The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-11-24

ISSUES A STATEMENT
Tells OF Loan Of $42o, 900 to the Mer.
rtt Brothers Who Now Claim
to Have Been
SwIndicd.

ter of the evidence of the Merritt
brothers before the Stanley COMMITTEES
in Washington reflecting upon John
D. Rockefeller IN connection with some
ore and railroad properties on the
Mesaba range, Mr.. Rockefeller author
lied statement In which 1t is pointed
out that these charges were denied
under oath as long ago as 1895, In
litigation over the Lake Superior Con
solidated Iron mines.
He furthermore submits the text OF
a paper bearing the date of January
%, 1897, to which are attached the
names of Alfred and Leonidas Merritt
and "all the other members of the
family" declaring themselves salts
fed that neither Mr.. Rockefeller nor
! his agents committed fraud or made
Misrepresentation In the matter IN
question. Mr.. Rockefeller then sets
forth what he says are the facts with
regard to the loans to which the
! Merritts testified, and denied that the
loans in question were ever "cali ed"
by him.
RockefeIler's Statement.
The statement, which was issued
last night from &c Broadway, is as
follows:
i Referring to the testimony of the
Merritt brothers before the Stanley
committee, in which they charged
fraud and misrepresentation by Mr.
, Rockefeller and Mr.. Gates, In ccnnec
] ton with the Lake Superior Consoli'
, dated Iron mines and that they were
deprived of their interests in thai
J company by means of loan made
! them by Mr.. Rockefeller of S420,Oo0
, which he called during the panic o
, 1898, all of which statements We're dc
J MED under oath in the United State
:. court at the trial of the litigation
t 1895, it would be absurd to try in tn
newspapers at this late date the Illus
, ions in that case; but it is significan
E that upon the settlement, which wa
r made at the close of that litigation
e both Alfred and Leonidas Merritt, tn
8 two who testified before the Stanle
s committee, together with all the othe
e members of the family, gave M
e Rockefeller the following paper:
e Certain matters of difference hav
r. existed between the undersigned an
G. Mr. John d. Rockefeller, and coul
e litigation has been pending betwee
1t the undersigned Aired Merritt an
Mr.. Rockefeller, in which litigation
so was claimed that certain misrepr
c sentations were made by Mr.. Rock
I'd fel'er and those acting for MIN col
n cerning certain properties sold by hil
to Lake Superior Consolidated lro
Is mines. It is hereby declared thu
ip from recent independent investigation
w made by us or under our direction, "
he have become satisfied that no misre
resentation was made or fraud cor
mitted by Mr.. Rockefeller or by h
agents or attorneys for him, upon tt
sale of any property to us or any
Ii US. or to Lake Superior Consolidate
Iron mines, or upon the purchase I
he him from one or more of us of al
stocks or interests in any mining
railway company or companies, or u
on the pledge by US Or either CT us
Sc him of stocks and securities belon
tt, ing to one Or more of us: and '
en- hereby withdraw all such charges al
ng claims and exonerate Mr. Rockefe'l
OF and his agents and attorneys thel
IN from.
ne Duluth, MINI, January %, 1897.
In the presence of Merrill Clark,
a. seph B. Cotton.
no (Signed) Aired Merritt, Jane
in Merritt, Leonidas Merritt Flizahe
If Merritt. Andrus ~ Merritt, Elizabe
,or D. Merritt, Lillian Merritt, May |. NJ
ma ritt, Eta NJ Merritt, Wilbur NJ. NJ
rift Ida Merritt, Andrus r, Merr
as surviving partner of the late Fl
of c. c. & A. r. Merritt, Eliza M
ritt; Hanson C. Smith, as r1minist
NJ. tor estate of Cassius G. Merritt {
yn- ceascd): Napoleon 3. Merritt, Ma
ef- da r. Merritt. Fugene 7. Merritt,
1ed ma Merit. Thomas A. Merritt {