The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-02-01

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 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 were 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 q right
to do, but the result was that progress
was greatly impeded. At last they con-
sented 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 &C
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 stenographer 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 reply were treated fippantly
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 a 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
Standards new refneries in Kansas.
He professed to know nothing about It.
When Mr.. Hadley evinced surprise
Rogers sneeringly Informed him that
he took about as much interest in a
Kansas refinery as he did in Carrie
Nation. The oil magnate made almost
as sneering reference to the supreme
COuIt VI MlSsHuIi. Ills IQauuor was
equally offensive toward Attorney
General Hadley He protested to be
amused at Hadleys questions, called
him 'judge" or colonel until correct
ed for doing SO and sought in other
ways to make fl,e entire inquiry q
farce. In practically whole days in
vestigation Rogers succeeded in giving
his name and little else that was to
the point. AS result, Mr.. Hadley had
to apply to the supreme court Of New
York to force the witness to answer.
But Mr.. Rogers was not always hu-
norous. Sometimes he almost snarled.
At others he grew belligerent But al
ways he was overbearing, patronizing