The Washington herald., 1909-02-07

New York. FEB. s.-With the adjourn
ment 10 Chicago Of the hearings in the
Standard Oil cases. where he govern
ment VIII ofTer It's last witnesses IN re
buttaI before the case is argued before
the Circuit Court OF the Eastern division
Of Missouri, the city saw the last OF
what is probably the greatest legal bat
tie, both IN the amount Of invested capt
tai AT the stake and in Importance Of
question involved in the history OF JUris-
prudence.
While The total value OF the Standard
OIL Company and its subsidiary compaE-
les has never been made public. a man
in the closest relations with the company
estimates that the actual value OF the
properties owned by II, both IN this
country. and abroad. IS at least sec. .o30.o00
while If 10 this IS added patent rights
other intangible assets and the good
VIII OF the company as a going concern,
the total would not be far short Of ST.
co. 010.000 Win the exception Of the Steel
Corporation the Standard oil Company is
the largest industrial organization IN the
world and the suit entered against 1t Is
one Of the most drastic on record by q
government against a corporation. Il
successful It viii mean the complete
disintegra.ion OF the vast Standard OIL
system
Two Cases Not Alike
AS rule the public has hazy impress
sion that the present case and the 60
called Alton case" in which Judge
Kenesaw lands imposed a fine or So
00a.ole. are much the same. but as a
matter OF fact the two cases are widely
dissimilar. IN the Alton case the action
was a criminal suit against the Standard
Oh Company OF Indiana. charging that
company with shipping oil under secret
and preferential freight rates. TO the
disadvantage Of the Standards competi-
tors. The law provides for a fine in the
event Of conviction incidentally il is il
teresting to note that the Standard OIL
corporation in spite OF many suits en-
tered against Il has never been convicted
Of receiving rebates
The present suit which was Instituted
by Attorney General Moody IN the lat
ter part OF 1896 is an action in equity and
has nothing 70 Go with fines. In the bill
Of complaint. the petitioner, the United
States OF America. alleges monopoly
Of the oil business in the United States
by the defendants, the Standard Oil Com
pany Of New jersey. ct a.. acquired
by unfair methods and operati in the
restraint Of trade. The petitioner prays
for an injunction against the defendants
70 compel them 70 cease doing interstate
business. which, Il granted. would mean
that the Standard oil Company would
be obliged 70 resolve itself hack into the
original companies OF which 1t Is com
posed.
AS co-defendants IN the bill OF com
plant seven individuals are mentioned and
seventy corporations The seven individ-
Uals are John D. Rockefeller. William
Rockefeller John D Archbold. Il. Il
Rogers, C u. Pratt. H II Flagler. and
o. H Payne. The District Circuit Court
o. Missouri, where the action was
brought. appointed Judge Franklin G.
Ferriss. Of St Louis. as special examiner
to hear the evidence, and the taking OF
testimony began in September, I997, and
has continued. with the usual recesses.
from then until the present time
Largest Record Ever Made.
The omciaI record OF the case Is OF in
terest as being the largest record ever
made for any one case. At the present
time the oral testimony. counting the
testimony read into the records from
other cases. has reached 3.500O00 words
and by the time the taking Of testimony
s completed and the opposing counsel
have made their arguments to the Circuit
Court the oral part Of the record viii
reach 100000 words Adding 20 this the
500 go words contained in the exhFRits.
1f which loo have been offered In evi- /
fence by the government and 4S7 BY the
defense, the record VIII contain approx /
nately I,510.o0e words The typewritteu
sheets Of the oral testimony make a piie
more than seven feet high and when aU
he evidence IS printed IN . volumes. the
edition viii be larger than the EncyIo- /
laedia Britannica The government has
examined 10 witnesses In the case and
he defense 40 The entire record has
been taken by Robert Taylor. OF St
Louis, and IS a monument Of court re- /
porting.
The list of the counsel connected with
his already famous case reads ike a /
age from lawyers Who's Who" IN /
'harge OF the case for the Standard OIL I
company IS kforitz Rosenthal. who gave 1
lp law practice in Chicago which re-
iuired the employment OF % clerks. 10 4
conduct the Standards case. John G. 1
'iilbourn. OF New York, and II. 2. FL
lott are also attorneys Of record r0r the
defendants. Others who have taken more
7 less prominent part II the case from
ime 70 time in the last two years OF be-
-alf OF the Standard on Company are H.
! Priest, OF St Louis; John S. Miller. Of
,hicago; John G. Johnson. Of Ph1adel-
MA; Frank I. Crawford, OF New York;
n. Cleveland Runyon, OF New York: