The Washington times., 1909-04-05
Continued from First Page)


right of appeal direct to the Supreme
Court of the United states. There the
case has precedence, snd a final re-
view might be had within a year and a
half.
Gathering of Evidence.
The evidence was gathered by Special
Examiner Franklin Ferriss. of St Louis
He was appointed examiner In June.
1907. and began hearing evidence Sep
tember 3. 1907. and continued from time
to time until January p, 1909. Since
then the evidence has been transcribed
and in the hands of the printer.
Hearings were held in New York,
Chicago, Albany, Cleveland, and st.
Louis. In all there were IA separate
hearings.
The hearings that attracted the most
attention were held in New York few
months ago. At these John d. Rookie
Teller. John d. Archbold, Henry II.
Rogers and other Wall Street leaders
were present. Curiosity was so great
when Rockefeller himself was on the
stand that Examiner Ferriss had 70
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 in
ception, the evidence was almost wholly
technical. and had to do with rebates
tariffs, absorptions, cost Of raw ma
terial and kindred subjects. Yet in all
the IA hearings there was not a cues
ton asked that was not intended to
show either the truth or faisity of the
allegations OF the Governments COM
plant
Story of Standard.
This document was filed at the in
stance Of Attorney General William c.
Moody. November 10. 1906. and is not
the least interesting one pertaining to
the case. The complaint itself covers
1874 printed pages, and eighty-two pages
OF exhibits, mainly contracts between
various oil producers. are appended.
Through a maze OF "saids" and
"aforesaids" can be raced a story Of
the Standard OF Company as interest
ing as any Yet written. With infinite
detail the growth OF the company has
been given and the connection of prom
inent men shown. With legal bluntness
the company is declared 10 be a gigantic
conspiracy TO mOnopOlize the oil bust
ness Of the world, and its tactics are
described as unfair and contrary to the
laws
The complaint divides the development
of the alleged monopoly into three peri
DDS: First, that from 1870 to 1882 when
the individual defendants. John ID.
Rockefeller, William Rockefeller, Henry
NJ. F'lsgler, and others are descHbec as
forming the Standard and forcing cDm-
petitcSs out of business: second, the
period from 1852 to 1893, when the stand
ard, openly a trust" operated under
trusteeship headed by John ID. Rookie
Teller; third. the period from 1893 % the
g ,~ faar her
the company organized under the laws
OF New Jersey, its individual leadership
lost behind its corporate parsonage. Is
alleged to have defied the United states
and continually to have violated the
Sherman antitrust law.
Competition Stihed..
Competition was stifed. the Govern
ment says. by price cutting. This it
declares the Standard was able 10 do
because of preferential rates and re-
bates. The rebates, it is alleged, were
obtained through a conspiracy. Bogus
companies were formed to crush COM
petition, II is declared. Railroads were
forced TO use Standard lubricating oil,
competitors being forced out OF the field.
The United States was divided into sec
tons. each subsidiary company being
given its section so that prices might
be controlled, and there would be no real
competition. And each allegation is
backed with figures and maps and copies
Of agreements.
The testimony taken has ali borne
some relation 10 some Of the specific
! charges in this complaint. tt has been
intended 10 form proof Of the specific
charges OF unfair and illegal methods.
| The testimony is as tangled as the story
of tine trust itself. Each witness was
asked questions concerning various
phases Of the dealings, and in the evil
dence each man told facts which bore
on specific delegations scattered from
first TO last Of the long complaint.
When kellogg struck a lead he pushed
fl for all il was worth without any re-
gard for logical sequence. The result
Is that the work OF untanglinS the evil
dence and marshaling the facts that
gantic one. This is the work that the
attorneys have been doing for the past
two months.
Arguments Begun.
Today before the judges they began
their arguments trying to show not
only the relative value Of the testi-
mony, but each side also endeayoring
logically to prove from these facts
the truth or falsity of the Government
entire allegation.
II the Government wins a permanent
injunction will be issued prohibiting the
Standard from carrying on its business
with the companies through which it is
said to carry out its conspiracy against
the United States. A series OF injunc-
( lions are asked which efectualIy end
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