The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-23
MUST TELL IT ALL
Rockefeller Is Not to Be Per-
mitted to Dodge Anything
By Putting 1t Off Onto Shout
ders of ArcbbOId.
HE OPENED THE WAY
For the Government Attorneys
to Get Whole Story
OF Standard Oil Down to the
Present Time.

New York, Nov. 23.-whether John
d. Rockefeller will be compelled to
enlarge the scope of his testimony
was a question when the hearing in
the governments suit to dissolve the
Standard Oil company was resumed
today. 1t had been the plan of the
Standards attorneys to have Mr..
Rockefeller tell only of the COM
paratively early years of the COM
pany's existence, and his direct
examination included no reference to
any happening later than 1882.
1t was announced at that time that
the remainder of the Standards story
would be told by John d. Archbold
and other officers of the company who
are more familiar than Mr.. Rookie
feller with the happenings of the last
quarter century. Frank B. Kellogg,
the government counsel contends
however. that Mr.. Rockefeller himself
by one of his answers. made it pos
sible for the government to go as far
as it likes in the cross examination.
In his direct testimony Mr.. Rookie
feller had said that business of re-
finfng oil was a hazardous one. In
his cross examination Mr.. Kellogg
asked him how he could regard as
hazardous business which had re-
turned such enormous profits. Mr..
Rockefeller replied that the fact that
a business was profitable was no
argument against contention that it
was hazardous and he reiterated that
oil refining was a hazardous business,
even up to the present time"
Mr.. Kellogg maintained that Mr..
Rockefe1ler's gratuitous statement
that the business is hazardous "up to
the present time" opens up to him
the whole period of the Standards s
history.
Ny pool-a fa11a, -a+,,~r5 - ++a
city today from his country home,
Pocantico Hills, where he had rested
over Sunday. He exercised yesterday
by walking home from the Baptist
church, a distance of two miles.
Mr.. Rockefeller was called to the
witness stand when the Standard Oil
hearing was resumed today.
Refreshed by q days rest Mr..
B. Kellogg, special assistant attorney
general resumed his cross examfna-
ton. Mr.. Kellogg's first inquiry was
whether all the stockholders of the
south improvement company after
wards became holders of stock in the
Standard Oil company of Ohio; but
Mr.. Rockefeller said he did not think
so, and when Mr.. Kellogg read a list
of the South Improvement company's
stockholders Mr.. Rockefeller named
several of them who he said, did not
hold stock in the Standard.
Replying to further questions Mr..
Rockefeller said that he thought there
was an increase in the stock of the
Standard Oil company of Ohio from
$2.500,00O, to S3,500,000 in 1875.
''In making the increase did you not
submit a paper on which appeared the
names of all the stockholders of the
South Improvement company" asked
Mr.. Kellogg.
1.-THE paper would be the best evil
dence,' replied Mr.. Rockefeller. Mr..
Kellogg then read several names from
the paper and Mr.. Rockefeller said it
was possible several of those mention
ed might have been stockholders of
the Standard if they had the money
to purchase the stock.
Railroad Men in Standard.
''How many railroad men did you
take into the Standard after 1902"
''I could not say"
was w. H. Vanderbilt a stock
holder ?''
sI can't say definitely. He might
have been stockholder for trif1ing
did you not sign paper on March
10, 1875. requesting an increase of
capital stock as follows:
wv. H. Vanderbilt by ]. D. Rock
efeller, his attorney
THAT may be; the paper would be
the best evidence
Mr.. Kellogg brought out the fact
that Amasa Stone, then president of
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
StllIHldn VIII. d director oA
the Lake Shore and Big Four roads;
and ]. P. Handy, also a director of the
Big Four road were taken into the
Standard Oil company in the early
days Mr.. Rockefeller said that P. H.
Watson seemed to have access to w.
H Vanderbilt and the witness thought
he afterwards became president of the
Erie railroad.
And he was president while he was
in your company asked
Mr.. Kellogg.
eff so he was not a stockholder for
any length of time"
The witness said he did not think
that any officials of the Pennsylvania
were connected with the
Standard Oil company.