Arizona republican., 1911-11-23
Leonidas Merritt Tells a
Most Startling Tale of
His Relations With Rock
efeller and the Latter's
Agent.
SAYS IN EFFECT
HE WAS ROBBED
Further Declares That an
Almoner of Rockefeller
Made a Proposition to
Him That Involved Actu-
al Theft.

! WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.-With bit
terness that lent emphasis to his ut
! terances and at times fairly beside
himself with pent-up rage, Leonidas
Merritt today told the Stanley steel
| investigating committee personal
narrative of his dealings with John ID.
Rockefeller. and how the latter forced
him out of business in the Minnesota
ore mines and railroads. Merritt de-
clared that after he turned down Il
proposition from Rockefeller. which he
declared as stealing" that Rookie
feller called on him to pay million
dollar loan and brought about his
downfall. The proposition, he said,
came through Rev. DR.. Gates, "Rocke-
! feller's almoner"
Il listened to it with amazement,"
said Merritt. 1t meant that several
men would be thrown out of the COM
pany. their stock taken and turned
over to Gates. and | said: Mr. Gates.
! you came from John ID. Rockefeller.
Go back To John d. Rockefeller and
tell him that when | steal for living
! | will steal for myself"
Regarding the attempts of Merritt
To raise money To pay loans. he said
experts went over the Mesaba range
and pronounced it worthless. This
prevented Merritt's borrowing any
| funds. He said the men he tried To-
J interest i'm the ore properties without
success were ii. G. Frick and Andrew
| Carnegie. "Frick, who was then i'm
the Carnegie company" Merritt said.
invited me to see him. He then
! bulldozed me, cut me off short and
ridiculed my project"
After the completion of d railroad
! through the ore fields i'm 1892. some
OF the officers of the company formed
a rival concern. This deal. was blocked.
At that time Senator Clapp was a
| stockholder with the Merritts. and
was their attorney and urged them
To sell, but they did not. Then Rookie
| feller suggested it To them. Merritt
related that in 1898 he went to New
York with Rev. Gates. who was his
constant companion there. Gates urged
him to accept the consolidation pro-
posed by Rockefeller. Gates took me
! to Rockefeller said Merritt. He
said if we agreed on consolidation as
he proposed ne would take some
bonds. He also said he never specu-
lated. and for that reason he could
not take any stock in the consolida-
ton. He would just keep the bonds
in the proposed consolidation. His
talk captured me, and ] told him |
would agree"
Merritt then said Gates told him
Rockefeller was hard up. BY golly.
l believed him then. but now know
Gates lied"
Here Attorney Reid. for the steel
company. asked Chairman Stanley if
he thought this line of questioning
was pertinent to the inquiry.
The chair feels that just at this
moment he is performing the great
est public service he ever did in his
life" said Stanley.
I'm connection with the interstate
commerce law" asked Reid
''In connection with humanity" was
the answer.
Merritt, continuing, said: Gates
came To me and said Rockefeller had
made up his mind just what he want
ed done | listened in amaZement
when Gates said if Rockefeller pro-
tected us the stocks of several others
would be thrown, and he mentioned
several men. MY brother then told
Gates if we did what he asked us
to do, it meant we would be landed
i'm Jail. and that Rockefeller and his
500, 100000 couldn't make us do it.
Then | turned To Gates and told him
to go back to Rockefeller and tell him |
that when | steal for a living, | will
steal for myself 1t was soon after |
this that | was notified | would have
twenty -four hours to take up Rookie |
feller loans. Just then | didn't have |
money enough to get home with.
Merritt grew more excited as he |
told his story, and now. facing George |
w. Murray, Rockefellers attorney, |
said: Il couldn't see how in hell /
could have gone to New York with /
millions. and i'm those few months |
lost them all. and was standing there
contemplating the wreck"
Representative Danforth. republican.
of New York, at the conclusion of
Merritt's testimony, moved that all
statements of Merritt be stricken from /
the records. on the ground that they |
were irrelevant to the inquiry. The
committee, 3 to >. voted this down. !
Stanley, Beall and McGillicuddy. dem
ocrats, voted no; Danforth and Gar
diner. republicans, yes.
The committee then adjourned, and ]
will not meet again until after con- .
gress has convened. (