The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-04-05

G0lHSS were nelu IN new OIki
Chicago, Albany, Cleveland and st.
Louis. In all there were 444 sep
arate hearings.
The hearings that attracted tho
most attention were held in New
York a few months ago. At these
John ID. Rockefeller, John ID. Arch
bold, Henry II. Rogers and other
Wall street leaders were present.
Curiosity was so great when Rookie.
feller himself was on the stand that
Examiner Ferriss had TO have three
policemen in the court room to
help keep order.
Aside from the rather lucid stor-
les told by the men who have beea
connected with the Standard since
its inception, the evidence was al.
most wholly technical and had to
do with rebates, tariffs, absorptlons,
cost of raw material and kindred
subjects. Yet in all the 444 hear
inlgs there was not a question asked
that was not entended to show eth
er the truth or falsity of the al
legations of the Governments com
plant.
This document was filed at the
instance of Attorney General Will
liam G. Moody November 10. 1906,
and Is not the least interesting one
pertaining TO the case. The com
plaint itself covers 1874 printed page,
and eighty-two pages of exhibits.
mainly contracts between yarious
loil producers, are appended.
Through maize of "saids" and
atoresaids' can be traced a story.
Of the Standard Oil Company as
interesting as any yet written. with
infinite detail the growth OF the
company has been given and the
connection of prominent men shown
with legal bluntness the companv
Is declared TO be a gigantic con-
spiracy to monopolize the oil busI-
ness OF the world and its tactics
are described as unfair and con-
trary to the laws.
The complaint divides the de-
velopment of the aTieged mononoIv
INTO three periods: First, that from
1870 to 1882 when the indivldnai
defendants, John d. RocfefeIlar
william Rockefeller. Henry M Flag
ler and others described as forming
the standard and forcing romneti.
TORS out of business; second tho
pemod from 1882 to 1899. when tbe
standard openly a "trust" operoted
under a trusteeship headed bv Iobn
~ Rockefeller; third, the neriod
from 1899 to the time of f,Iing ~
the complaint when tbe con,non,,
0lsauized under the laws of New
jersey its individual leadershin
lost behind its corporate person :
age is alleged to have defied tno
United States and continuallv IN
have violated the Sherman Aan1-
tn-st law.
Compeiition was stihied, the gov
ernment says, by price cutting. Thas
1t declares the Standard was able to
DO beeaue Of preferential rates and
rebates The rebates, IL is alleged
We're obtained through a conspiracy.
Bogus companies were formed to
crush competition, it is declared.
Railroads were forced to use Stand
ard Luhricating ell, competitors be-
ing forced out of the field. The
United States was diyiGed into sec
tions each subsidiary comrany being
given its section so that prices might
Ibe controlled, and there would be no
real competition. And each alle-
gaIticn is backed with figures and
mafs and copies of agreements.
The Testimony taken has all borne
some relation TO some OF tine spe-
clfcfchalges in this Complaint. 1t
has been intended TO form proof or
the specific charges on unfair and
| Illegal methods The testimony Is
as tangled as the story of the trust
dtselfg each witness was asked
questions concerning various phases
of The DEALINGS, and I'M the evidence
eaCh man told facts which bore en-
specific allegations 81 altered from
fn&it to last OF the long complaint.
When kellogg struck lead he
pushed 1t for all 1t was worth with
cGlt any regard for logical sequence.
The result Is that the work of un-
tangling The evidence, and marshall
ing the facts that support each al
legation, has been a gigantic one.
This Is the work that the attorneys
have been doing for the past two
months.
To-day before the judges they be