Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-06-01

spired ito restrain the trade and
commerce in petroleum, commonly
called "crude OIL" in refined oil and
in the other products. Of petroleum
among the several states and terri
tories of the United States and the
District of Columbia, and with fore
ign nations, and to monopolize the
said commerce" ~ t5',&i$
John D. Rockefeller, William Rock
effeler and Henry M. Flagler we're
named as the originators of the al
legged conspiracy. The bill claimed
that between 1870 and 1882 Henry
H. Rogers, John D. Archbold, oliver
H. Payne, and Charles M. Pratt join
ed the conspiracy which eliminated
with the organization of the New
Jersey corporation in 1899.
Three periods of development are
alleged in tle complaint. The first
that preceding 1882, was marked, it
is asserted, by the activities of the
individual defendants in connection
with the Standard Oil company of
Ohio, in acquiring interests in, or en-
tering agreements with, various COM
peting firms, generations and in
dividuals engaged in the oil business.
From 1882 to 1889 the complaint
recited, the affairs of the various
concerns and individuals were under
the management of nine trustees by
trust agreement" alleged to be
''in restraint of trade and commerce
and in violation of law" ~
Since 1899, it was alleged, the de-
no h1
Standard Oil company of New Jersey
as holding corporation, which COM
pany acquired the majority of stock
in various corporations and manag-
ed them IN violation of law
1t was charged also that in their
alleged efforts to monopolize the oil
business, the defendants had solicit
ed and received rebates on shipments
not only Of their own products but
also on those of competitors and lat
er acquired control Of various pipe
lines which were merged into the Ma
tiOnal Transit company. 'z5
From the inception of the case,
Frank B. Kellogg, st. Paul, and C. B.
Morrison, Chicago, have appeared on
behalf Of the government as special
assistants to the attorney general of
the United States. John C. Milburn,
New York; Moritz Rosential, Chi
cago, and John G. Johnson. Philadel-
phia, have headed the defendants
long list of attorneys. sE%"#$
The judges who have considered
the case are: Walter H. Sanborn,
St. Paul; Elmer B. Adams, St. Louis;
Willis A. Van Devanter, Cheyenne,
Yyo., and William c. Hook, Leavens-
worth, Kan. ....> ,,. ,-.-s.4v....;: ...,
The answers admitted certain con
tentions regarding stock ownership
and organization and that the seven
individual defendants were members
Of the company, but generally de-
MED the main allegations OF the gov
ernment's petition, especially those
charging conspiracy to contrib trade
crush competition, receive rebates
and 8monopolize the oil business.
The taking Of testimony was en-
trusted to franklin Ferriss, 81 Louis, ,
who was appointed special Master in
Chancery In June, 1907. zt5$.
The broad general titles OF the com.
plant and answer presaged a. con-
siderable latitude in the statements
Of witnesses which was. born out
when the. hearing began September
1, 1907, in New York. ~a
Fro mthen until tle final testimony
was given in Chicago on January 22s
1909, 444 persons answered questionsst
before Judge Ferriss. The result wasl
a record of 25,000 printed pages Of
testimony and exhibits which was
filed in st. Louis on March %, 1909.
az Hearings were held in Cleveland
and Washington also. The bulk OF I