Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-22
John D. Rockefeller to Be Sub
p0enaed in Steel Probe.
ALSO TO PRODUCE PAPERS
Stanley Committee Wants Details on
Mesaba Ore Property Deal.
TELLS OF LOSING FORTUNE
Leonidas Merritt of Duluth Testifies
Concerning Manner in Which He
Lost His Holdings.

Chairman Stanley, just before the STAN
/ ley steel trust committee adjourned this
afternoon, made the fiat statement that
John D. Rockefeller would be subpoenaed
to appear in person before the committee
to testify concerning his operations in
| the Minnesota oil fields. Just when the
| subpoena will be issued, or, indeed, IL the
full committee will back Mr.. Stanley In
| this, is not yet known. In the mean
! time the committee has decided to issue
| a subpoena duces tecum for Mr.. Rookie
| feller to compel him to produce certain
papers understood to be in his possession
which have a bearing on this latest phase
Of the inquiry.
Mr.. Rockefeller personally Captured"
Leonidas Merritt Of Duluth, and through
| him the wonderfully valuable ore prop
critics, according to the latter's testimony
before the Stanley steel committee to-
day. Merritt had told the committee
| that when he went to New York in the
panic days Of 1893 Rev. F. d. Gates,
manager of Mr.. Rockefeller's charities
was his constant companion and kept
| urging him to go into a consolidation
proposed by Mr.. Rockefeller. But Mer-
ritt refused to consent.
"Then.' said Merritt today, "Gates
| took me to Rockefeller. felt honored
| at being called before such a magnate
Rockefeller shook hands with me very
gentlemanly. I noticed he was a
| kindly. brotherly sort Of a fellow. He
talked about the weather and asked
after my family. He told me we we're
| all right, for he had looked us up and
hot h0A In
Minnesota. He said that If we would
agree to the consolidation he proposed
he would take care Of US. He told me
he would be proud to be my partner
and backer. He said he never specu-
lated and so wouldn't take any stock
in the consolidation. He would just
keep the bonds.
"He captured me-" the witness con-
cluded.- II told him I would agree And
then he turned me over to the Rev. DR..
Gates again. .
Bitter Against DR.. Gates.
The witness manifested even more bit
terness than his brother Alfred. who tes-
tied yesterday, toward the Rev. DR..
Gates. In relating the manner In which,
before the Rockefeller interview. Gates
tried to get him to agree to the con-
solidation, he said he found 1t impossible
to borrow any money. and that Gates told
him Rockefeller was hard up.
by golly." said Merritt, II believed it
then. But now I know that Gates lied
Mr.. Merritt told with great detail the
story Of how he and his brother Alfred
discovered the valuable ore beds of the
Mesaba range: put every cent they could
scrape together into these ore lands:
built a railroad to their property. and
were on a fair way to becoming enor-
| mously wealthy. when they met up with
Mr.. Rockefeller and finally retired from
the struggle without any equity at ALL
II couldn't conceive" cried Merritt dra-
matically at this point, "how 1 could
have gone to New York with all those
millions and lost them all in a few short
months" He added with grim smile
that he guessed he knew more about
woodcraft than he did about high finance.
My family was very poor said the
witness. There wasn't much up there
in Minnesota in the early days We
raised few potatoes and caught a few
best way we could And then he added
that he got his faith in the value of the
Mesaba range from his father and that
he had been the first to make actual dis
covery of the valuable ore pockets.
Says Rockefeller Ignored Agreement
Referring to the consolidation agree
| Rockefeller. Mr.. Merritt said that when
| the time came for Rockefeller to take
up the bonds under the agreement he
didn't do SO.
1T was brutal the way we were held
up he said. "Finally l went to one Of
the stockholders of the company, an hon
est woodsman l had known years before,
| and he said to me: I went to Rockefeller.
Lon. and gave him a certain number of
days to do what he agreed to do with
you boys. Today I went to see him again
| and he refused to act and have quit ("
At this point Attorney Reid. counsel for
| the United States Steel Corporation asked
! Chairman Stanley IL he still thought this
| line of testimony competent In the in
quiry.
II feel" replied Mr.. Stanley, that right
| at this minute I am performing the great
est public service I ever did in my life"
How? In connection with the inter-
state commerce law?' Mr.. Reid remarked
| ITO humanity Mr.. Stanley flashed
| back.
| After this exchange Mr.. Merritt re-
sumed his story Of his troubles, and told
! of an interview he had with the Rev. Dr.
Gates while the Merritt stock was up
with Mr.. Rockefeller as collateral for
loans.
University Gets a Million.
| Gates came to me-" the witness said,
"and remarked to me, I come from John
| D. Rockefeller. He has made up his
mind just what he wants done. We
have the whole thing planned. / have
come to tell you and / am proud to do
It, The other day 1 took million dol
lars of Mr.. Rockefeller's money to Chi
cago and gave it to the Chicago Uni
versity. I thought that was the proud
est moment of my life. but am prouder
now to have this opportunity Of talking
to you
The Rev. DR.. Gates outlined to him.
the witness said. how Mr.. Rockefeller
could throw him and his brother out Of
the company completely to protect other
Interests, but that they had borne the
| burden and heat" OF the day. and he
believed they should enjoy the benefits Of
their labors.
"Gates said to me-" said Merritt. that
Rockefeller would rather deal with u.s.
and II we would deal with him he could
remain In the company and be taken care
Of But in order to do that We would
have to do the will Of Rockefeller.
II listened In amazement when he said
that II Rockefeller protected us the stocks
Of others would be thrown down and he
mentioned the names Of several. My
ibrother, who was present, turned to Mr.
Gates and said: Mr.. Gates. we've got
laws in our country. To do what you
ua nt us tn do would land r,s IN iail