Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-05-24
UNITED STATES VS..
STANDARD OIL CO.
Noted Array of Lawyers in st.
Paul to Argue Case Be-
fore Circuit Court.
TRYING TO NARROW THE ISSUE
Bin Of Exceptions Makes FIFTY Objcc-
tions--No Matter What Ruling IS,
Taking OF Testimony Follows.

ST. Paul, Mimi, May 2i.--Not since
tho last arguments were made In the
famous Northern Securities company
In the United states circuit court here
about hreo years ago has there been
so noted All array OF lawyers as APP
pcared in chat court this morning IN
The case of the United states against
the STANDARD OIL company OF New Jer-
sey and its allied corporations. Judges
Sauburn NandcVenJor. Hook and Nd
AIMS were upon the bench and the mat
ter brought Tor consideration was q. bill
oi exceptions filed by the standard OIL
company against the government
complaint which seeks To have the
standard oil company and It's 20 Other
companies declared an unlawful com
buatlou I'M restraint of trade and TO
have the combinations dissolved.
Frank b. kellogg of this city repre-
sents the government and he made the
principal argument. He was assisted
by NJ. d. PurdS, assistant United
states attorney general and c. B. Nor
risuu, OF Chicago.
The Standard oil company was rep
resented by John r. Johnson of Phila-
dclphia, John &. ArilbuIn OF New YORK,
and II. 5. Priest OF ST. Louis.
The complaint which was filed
number or months ago in 81. Louis,
sets up wen known allegations against
the company and goes into extensive
details concerning various offouscs
which ii is alleged the company has
committed. The complaint begins with
the Inception Of the trust, shows the
relations which John d. Rockefeller,
il H. Rogers and others Of the stand
ard oil group bore to each other prior
To- $3.50, when the Standard OIL com
pany vas organized as a holding COM
pany. shows how these men prior TO
that date held the stock OF subsidiary
and related companies as trustees. and
shows how, In 1899. the Standard Oh
company was formed as holding
company TO take over tho subsidiary
and related companies for the express
purpose OF carrying on the nethod OF
business which had been developed by
Rockefeller, Rogers and the others az
trustees.
Tie purpose Of the bin Of eNcep-
ton is to narrow The issue in the
case to charges against the Standard
Cu company which date back not
| further than 1899 when the conf
| pauy was organized. The company
| files exceptions and objects 10 all
! those pauts Df the complaint which
| show the original alleged conspiracy
I o. tho Standard oil trust. which pre-
| cedcd tho organization of the stand
| ard oil holding company The bill OF
| exceptions makes something like 50
objections TO the complaint the pur-
pose Of all OF which is to narrow the
| issue by eliminating all parts OF the
complaint that refer TO the business
methods OF Rockefeller. Rogers and
the others as trustees prior to 1888
The ruling OF the judges upon the
bill Of exceptions viii not determine
the tiual outcome of the government S
case but the judges will determine
whether the complaint shall stand as
filed or whether it shall be amended
iu any particular as demanded by the
STANDARD oil attorneys, IT the de-
clsion Of the Judges is with the gov
eminent. then the case will proceed
along the lines heretofore outlined by
Mr. Kellogg. Mr.. Morrison and Mr..
purdy II the contention set forth
by the Standard Oil attorneys in the
bin Of cxcepyoN are upheld Ia any
on an particulars, then II Will he
necessary To extend the complaint to
conform with the ruling Of the court.
Ia either event the next step IN the
fight against the standard oil trust
will be the taking Of testimony in
substautiation pf allegations set forth
In jhe complaint