The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-10-11
GREAT OIL TRUST
SUIT BEING HEARD
MAJORITY OF JURORS EARN LIv.
LlHooD ON FARMS.
HISTORY OF LITIGATION
! County Prosecutor David Submits Doc
I uments to Uphold His Contention
! That Standard Company Is
Trust Organization.

Ffndlay, o., Oct. 10.-The suit OF
the state of Ohio against the Standard
OH company OF Ohio. in which the
company is charged with conspiracy
against trade, began here Tuesday
and progressed at a rapid pace.
A jury was secured in less than two
hours; County Prosecutor w. L. David
presented his case; Virgil P. Kline, at.
j torney for the defense made answer;
Attorney G. H. Phelps, of the prosecu
ton, then read documentary evidence
until the court adjourned 20 minutes
before five o'clock. He promised to
continue the reading during the great.
er part of Wednesday.
In brief, Mr.. David stated to the
jury that the Standard OH company
became trust in 1882, and although
it had several times since changed the
form of its organization, had NOT
ceased to commit the offenses OF a
trust. A
Standard Oil Not Trust.
Replying, Mr., Kline characterized
as mere matters Of ancient histon
the relation Of the original formakioi
Ftof tie trust FIRE 5tgrdarsf on cum
fpany, he said. was corporation con
trolled entirely by itk stockholders
III was in no trust; it could not be said
that any of the statements, of Mr.
David relative to the early history
Iof the organization were true; but II
they were, they were not within the
limits of Hancock county, and conse
quently without the Jurisdiction of the
court. The company, he said, sold
some oil at retail In the county;
might own some real estate here; but
the statement that it was in any com
bination in restraint of trade was en-
tirely unsupported by the facts
History Of the Company.
4 The documentary evidence whic,
the prosecution began submitting an
which is stated constitutes the bul
of their case, is contained in dos
ILment authenticated by the suprem
court of the state as the history
the Standard Oil litigation befor
that body. 1t was all objected to BY
the defense as irrelevant, but allowet
ito go in by Judge Baker, presiding
I The documents read to the jury Tnes
day, which occupied the whole of tic
afternoon session, following the state
ment of case by both sides, included
the original trust agreement of 1882,
the pleadings in the case before the
supreme court in 1892, which resulted
in the order to dissolve the trust; the
pleadings before the same court in
1897, resulting in journal entry by
the court that the trust had been dis
solved.
The interrogators propounded to
John D. Rockefeller during that liti.
CATION, which the prosecution desired
to read had Just been reached when
adjournment was taken. Mr.. Kline
Indicated that there would be much
to be said before these were allowed
in the record. "as we are entitled to
our witnesses face to face" he re-
marked.
Attendance Is Light.
The trial attracted very little pub
lie attention during the morning ses-
sion, but for a short time in the after
noon the court room, which can &C.
commodate more than 200 persons,
was filled. The tedious reading of the
evidence discouraged public interest
and when adjournment was had few
but the interested parties We're pres