The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-05-12
PFRCE'S FIVE REASONS.
Reply He Filed In United States
Circuit Court.


Matthews of Travis county. Texas, ar
rived from Austin to take charge Of
H. C. Pierce, chairman of the board
Of the Waters-Pierce Oil company, who
surrendered to arrest Wednesday on
Texas indictment charging him with
having committed perjury in an AFT
davit made in 1900 concerning the oil
company. Immediately after Pierce'3
Arrest writ of habeas corpus was Sc
cured from the United States circuit
court Gn the ground that Pierce was
unlawfully being restrained of his lib
erty.
Sheriff Matthews said: Il don't in
tend to handicap Mr. Pierce or to
take him back to Texas in irons, but
do intend to see that Texas gets
what is coming to it in the way of le
gal rights.
1T strikes me as funny that Mr.
Pierce, after voluntarily surrendering
should go into court and claim he was
being restrained of his liberty"
Sheriff Matthews stated he would
court with an attorney. Mr. Pierce
was released from custody Wednes
day On $4,000 bond, pending the hear
ing Saturday. In statement gives
out by Mr.. Pierce the declaration i;
made that the affidavit was true
throughout. The statement, in part,
follows:
The affidavit which I made on TIRE
31st day of May, 1900, at Austin, Tex;
is unquestionably true. I made it aft
err full consultation with my attorneys
The affidavit states that the Waters
Pierce Oil company, organized under
the laws of the state of Missouri, on
May 20, 1900, had not made nor enter
ed into, and was not member of any
pool. trust, agreement, contract or con
federation to fix the price or limit the
quantity of any article of merchandise
The affidavit does not contain
statement, nnor did the law of Texas
require of foreign corporation. such
as the Waters Pierce Oil company, any
statement with respect to who were its
shareholders or who were interested
in 1t. 1t has been repeatedly and libel
ously said by many malicious or
thoughtless persons and newspapers.
that the affidavit contained the state
mont that the Standard Oil company
of New Jersey was not interested il
the Waters-Plerce Oil company. either
as a stockholder or otherwise. The
affidavit did not contain any such
statement and any statement of that
character is made in perversion Of
the contents of affidavit, and is I'M
grounded and unjustified malice to-
wards me-
Mr.. P1erce's reply to the return OF
Chief of Police Creecy to the habeas
corpus proceedings filed in the United
states circuit court. specifies five rea.
sons why he should be set free, and
not returned to Texas for trial. These
reasons are:
l. 1t is shown by sufficient evidence
that the statements made by Pierce in
his affidavit to get the Waters-Pierce.
Oil company readmitted to Texas were
false at the time he made them. This
is merely the conclusion Of the grand
jury.
2. 1t is not shown that the Waters
Pierce Oil company was a part Of any
trust or combination to control the
price of OIL
8. No charge of perjury or false
swearing could be legally predicated
on any statement in Pierce's state
ment
4. Pierce could not be guilty OF
false swearing under the laws of Tex
as because the affidavit he made was
required by law.
5. 1t appears on the face of the in
dictment that the alleged offense was
committed more than four years be
fore the date of the indictment.
Pierce asks to be discharged from
custody.