Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-16

cases above named, and the interrog-
atories annexed thereto. directed to the
officers of the four companies ABOVE
named, were furnished and the history OF
each one of those companies and the
relation of each to the Standard Oil Com
pany of Ohio and of the other organiZa-
tons alleged to be members of the trust
(some twenty in number) became the sub
ject of investigation at once by you. The
Importance of the litigation could hardly
from the standpoint of the Standard, be
overrated.
:. The company in Ohio, which had been
ordered to withdraw from the trust agree
ment. could not afford. to permit itself
to be put nor could the gentlemen who
managed 1t permit themselves to be put
in the attitude of defying the law. A
heavy fine might have been Imposed, q
receiver might have been appointed and
the vast business of the organization IT.
reparably injured.
% The three quo warranto cases then
pending and the fourth one threatened. as
already stated, and later begun, called
for most drastic action upon the part OF
the supreme court If its judgment should
be adverse. 1t was asked in each or the
four quo warranto cases, and such was a
proper prayer, that each of the four de-
PENDANTS be adjudged to have forfeited
and surrendered their corporate rights
AMI franchises. that they be dissolved and
that the court appoint trustees to WIND
up their affairs and distribute their prop
erty.
lit was upon realization o: these seri-
Gus and disastrous consequences, well
knowing your ability as an attorney and
the respect the lawyers and courts had
for you throughout the state, that 1
sought your service. You entered at once
actively upon the employment, making
your own investigations here in Ohio and
in New York, holding frequent consulta-
lions with myself and other counsel for
the company in Columbus, Cincinnati.
New York and Washington. Your judg-
ment was sought. not only as to what had
been done by the Standard Oil Company
Of Ohio in its effort to withdraw from the
trust, but also as to what form of future
organization of the great interests of this
company and of the constituent compa-
MES should be taken that they might not
be open to any further attack.
For more than a year testimony was
taken at various places. full transcripts
of that evidence furnished you and sug-
gestionS received from you as to the lines
upon which it ought to be met.
Prosecution Fails.
1.-The testimony having been closed, the
contempt case was finally submitted to
the Supreme Court, and in December,
1900. an entry was made by the court,
finding the defendant not guilty of con-
tempt and dismissng the proceedings.
"A little later the four custer cases
were also dismissed, the dismissal of the
latter cases being made by the court at
the suggestion of the then attorney gen.
eral, Judge Sheets.
Your employment extended over a
period Of more than two years, during
which time 1 was repeatedly in consulta-
ton with you. and there was no phase
of the litigation of which you were not
fully abreast all the time, and your coun-
sci was fully appreciated by my associate
counsel and by my client, and there never
was a particle of effort upon your part
to conceal your relations to the interests
we represented.
$50 far from the attitude of the COM
pany being one of a desire to evade the
law or the decree of the court. it had
faithfully endeavored to comply there
with, and so far as the Valentine trust
law was concerned We were not trying,
by subterfuge or indirection. to evade IT..
You understood perfectly our desire and
co-operated with it to put these large
properties on a basis Of conformity to the
decree of the court and of the law, that
they might be safely and securely held
by their owners
Your efforts greatly contributed to the
success of the litigation and the preser-
walton of the property by it's owners. At