The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-15

Washington, May 15.-The suit in
stituted in Missouri to secure the dis
solution of the Standard Oil company,
under the Sherman antitrust law. was
decided today in favor of the govern
ment.
Washington, May 15.-At o'clock
Chief Justice White began to deliver
the opinion of the supreme court in the
suit over the dissolution IF the Stand
ard Oil organization.
1t was Chief Justice White Who had
lent his voice to the refusal of the
court to dissolve the so-called sugar
trust when the famous Knight case was
before the court. He also delivered a
dissenting opinion when the Northern
Securities company was dissolved by
the court as being in violation of the
Sherman antitrust law. On the Knight
case, the Standard Oil depended largely
for support; on the majority opinion
in the Northern Securities case the gov
ernment had founded much of its hope.
It was evident that Attorney General
Wickersham, who had directed the gov
ernment battle during its later stages,
was not delighted when the chief JUS
tice began but he maintained some
hope of success.
Chief Justice White first went into
an extensive recital of the facts in the
case and then held that the court had
jurisdiction over the suit, which had
been questioned by the Standard OIL
A Jungle of Testimony.
Chief Justice White said from the
bench that the contentious were as di-
vergent as the ends of the earth. He
spoke of "a jungle" of testimony and
of law. The only point in which the
two sides were in accord was that the
first and second sections of the Sher-
man antitrust law controlled the case.
The chief justice said the court seized
on this point as basis on which to
work out q decision.
Taking up the two sections, the chief
justice began consideration of the law,
promising to come later to it's applica-
ton to the present case. He first took
up the common law which dealt with
the problem as connected with the
Sherman antitrust law
History of the Case.
The suit under the Sherman anti
trust law to dissolve the Standard Oil
organization was instituted in 1906 in
the circuit court of the United States
for the eastern district of Missouri.
The proceedings were begun by the
department of justice in the name of
the United States against ia corpora
tions and seven individuals.
The principal corporation was the
Standard Oil company of New Jersey.
From 1882 to the present time this COM
pany is said to have operated ref1ner-
les itself, but in 1899 it's stock was in
creased to 100000. 900 SO as 20 enable
it to acquire the stock of 10 other oil
companies, which in turn owned a large
number of companies, concerned in the
oil business. The Standard Oil COM
pany of New Jersey was designated as
a holding company
Individual Defendants.
The seven individuals named in the
suit as defendants were John D. Rookie
| feller, William Rockefeller, Henry NJ.
! F1agler, Henry H. Rogers, John ID.
Archbold, Oliver H. Payne, and Charles
M. Pratt. The part these men are SAID
to have played In the alleged violation
| of the Sherman antitrust law has beer
summarized by the government as fol-
| lows:
! About 1870 the Rockefellers and Flag
Ter conceived the purpose of controlling
the petroleum trade, both domestic and
| export, and obtaining a monopoly
| thereof They entered into a con-
spiracy to accomplish this purpose,
which from time to time took the form
of various combinations. Shortly after
| 1870 the Rockefellers and F'lagler were