The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-16
President Finday on stand Bat could
 Not Reinember.

Austin, Texas. Feb. 15.--The iegis- iative committee Investigating charg- es against Senator Bailey did not meet until late this afternoon to per- init Senator Bailey's attorneys to look over the books of the Waters Pierce Oil Company before they were sub mitted to the committee
 J. D Johnson, the general attorney of the waters-Pierce oil Connpany. and A E. Findlay, the viee-president Of that company arrived this morn ing from St. Louis. Mir. Findiay was placed on the stand this afternoon as the principal witness pending a com mittee to review the books.
 Mir. Fidlay explained his connection with the waters-Pierce Company. which began in 1878. Up to the year 1900 he acted as vice-president and for several months during that year he was president.
 MT. Findiay stated that he was made president when the company was roorganixed in February. 1900. He remained president until the May following when MT. Pierce again be- came president. He could not tell the reasons for the change other than 1t was because of legal complications. The witness was unable to go into de- tail as to why the company was re- organized in February, 1900. and did not hHOW any tHiHS AOShS bfN ANPoA that Pierce had been restored to the presidency by the Standard Oil Com pany because of supposed political in" fuence exercised by him in Texas.
 Mir. Findiay said the stock of the waters PfeTce OTi CUTTpaHy Tn Feb ruary 1900. amounted to 1000 shares of which about 2.100 belonged to the Standard oil Company; in May, 1900, when Mir: Pierce was returned to the rresideney. nearly all the stock be- Ionged to Pierce. He could not re. member how long the stock remained in MT. Pierce's name.
 Mr Findlay stated that he had never had any business dealings With Senator Bailey nor had he been com suited by him. The witness stated that he was not familiar with the books of the Waters-P Pierce Oil Com pany and that H. Clay Pierce. the president, had little to do with them. J. P. Gruet had been in charge of the boots from 1900 to 1905. hs said.
 Questioned as to a $1.500 voucher marked Henry and Stribbiing, Ac- count of Texas cases," MT. Findlay ad mitted approving the voucher and said the handwriting on a slip of paper at- tached, which read Civil Cases" look ed like this, and on voucher the words Penalty Cases Waco looked like that of j. r. Gruet. ST. The witness identi- fled the handWritlng put Couf0 not Tb- member the voucher.
 As to a telegram bearing the nota- tien. Sight draft drawn by J W. B'f- ley" he said the writing was his. but he could find no record of the trans action in his files He told of several visits Mr Bailey paid the officers of the company in 1900 to see Mir. Pierce
 what was the understanding among the officials and the employees of the Waters Pierce Company as to the pow CT or Influence by which the com pany's troubles in Texas were over come and the company permitted to continue in Texas asked MT. Cooke.
 T did not know other than Judge Johnson and Mir. Pierce came to Texas and made a settlement. They were le- gal matters with which dld not con- cern myself" replied Eyewitness. The witness said that he could not recall whether or not he had ever made any antitrust affidavits for the company. He said Mir. Truet was in charge of the books and auditing for the company. Witness declared that he. himself. had not, and never had. any financial inter- est in the company.