The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-09-20
IS
TURNED UPON
OIL TRUST.
ROckfeIler's Big Share Of
Standard Profits.
HIS HOLDINGS ENORMOUS.
kelloss Probing Octopus Officials For
Secrets May Put Giant Monop.
oily Out Of Business.
HIS HOLDINGS ENORMOUS.

NEW YORK. Sept. 20.-Such a mass
OF evidence has been gathered, In most
part from the Hips OF prominent OIL
clals Of STANDARD OIL. tending 10 show
the astounding millions earned by the
trust aud It's immense combinations In
America. Europe and Asia. that an
opinion was freely expressed that Fed.
eral Attorney Kellogg will have little
trouble proving the governments
charge that the octopus IL an Illegal
concern which exists In defiance OF the
laws Of the United States.
At the end OF the third days In.
qulry Mr.. kellogg by adroit and In
slstent lnterrogatlons drew from Treas
urer Wesley H. Tuford statements
which, he believes, show beyond any
doubt that the present concern Is In
every essential the same corporation
which was organized In 1882 aud that
not a change In the point of officers,
shifting OF stock or system 81 attack
on smaller concerns has been made
Mr. Kellogg drew from Mr. Tilford
q statement 10 the effect that John ID.
Rockefeller controlled 2j8.s54 trust Ger
tlhcstes In March, isg2. and still held
that amount Of certificates In the
STANDARD OIL Company OF New Jersey.
The present trust Is represented by
eT2.JOo shares of stock. Figuring that
John n. Rockefeller owns more than
one fourth OF this amount. his oil earn.
ings In the last eight years have
amounted 10 almost Si25.OoOOoO The
eomblned earnings ~ the trust for the
past eight years has been shown 10
have been very near n half billion dol.
lars
Evidence was adduced tending 10
prove that the Standard OIL company
IL operating IN Texas under the name
Of the Corsicana Refining company
The Texas antitrust laws forbid the
Standard from doing business within
the borders Of that state. Mr. KEEL
logg developed that II. p. Folgcr anil
G. " Payne. who. Mr.. Kellogg says.
are the owners OF the Cor-icnna com.
pany. are officials OF the STANDARD on
company.
Mr. Tilford could not state the re-
spective holdings u william Rockefel.
Ter. o. II. Payne. Charles Pratt. John
u. Archbold. r. II. Harklns and others.
but promised 20 furnish the informa.
ton later.
Mr. Kellogg then went on 10 show
that the proportlonate holdings Of Mr.
Rockefeller aud the other oil magnates
under the trust were bodily trans.
ferred 10 the STANDARD OH Company ~
New Jersey.
Wesley H. Tllford. treasurer 81 the
Standard OF company. testified that
II. G. Folger and g. NJ Payne whom
Mr. Kellogg said control the Corslcana |
company. are prominent In the conduct
OF Affairs OF the Standard OH com
pany. Mr. Kellogg sought 90 draw
from the witness the information that
the COrSicana company was really a
Standard OH company and was opcr |
nting IN Texas because the antitrust |
laws OF that state would not permit |
the combine 10 operate Il. Mr. Tllfori |
replied that ~ far NJ he knew the /
Standard on company had no interests
In Texas. lie said that Mr. Folgcr |
and Mfr. Payne were both officers Of |
the Standard OH company. but be was
not aware that they owned the Cor-l |
cana company.
Frank Kellogg spent n busy day trac. |
Ing the various changes Ia develop |
ment " Standard OH from the time Of /
IT, inception In 1872. when the trust |
agreement was signed. until the trust
was dissolved In 1870 aud the stand |
ard OF Company ~ New Jersey was |
formed. The nine trustees under the I
original agreement were John H. Rock. |
efeller. -. N. Payne. william ROckefel. |
Ter. ]. A. Bostwlck. II. NJ. Flagler. W
q. Warden. Charles Pratt. Benjamin !
Brewster and John Archbold The !
trustees had absolute power IN the con
troll Of the companies. They could pur. |
chase with the trust funds the stocks |
and bonds Of other oil companies on
such terms rs they deemed advisable
aud could dispose ~ them whenever
they considered II necessary.
Mr. Tilford was questioned NJ length |
on the trusr period between 1870 aud |
1872 and the period ~ trust liqulda
ton from iSI2 10 1899. Mr.. Tilford ~
secretary Of the company could give
the governments counsel little infor
nation during these periods Of the
Standard OH trust. though he was q
liquidating trustee. Mr.. Kellogg finally |
asked Mr.. TIlford n during the period |
OF liquidation there hmd been any real |
change In the management. Of the CON
pany, and the witness replied there
had not been.