Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-09-04
FIGHT ON STANDARD
OIL GOING ON FIERCELY
New York is Battle Ground
This Week
IN EFFORT TO KILL THE OCTOPUS
Government is Making a Determined
Fight to Gust the DamndbIe
Evil That ThrOttIeS the
Whole Country.
IN EFFORT TO KILL THE OCTOPUS

NEW YORK, Sept 3.-Before the
smoke of the recent legal battle be-
fore Judge Landis in Chicago has
cleared away the Government has
again taken up its warfare on the
Standard Oil Company. Before Judge
Franklin Ferriss in this city today
the taking of testimony was begu
the Government custer suit filed IN
st. Louis against the oil trust. Promi-
nent officials and representatives of
the Standard Oil Company are includ-
ed in the list of witnesses and it is
expected that before the present hear
ing is concluded John D. Rockefeller,
William Rockefeller, H. H. Rogers and
such other Standard Oil magnates as
live in this jurisdiction will be called
to the stand.
The suit was filed in st. Louis ear
ly in the year, by order of Attorney
General Bonaparte. 1t will be tried
before the judges of the Circuit Court
of Appeals sitting as circuit court
The defense has questioned the juris-
diction of the court and has demurred
to the bill, but was overruled in each
instance.
The defendants in the case are John
D. Rockefeller, William Rockefeller,
H. H. Rogers, Henry NJ. Flagler, John
D. Archbold, Oliver H. Payne, Char
les NJ. Pratt, anG seventy-one compan-
les or corporations, including the
Standard Oil Company the Waters
Pierce Oil Company and the Republic
Oil Company.
There is a long array of attorneys
in the case. The attorneys for the
Government are Attorney General
Charles ]. Bonaparte and his assist
tant, Milton d. Purdy, of Washington,
United States District Attorney Harry
w. BIodgett of st. Louis and Frank
B. Kellogg of St. Paul. who conduct
ed for the Government the investiga-
ton in the Hartman case last win
ter; c. B. Morrison of Chicago, and
c. A. Severance of st. Paul.
For the defense there are eighteen
attorneys of record. The principal
attorneys are Judge H. s. Priest, John
D. Johnson and George W. Winstead
of St. Louis, John G. Johnson of Phil
adelphia, John G. Milburn, M. F. Ell
lott Martin and W. I. Lewis of New
Yory; Greer & Miller of Beaumont,
Texas; Mckenzie C Weadlock of Lima,
Ohio; Henry T. Rodgers, Lucius M.
Cuthbert, d. B. Ellis and Horace n
Hawkins of Denver, and w. J. Nc
Kie of Corsicana, Texas.
The defendants are charged with
having violated the Sherman anti
trust act and with being a gigantic
unlawful combination in restraint of
trade. After the witnesses living in
the jurisdiction of the court here have
been examined, other districts where
defendants or witnesses reside will
be visited for the same purpose. St.
Louis, Chicago, Denver and Texas are
among the localities where Judge
Ferriss, who has been appointed a
special examiner in the case, will take
evidence.
Former Judge Franklin Ferriss, who
is sitting as special master to hear
evidence in the case, is one of the
leading members of the st. Louis bar
and was general counsel for the Louis
lana Purchase exposition. His ap-
pointment met with the approval of
counsel for both sides, his decisions
while on the Missouri state circuit
bench having won for him an envia-
BILE reputation for justness, fairness
and legal acumen.
When asked as to how long the
hearing would probably last and as
to in what cities it would be held
Judge Ferriss refused to venture an
opinion, merely stating that testi-
mony would be taken in various cit
les throughout the country New
York as the place of holding the ini-
tial hearing was agreed upon by the
lawyers representing the opposing in
terests in the suit. Several leading
officials of the Standard Oil Company,
including John D. Rockefeller will be
called upon TO testify.