Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-07-18
JOHN .. BEFORE JUDGE.
Oil Magnate in Court for First Time
in Nineteen Years

In Chicago Saturday John Dawson
Rockefeller, millionaire, head of Amer
ica's greatest trust, entered a court
room for the first time in nineteen
years. By the testimony of the oil king
and his associates, all the information
which Judge Lands has been seeking
for the purpose of fixing the size of the
fine he is expected to impose on the
Standard Oil Company of Indiana. was
obtained. 1t was announced immedi-
ately after the hearing that the court
was through with Rockefeller as a wit
ness. ---e, -.-4--
These secrets were revealed by
Rockefeller and his aids:
Standard Oil Company of New Jer-
sey holds $499.500 of the S1,OOO,OOO
worth of the capital stock of the Stand
ard Oil Company of Indiana.
Outstanding capital stock of the
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
amounts to $9S,300,OOO.
Net earnings of the Standard Oil
Company Of New Jersey for the years
1908, 1904 and 1905 approximate $780,
100000.
Dividends paid on the capital stock
of the Standard Oil Company of New
Jersey during those years Appropriated
40 per cent year.
Standard Oil Company of New Jer-
sey holds ''by far the major portion
OF the stock of the Union Tank Line
Company.
Union Tank Line Company, with a
capital stock of S3,5OO,OOO, is $4,000
600 in debt and has paid no dividends
since 1901.
Judge Lands probed into the secrets
of Standard Oil, hidden for years, and
obtained answers to all the questions
he had asked the defending attorneys
by the time he had examined five of the
twelve witnesses who were in court.
He then adjourned further hearing of
the case until Monday morning, making
it necessary for Rockefeller and the
other witnesses to remain in Chicago
over Sunday.
A gasp of awe ran around the crowd
ed room when Rockefeller, pinned
down by Judge Lands after he had
claimed ignorance of much of the in
formation asked, said that the divi-
dends paid by the Standard Oil Com
pany during three years covered by the
Indiana Indictment amounted to 40 per
cent. This proved to be the sensational
item in the testimony.
Thousands of persons besieged the
Federal building fully half an hour
before the arrival of Rockefeller. They
entered the structure and fought their
way past the outside guards to the
sixth floor, where they were stopped
at the entrance to Judge lands court
room.
Scattered among the spectators were
a score of secret service operatives.
They wore no uniform, displayed no in
sigma of Office, yet they pushed in and
out among the members of the crowd
This led to confusion and a riot en-
sued. Lawyers demanding admission
to the court were knocked down in
the conflict which followed.
The majority of the spectators were
in and seated when Mr. Rockefeller
made his appearance at the end of the
hall. attended by a few friends and
his counsel. A passageway was opened
for him and he walked slowly down the
hall toward the court room, the crowd
closing in behind him, eager to catch
a glimpse of the so-called richest man
in the world.
Mr.. Rockefeller was shown to a seat
to the left of the judges desk. His
presence in the court room was almost
unnoticed by the spectators until he
was well up the side aisle. Then a
buzz went up from the sweltering
crowd and a hustle and movement as
each one tried to get glimpse of the
oil magnate.
There was no demonstration. now
ever. Mr.. Rockefeller looked curl
ously around him for moment as he
settled in his seat, and then commenc-
ed a whispered conversation with one
of his attorneys.
TRIBUTE TO eARIBALDI.