The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-04-06
GIGANTIC FIGHT
COMING TO END
FINAL ARGUMENTS IN EFFORTS
OF GOVERNMENT TO DISSOLVE
THE STANDARD OIL TRUST AT
SIT. LOUIS.

st. Louis, April 6-Before the four
judges Of the United States Circuit
Court for the Eighth Judicial Circuit
the final chapter in the governments
three-year war to disrupt the Stand
ard Oil Company was begun today.
For ten days or two weeks attorneys
for the government and for the Stand
ard Oil company and it's 100 co-defen-
dants will make final argument on the
evidence already collected at hearings
held in many of the important cities
of the United States and before which
some of the most prominent financiers
of America were called.
John D. Rockefeller was not pres
emit at the hearing today. Instead he
and Archbold and other leaders in the
oil industry will be referred to only as
page SO and so of the volumes of
printed evidence that have been laid
before the judges.
Under. the procedure of the Circuit
Court only that evidence can be pre-
sented which has already been gath
cred and printed. Instead of living
men telling the story of the growth
of the octopus, dray load of calf
bound volumes will furnish the facts.
After the attorneys have explain
ed the Importance and significance
of the replies of Mr.. Rogers as to
rate so and so granted to such an
oil company, their honors, the judges
will decorously withdraw from the
court room AMI by a process about
as exhilirating as reading the en-
cyclopedia decide whether or not the
Standard has for two score years
violated the laws of the country.
The umpires who will decide the
case are Judges Walter HI. Sanborn.
Willis Van Devanter, William C..
Hook and Elmer B. Adams.
The government forces today were
marshalled by Frank B. Kellogg, Of
fetal trust buster. He is one of the
few men who has been connected
with the case all through its cir
cuitous course. Charles B. Morrison
of Chicago was his chief assistant.
NORTH Rosenthal and John S. Mil
Ter. who shattered the Lands twenty
nine million bubble fine, appeared for
the Standard. There were half doz-
en- others seated behind the breast
work of law books stacked on the
counsel table.
For two months the attorneys have
been pouring over the evidence and
mapping out their arguments.
There are nineteen volumes Of evil
dence. Each Judge and each attor-
ney received a complete set. There
are $4,000 pages of questions and
answers. In addition there are 1900
exhibits. The arguments will be
typewriter and sent to the judges.
1t is estimated that by rapid work
they could read through this mass of
material in about two months. NO
decision in the case is expected for
at least six months.
From this decision either side has
the right of appeal direct to the su-
preme court of the United States.
There the case has precedence and
final review might be had within
year and a half.
The evidence was gathered by Spe-
cial Examiner Franklin Ferriss, OF
st. Louis. He was appointed exam
iner in June, 1907, and began hear
ing evidence September 3, 1907, and
continued from time to time until
January %, 1909. Since then the
evidence has been Transcribed and in
tn hands of tn printer.
Hearings were held in New York,
Chicago. Albany, Cleveland and st.
Louis. In all there were 444 sepa-
rate hearings.
The hearings that attracted the
most attention were held in New
York a few months ago. At these
John D. Rockefeller, John D. Arch
bold, Henry HI. Rogers and other
Wall street leaders were present.
Curiosity was so great when Rookie
feiIer himself was on the stand that
Examiner FERRIS had to have three
policemen in the court room to help
keep order.
Aside from the rather lucid stories
told by the men who have been con-
nected with the Standard since its
inception, the evidence was almost
wholly technical and had to do with
rebates, tariffs. absorptions, cost OF
raw material and kindred subjects.
Yet in all the 444 hearings there
was not a question asked that was
not intended to show either the truth
or faisity Of the allegations OF the
governments complaint.
This document was filed at the in
stance of Attorney General William
C. Moody November is, 1906, and is
not the least interesting one pertain
ing to the case. The complaint itself
covers 1874 printed pages, and eighty