Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-12-01
Gil MAGNATE TELLS
Of ORE LAND DEAL
ROCKEFELLER, IN STATEMENT,
REPLIES TO CHARGES MADE
BY MERRITT BROTHERS.
DENIES FRAUD ACCUSATIONS
Submits Text Of Paper, Signed by "All
Members Of Family" Declaring
Themselves Satisfied Transac-
tlon Was Straight.

New York City.-John ID. Rookie
Teller in a statement given out here
replied to the charges made by the
Merritt brothers before the Stanley
steel investigating committee regard
Ing the methods used by Mr.. Rookie
feller in securing control of the Mes
aba ore mines and the Duluth, Mesaba
& Northern railroad in which they de-
clared they had been squeezed" for
S6,000,000. Mr. Rockefeller submits
the text of a paper dated January %,
1897, to which are attached the names
of Alfred and Leonidas Merritt and
"all the members of the family" de-
claring themselves satisfied that
neither Mr.. Rockefeller nor his agents
committed fraud nor made -misrepre-
sentations in the matter in question.
The Rockefeller statement which was
issued from 26 Broadway is as fol-
lows:
Refers to Testimony.
referring to the testimony OF the Mer-
ritt brothers before the Stanley committee
in which they charged fraud and misrep-
resentation by Mr.. Rockefeller and Mr..
Gates in connection with the Lake SUI
they were deprived of their interest in
that company by means of loan made
them by Mr.. Rockefeller of $42O, 900 which
he called during the panic of 1898, all of
which statements were denied under oath
in the United States court at the trial
of litigation in 1895, 1t would be absurd to
try in the newspapers at this late date
the issues in that ca Sc: hut it is significant
that upon the settlement which was made
at the close of that litigation both Alfred
and Leondas Merritt, the two who testi-
fed before the Stanley committee, to-
gether with all the other members of the
family, gave Mr.. Rockefeller the follow
ing paper:
Claims Exoneration.
"'Certain matters of difference have eX-
listed between the undersigned and Mr..
John d. Rockefeller and certain litiga-
tion has been pending between the under
signed, Alfred Merritt and Mr.. Rookie
feller, in which litigation it was claimed
that certain misrepresentation We're made
by Mr.. Rockefeller and those acting fol
him concerning certain properties sold by
him to the Lake Superior Consolidated
Iron mines.
" 1T is hereby declared that from recent
Independent investigations made by us OF
under our direction we have become salts
fled that no misrepresentation was made
or fraud committed by Mr.. Rockefeller
or by his agents or attorneys for him
upon the sale by him of any property to
us or any of us, or to Lake Superior Con-
solidated Iron mines or upon the pur-
chase by him from one more of us OF
any stocks or interests in any mining
company or companies or upon the pledge
by us or either of us to him of stocks be-
longing to one or more of us; and we here
by withdraw all such charges and claims
and eXonerate Mr.. Rockefeller and his
agents and attorneys therefrom.'
" Duluth, MINI, Jan. %, 1S97.-In the
presence of Merrill NJ. Clark, Joseph b
Cotton.
(Signed)
Alfred Merritt, Jane A. Mer.
ritt Leonidas Merritt, Elizabeth
e. Merritt, Andrus r. Merritt
Elizabeth D. Merritt, Lilliar
Merritt, May 1. Merritt, John E
Merritt, Eta NJ. Merritt, Wilbul
j. Merritt, Ida Merritt, Andru'
r. Merritt, as surviving partner
of the late firm of C. C. and A
r. Merritt: Eliza NJ. Merritt
Hanson e. Smith, as administra
tor estate of CasSius g Merritt