The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-18
CASE is DRAGGING.
HI. H. Tucker on the Stand in the
Uncle Sam Oil Hearing.

4 Tucker, the indicted secretary of tn
1 Uncle Sam Oil company was on tn
stand and had to be frequently ad
monished by the court to remember
that he was simply witness. Attorney
krauthoff drew out of Tucker the in
formation that Tucker got 10 per CEN
CT the capital stock of the company fol
promoting the company and that he ad-
Vertised that there was nc dead head
or promoters stock. Tucker also tes-
titled that on March 8, 1905, he and
Mr. Ritchey met and reduced the CAPT
tai stock of the company from 75,OOO,-
600 to 10000, 900 shares. The minute
book and other evidence were then in
troduced to show that on. August II.
again from 100000 900 to 100000 shares
without any notice of a stockholders
meeting. No record was kept OF this
meeting which was conducted by
was necessary the scheme to sell at
/ 25 :ents wouldn't work so they in
creased the stock from 10000 to H.
100000 and decreased the price to III
cents share. Advertisements were in
trodnced showing that Tucker had
promised that at this particular date
the stock was to advance from % %
so per cent" Tucker admitted that q
900. 900 shares of this additional issue
We're given to old stockholders who had
| paid II cents to 20 cents a shate. These
| StOok hOlders sent in half as much cash
| as they originally invested and were
given enough stock to make the cost
| per share of all their stock 10 cents
per share. This brought in 100000 In
| cash in GO days. Tucker said that the
| sale of stock became harder and hard
| er "Cn account of the fight put up on
us by the Standard Oil people and
| lot of matchmaking newspapers"
| Tucker admitted that his stock. ar
| ticles of incorporation, ETC., gave as
1 To that thew
were not liable to further assessment
! He said he had later been advised by
his attorneys that this was not right
and that under the law the Stockhold-
ers might be held for the difference
between what they paid and the par
value of the stock. He says the out
standing debt of the company is about
100000, not including his claim OF
$4,000 for commissions.
AS to the organization of the Kansas
Uncle Sam Oil company as protec-
tive measure, Tucker admitted that
the $4,000 stock of this corporation
was never issued. The Arizona cor
poration was leased for 80 years to the
Kansas corporation. The bank account
was kept in the name OF the Kansas
all transferred to the Arizona corpora
ton.
The trend of Krauthoff's questions
was to try and make Tucker admit
that his company was getting into deep
water financially and was resorting to
alluring schemes to sell stock and
bonds and thus raise cash. The minute
book, which was frequently reterred
to. was denounced as no good by Tuck
err, he declaring that it was liked up
by Standard Oil Jones"
A map used as an advertisement was
introduced and Tucker questioned as
to what really existed in the shape OF
tank lines, pipe lines, rein eries, etc.
Tucker then testified that he had
spent about s226,OO0 on pipe lines
Krauthoff again worked back TO the
properties of the company and their
values and the accuracy of the state
ments made bytTucker in his adver- |
tisements as to the progress actually
made by the company krauthon also
questioned Tucker at length as to his
issue and sale of bonds and the accep- |
lance of part stock and part cash in
payment for bonds. showing steadily
decreasin sale and increase In the al |
lurement and offers of the advertise
ments.
The cross examination finished with !
Tucker in the afternoon and Wilson |
examination. He took up the question |
of the sale of stock and bonds and |
TGker testified that when money be- +
came scarce for the completion of the |
pipe line he tried to take out $4,000 |
life insurance which he could assign |
to the pipe line builders as security. |
He could not pass the physical exam |
nation and had to resort to the sale of /
bonds 10 raise the money
Wilson then took up the conspiracy /
charges and asked Tucker if he would |
tell what facts he had relative to his |
allegation that Mr.. Bone was unfriend-
ly to the Uncle Sam OH company
Tucker made charges against Bone. |
and other prominent politicians alleg-
ing they were tools of the Standard Oil |
company and that certain parties owed
their appointments to the same in
fuence Here the court interviewed
and asked Tucker if he had facts. He
cited none and the court rebuked Will
son for asking the question without
the answer would be. The court said:
I'm eliciting such scandalous state
ments from the witness you are not
dealing fairly with this court. I can
Kansas in this law suit I order all
these remarks of the witness strickend
from the records.
D. w. Mulvane was called for twice
as a witness. 1t was announced that
he was in Topeka and would be here to
testify later.
fuckers attorneys made a final effort
to drag in D. w. Mulvane, averring that
he had tried to induce Tucker to sign
the trust deed. After some argument
Judge Amidon decided to hear it. Tuck
er was questioned on this when he
showed he was mixed on dates and
Judge Amidon ordered the whole re-
ference to Mulvane stricken out.
F. B. Cohn. editor of the Chanute Sun,
denied that Standard Oil Influenced the
policy of his paper or had any connec-
ton with articles he wrote about the oil
situation. Mr.. Cohn also denied sending J
an article to Kansas City papers or to
the Associated Press stating that Tuck
er had absconded
The deposition of Ralph E. Stout and
A. F. Seested of the Kansas City Star,
and Hal Gaylord of the Kansas City
Journal, regarding oil company adver-
Lisements were not admitted, on the
ground that they had no bearing to in
duce Uncle Sam Oil company officials
to sign a trust deed.