The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-11-25
: WANTS DENMAN
TO BLOCK SALE
ST, Louis Attorney Aroused
By Telephone Deals.
IS COMBATING MERGER

ohio's Attorney General Says Tha.
" Communication Contains Tanal.
BILE Evidence That Bell Interests
havei Been Buying Ohio lndepen-
dent Companies He VIII Take
Prompt Action to Have Sales De.
elared' Illegal. y
Columbus, o. Nov. 25.--If Bell tel.
ephone interests purchase Ohio inde-
pendent telephone lines and proof of
the merger is given Attorney General
Denman, he will file suit to knock
out the combination.
Mr.. Denman said Ohio law is to
the effect that one corporation can
not acquire the stock of kindred
competing company, and that he
would Immediately sue to abrogate
any deal which violates the law.
whenever proof of such violation was
given him.
Mr.. Denman has been reading
newspaper, accounts of the alleged
operations OF the Bell agents to OBJ
tain control OF the Independents. He
said definite proof of the merger OF
the Bell and independents had not
been given him and that publication
OF the purchase of independent lines
at Cleveland. Columbus, Dayton, To
ledo and Indianapolis had not con.
Vinced him that such a combination
was being effected, because 10 one
seemed to know the identity Of the
persons behind the agents making
the purchases. Local telephone men
have contended all along that they
didn't believe the Bell people had
bought out leading Ohio Independent
interests which have been sold. They
have professed ignorance as to the
Identity OF such purchasers, but have
made pretty positive assertions that
they did not represent the Bell or.
ganization.
A telegram from St. Louis an.
nounced that Attorney Samuel r.
JeTries of that city, who had been
retained by minority stockholders of
the independent companies to fight
the alleged merger. would ask Attor.
ney General Denman TO file suit to
knock the purchase OF Ohio indepen.
dent lines.
IF the Jeffries communication con.
tains tangible evidence of the alleged
merger, will fight to the best of my
ability to have the deals declared H.
legal for violating the state antitrust
law" said Mr.. Denman.
Certain published articles made II
appear that the Western Union Tele.
graph company is purchasing tele.
phone lines; these deals might also
be declared illegal because OF the
antitrust law. Telephone and tele,
graph companies are kindred con,
Germs.
III II should develop that the Bell
interests have purchased Ohio inde,
pendent lines this would be In direct
violation Of the state antitrust law
Thus far It has developed that James
s. Bradley, Jr., of Toledo, has pur.
chased Independent plants at Cleye
iuuu, iOitNO, luuldhupOllS, I've utN
long-distance company of Indianapo
lis and the United States Telephone
company of Ohio, the long-distance
company for this state. F. X. Hun
tingtonrhas purchased the local Citi
xeens plant and the independent line
ain DAYTON" 81. ~. s
Y FrrhkSA Davis president of the
IeColumbus4 Citizens Telephone com
sepany, said he was positive the Ameri
sscan Telegraph and Telephone com
,Sspapy, the holding Bell concern, had
p'nof REQUIRED any Independent lines
In Ohio.
'"Who purchased the local plantT
was asked. srsszsl..s4
Il am not at liberty TO say now
said he, "OHicials are on a fishing
expedition to get evidence, but moth
Ing In shape Of a merger OF Bell and
indpDpndant Iiuos will no shown "