The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-06-01
,onollze the said commerce"


nopolize the said commerce"
John D. Rockefeller, William Rookie
reller and Henry NJ. Flagler were nam
d as the orgiginators of the alleged
,onspiracy. The bill claimed that be-
-ween 1870 and 1882 Henry II. Rogers,
.Tohn D. Archbold, Oliver H. Payne
and Charles NJ. Pratt joined the con-
zniracy which eliminated with the or
..anization of the New Jersey corpora
ton in 1899.
Three periods of development were
alleged in the complaint. The 1lrst'
that preceding 1882, was marked, 1t is
asserted by the activities of the indl-
v,dpa1 defendants in connection with
the Standard Oil Company OF ONO, IN
acquiring interests in, or entering
agreements with, various competing
firms. corporations and individuals
engaged in the oil business.
From 1882 to 1889 the complaint re-
cited. the affairs of the various con-
Germs and individuals were under the
management of nine trustees by a
trust agreement" alleged to be in
restraint of trade and commerce and
in violation of law
Since 1899 it was alleged. the de-
PENDANTS have acted thru the STAND
ard Oil Company of New Jersey as a
holding corporation, which company
acquired the majority of stock in va
rious corporations and managed them
in violation of law
II was charged also that in their al
legged efforts to monopolize the OIL
business. the defendants had solicited
and received rebates on shipments
not ONLY of their own products but alst
on those of competitors and later ac
ouired control of various pipe lines
which were merged into the Nationa
Transit Company.
From the inception of the case
Frank B. kellogg, St. Paul, and Chas
B. Morrison, Chicao, have appeared
on behalf of the government as spe
cia1 assistants to the attorney genera
of the United States. John {. MI
hurn. New York; NORTH Rosentha
Chicago. and John G. Johnson, Phi
adelnhia. have headed the defendants
long list of attorneys.
The judges who have considered tn
case are Walter H. Sanborn, st. Pau
Elmer B. Adams. st. Louis; Willis
VanDevanter, Chyenne, Wyoming, an
William H. Hook, Leavenworth, Kan.
Service was had on the defendant
in December of 1906 and the first lega
battle came in the following mont
when the defense tried UNSUCCESSFUL
to have the service revoked on a
concerned save the Waters-Pierce .
Company of Missouri. because, it wa
claimed il was the only defendant re-
ident in the judicial district in whic
the suit was filed. This contentio
was overruled and the company's al
swer of siXty-siX printed pages We
filed April 8, 1907. Thirty-seven e
ceptions TO the governments petite
4 we're included in this document. A
Il gument on these took place at 5
Il Paul Nav "a. 1907. The four judg'
Il overruled all the exceptions, and Ju
Il Is. 1907 an additional answer was file
\ covering the points to which the d
II Tense had at first declined to plead
H The answers admitted certain co
Il tentions regarding stock oWnersh
/ and organization and that the seven
Il dividual defendants were members
Il the company. but generally denied Il
Il main allegations of the government
Il petition. especially those charging &C
Il spiracv to control trade. crush COM
II tition. receive rebates and monopol.
Il the oil business.
III The taking of testimony was
/ trusted TO Franklin Ferriss, st. Lou
Il who was appointed special Master
Il Chancery in June, 1907
III Inc DGOdu Sellel dllIlSo VI 'HN ~
Il plaint and answer pressaged a cons
Il cradle latitude in the statements
Il witnesses which was born out VIII
Il the hearings began September Il
in New York.
From then until the final testimo
was given in Chicago on January
Il 1909, 444 persons answered questit
before Judge Ferriss. The result v
A record of $4,000 printed pages
II testimony and exhibits which was
Il ed in St. Louis on March %, 1909
u Hearings were held in Clevelf
= and Washington also. The bulk OF
h, testimony by the defense was given
II New York.
4 The hearings reached their elm
when the defense called to the sta
CborIoc II Pratt JOhn d. ROCkefel