The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-12-12
FINAL ATTACK TO
CRUSH OIL TRUST
Titanic Battle of Government VS..
Corporation Opened.
ASKS FOR ITS DISSOLUTION
Charges Standard and Its Seventy
Subsidiary Companies With Vio-
Iation of Antitrust Law and
Prays For Injunction.

Iation of Antitrust Law and
Prays For Injunction.
St. Louis, Mo.-The most serious
action ever taken against the Stand
ard Oil Company, and one that in
wolves the continued existence of the
most powerful monopoly the world
has ever known, was instituted here
when the United States Government
applied for an injunction, which, If
granted, will result in a dissolution
of the combination.
The suit will determine once for
all whether Dr. not the Standard can
retain a complete monopoly of the oil
business ri the United States.
The petition instituting the suit
was filed in the United States Circuit
Court by Frank B. Kellogg, Of s..
Paul, Mimi, special counsel for the
Government.
The Governments petition in the
suit is signed by William H. Moody,
United States Attorney Purdy, Frank
kellogg, w. B. Morrison and /. b.
Severance, assistants to the Attorney
General. The petition contains 1874
pages, or about 100000 words, and
an additional eighty-four pages of ex-
hibit, consisting of bylaws and min
utes of Standard Oil meetings and
organizations and a mass showing
the retail prices of oil in every State
and Territory of the Union.
This great battle Of the Govern
ment against the chief of the trusts
was opened with the filing of a petit
ton in equity, asking that the oil oc-
topus be declared an illegal combina-
ton in restrain of trade, and that it
and it's seventy constituent companies
and partnerships and the seven fndi-
viduaIs who exercise control over
them be forever enjoined from
further violation of the Sherman An
thrust law, and, further, that the
constituent companies be restrained
from paying further dividends to the
parent company. The latter prayer
of the Government, If granted by the
Courts, will tie up the funds of the
constituent companies and bring to
q crisis the affairs of the great oil
monopoly.
But a more serious threat than this
Is contained in the closing paragraph
of a statement given out by Attorney
General Moody relative to the suit.
This threat Is that later the Federal
Government may see At to begin
/ criminal prosecutions against the
heads of the Oil Trust, the seven in
dividuals named in the bill of equity
as defendants in common with the
Standard. Oil Company, Of New Jer-
sey, and its seventy constituents and
partnerships. These seven individ-
uals are John D. Rockefeller, William
Rockefeller, Henry H. Rogers, Henry
M. Flagler, John D. Archbold, Oliver
H. Payne and Charles H. Pratt. 1t Is
a threat of prison bars.
The suit will probably be in litiga-
ton for a long time. The defendants
have one month to enter appearance,
and will probably make their first
move by demurring to the bill In
equity. This will involve long and
tedious legal by-play. If the Court
fails to sustain the demurrer the de-
PENDANTS will then be obliged to ap-
pear in Court. In connection with
the filing of the bill in equity the
Governments special assistant Attor-
ney-General, Frank P. Kellogg, made
application before Judges Sanborn
and Adams for an order to bring nom
resident defendants into the jurisdic-
ton of the Court.
II the Court fails to sustain the
expected demurrer Of the Standard
Oils attorneys, the next thing in or
der will be the taking Of testimony.
It's considered probable that a spe-
cia1acommissioner will be appointed
ottake the evidence in the case anu
that he will certify the record to the
United States Circuit Court Of APP
peals, as was done in the Northern
Securities case.
Following this will be the argyll
ment before the Circuit Court of APP
peals, and then, If the Government
wins, the probable appeal Of the Oil
Trust to the Supreme Court Of the
United States. :
The statement given out by Attor-
ney-General Moody is remarkable in
that In referring to the means by
which evidence against Standard Oil
has been procured for the present
prosecution, no reference is made to
any other agency than that of the
! special counsel Of the Department of
.{Justice. The investigation made by
1.-THE Bureau of Corporations Is in no
.Iway alluded to, so that the danger
.fof giving the Standard Oil people
t"immunity baths" may be so far as
possible avoided. This precaution is
believed to have been taken with q
view not only to the success Of the
tcivil suit instituted at St. Louis, but
Ito any criminal proceedings that may
be brought later against the seven
individuals named in the equity suit
and others who may be shown to
have been involved in the illegal tao
tics of the holding company and its
constituent companies and partner
ships.
Synopsis of Allegations.