard
Oil man is required every method to
evade summons that ingenuity can de-
wise or money can buy is evoked TO
outwit the law of the land. The only
way service was had on Rogers was
that q man waited outside the Oil
kings door and thrust the paper into
his hand as he stepped into cab.
Even then a burly attendant almost
knocked the process server down. AS
for Rockefeller, he fed to Florida TO
avoid testifying. One big Standard Of
fetal escaped in an open boat. Others
kept in hiding or skipped the state
Out of over a 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 We're spirited
out Of the country. If these methods
did not serve they wriggled out through
a technicality. At the beginning of the
present hearing they demanded that
the testimony be taken down in long
hand, which legally they have right
to do, but the result was that progress
was greatly impeded. At last they con-
scented that a 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 ac-
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 go. 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 stepographer 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 Il reply We're treated f1ippantly
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 4 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 refineries in Kansas.
He professed to know nothing about it.