The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-07-07
Much of Interest Was Learned
Although Very Little of 1t
Came Directly From John D.
Rockefeller Himself.
BIlLIONAiRE is IMMUNE
FROM ANY PROSECUTION.
1t Is Possible to Assess Enor-
nous Fine and Judge Lands
Wants to Know What Would
Be the Proper Amount.

Chicago, July 6.-The secrets re-
vealed by Rockefeller and his aids to-
day show that the Standard Old COM
pany of New Jersey holds $499. 500 of
the $1,000,000 worth of capital stock
in the Standard Oil company of In
diana, the outstanding capital stock
of the Standard Oil company of New
Jersey amounts to sos. 100000; net
earnings of the Standard of New Jer-
sey for the years 1903, 1904 and 1905
approximate $179 100000; dividends
paid on capital stock of the Standard
in New Jersey during these years ap-
proximated 40 per cent of the amount
of the stock or nearly S40,000,000.
The inquiry conducted by Judge
Kenesaw Lands. of the United States
District court, into the standing and
financial resources of the Standard
Oil company, began and was finished
inside of two hours.
The chief witness was John ID.
Rockefeller president of the Standard
Oil company of New Jersey. Very
little information was derived from
him. He said that he had not been
in active business for twelve years
and said he had not been in the Office
of the Standard Oil company for eight
years.
William Rockefeller and John d.
Archbold were in court, but were not
called to the stand.
Could Not Incrminate Himself.
Whatever might have been Mr..
Rockefeiler's replies today, he could
in no way incriminate himself, for un-
der the law ne is immune from prose
cution.
The final acceptance by Mr.. Rookie
feller of the subpoena issued for him
by Judge Lands and his agreement
to appear in court today marked the
elimination of an exciting series of
events in Standard Oil litigation and
the final chapter of spectacular
search for the oil magnate. When the
United States government last Aug
use obtained the Indictment of the
Standard Oil company for Indiana for
having accepted rebates from the
Chicago & Alton Railroad company
neither United States District Attor
ney Sims nor attorneys representing
Standard Oil interests expected that
Mr. Rockefeller would ever be called
as a witness in the case
After a hard-fought legal battle be-
fore a jury in Judge lands court
verdict was returned finding the oil
company guilty of violating the anti
rebate laws and It was then incum-
bent upon the judge TO assess fine
against the corporation, it being with
in his discretion to place the penalty
as high as s2S, ,O00, 900.
Judge Lands, after reading over
the entire testimony, covering thous-
ands of typewriter pages, concluded
he could reach no satisfactory decis-
ion as to the amount of the fine un-
less he knew positively how large
were the resources of the defendant
company and whether it was owned
by the Standard Oil company of New
Jersey. Judge Landis found there
was no alternative but to call upon
the officers of both concerns Judge
Landis was empowered to fix the fine
at any sum between 81 900 and $780,
wv III trAAI tOuhAs vi WHICH tIGIt
were 1,462 in the indictment.
Thus the maximum fine may be
s29, ,240,0 900. but as the capital stock
of the Indiana company is only ST.
100000 the Supreme court might
deem the maximum fine as falling in
the class of cruel and unusual punish
ment. prohibited by the constitution.
If the Indiana company is merely sub
sidary to the New Jersey concern.
with capital of 500. 600, 900. no such
appeal could be made