The Mena weekly star., 1906-05-17

Chicago, May 12-Nearly every rail- from Chicago was represented Friday before the interstate commerce com mission when the investigation into the relations of the Standard Oil com pany with the railroads was resumed. Attorney c. c. La Forge, represent ing the Standard Oil company of Ken lucky, opened the proceedings by a cross examination of Haywood Max on, of Illinois, who was the last wit ness at the hearing Thursday.
 The attorney read a number of let ters written by Maxon in which he threatened to make trouble for the Standard oil company because he had been refused a years leave of absence One of the letters read:
 T mean to make all the trouble for the company l can. Your attorney, MT. Eddy, attacked my interests be- fore the legislature at Springfield, H., and I will get even before I am through" Maxon admitted being the writer of the letters.
 "Is it not true that you have about 1.500 letters and documents in your possession belonging to the Standard Oil company of Kentucky?" asked MT. La Forge. T have large num- Der of letters and papers addressed to officers of the company and letters written by them to their agents" wit ness replied
 "How did you get them?" Tn the same way that for years got informa- tion for the Standard oil company"
 Attorney La Forge then read let ter written by Maxon to c. M Pratt, an officer of the Standard Oil com pany in New York in which he said that he had obtained 600 letters from one of the company's agents in Ohio and had allowed Commissioner Gar field to copy them for use in prose cutting the company.
 In answer to questions of the at torney regarding passes, Maxon said that he had passes on nearly every road in his territory and used them in travelling on the company's busi- ness. He obtained the passes, he said, from Treasurer Holmes and other off, cials of the Standard oil company.
 E. P Ripley, president of the Atchi- son, Topeka & Santa Fe railway was called 10 the stand. He was asked con- corning agreements of the railroad company with Q number of companies alleged to be subsidiary companies of the Standard Oil company.
 "The first contract" said President Ripley, was with a man in Kansas City to lay a pipe line on our right of way for $40 a mile. The next was for line from Kansas City to Joliet, and for this we received $50 per mile. We got s250.000 for hauling the pipe. was very sorry to see the pipe line built but as it had to be done I did the best I could out of It.
 ''Is there any contract between your road and the Standard Oil company or any of the subsidiary companies for furnishing the road with lubricating oil?" asked Commissioner Prouty.
 'I understand so. Our purchasing agent can tell you better"
 Mir. Ripley declared that two of the oil companies with which he made contracts are affiliated with the Stan dard Oil company.
 Didn't you raise the rate in Kansas on oil when the pipe line was put in? asked Attorney Monett.
 We did but we carried oil before the pipe line was put in. and we have carried none since"
 He was asked If the rate on gas oil was not lowered and that on crude oil raised. and answered that it was.
 When the crude oil was piped the rate was raised. but the rate on gas oil was lowered, it being shipped; isn't that so?''
 Yes replied President Ripley.