Omaha daily bee., 1911-11-23
OFFER CAME THROUGH PASTOR
He Refused and Loan on His Own
Stock Was Called.
WAS LEFT WITHOUT A DOLLAR
Witness Says He Did Not Have
Enough Money to Get Home.
HAS TALK WITH ROCKEFELLER
MRvnRtc Told Hin, that ns lie Never
SpcculRted, IIc would Take
BondS of Consolidated Conn
Pauy Instead of stock.


WASHINGTON, Nov. gs.-Witn a bit-
terness that lent cmphasis<to his utter
anoes aud at times f,irly beside himself
with pontup rage. Leonidas Merritt told
the Stanley steel truq committee today a
personal narrative OF his dealings With
John u. Rockefeller and how the latter
had forced him out OF the iron ore busl-
ness In Minnesota.
Mr. Merritt declared that II was after
ho had turned down a proposition from
Mr. Rockefeller which he characterized
as stealing" that Rockefeller called on
him 20 pny a Si,Oo0O00 loan ana brought
about his downfall. The proposition. Mr..
Merritt said. came through Rev. DR..
Gates, Mr.. Rockefeller's almoner.
Il listened in amazement to It," said
Merritt 1T meant that several men
would be thrown out of the company and
their stock taken. l turned 10 Gates and
said; Mr.. Gates, you came from John
ID. Rockefeller. Go back TO John u.
Rockefeller and tell him that when
steal for living Will steal Tor myself -
At one time during the remarkable re-
cital OF his dealings with Mr.. Rockefeilcr,
an encounter between, the witness and
George w. Murray counsel for the stand
ard Oh magnate, was narrowly averted
Says Preacher LIED.
Mr. Merritt said that Gates told him
Rockefeller was hard up" lie believed
1t at the time but today he said Mr..
Gates had iled."
During a controversy between Attorney
Murray and the witness Chairman stan
ley said:
Mr.. Rockefeller ought to be sum-
moned here, and viii he summoned"
The committee, however. up to the
luncheon recess, had taken no formal
action.
Representative Danforth. republican. OF
New York. at the conclusion OF Merritts
testimony moved that all the testimony Of
the Merritt brothers be stricken from the
record on the ground that It was
irrelevant
The motion was lost, Representatives
Stanley, Beail and McGnlcuddy, demos
Gratis, voting S'no'' and Representatives
Danforth and Gardner, republicans, yot.
ihg aye"
Mr.. Littleton, the only other member OF
tho committee in Washington. was not
present.
stbry OF Other Merritt.
Leonidas Merritt, brother OF Alfred
Merritt who yesterday told the story OF
tho family loss OF valuable ore and rail-
road property to John d. Rockefeller
reiterated today many OF his brothers
statements. In detail he described how
his father, back In the SOS, had predicted
great future for the Mesaba regions
and how no and his brother sank the
ffrqf oFa nit On
he said, there was rish TO the territory
Soon afterward, Merritt said, experts
went over the range and condemned the
ore as useless. That prevented the
Merr1tts borrowing money. But they
worked away on their own resources and
began negotiations with capitalists 20
build railroad, which led up to tho
subsequent dealing with Mr.. Rockefeller.
These transactions described by my
brother yesterday" Merritt said caused
the downfall OF our family"
He further testified that among the men
he tried to interest In the ore properties
and railroad projects without success
were II. c. Frlck and Andrew Carnegie.
'Frick, who was them In the Carnegis
company, invited me to see him." said
Merritt HE bulldozed me, cut me off
short and ridiculed my project"
After the completion OF the road in
1882 some Of the officers Of the company
tried 10 sell out 81 per cent of the stock
In the mines and railroad to the Mime
sofa Iron company. a rival concern. That
deal was blocked.
Interview with ROckefelIer.
At that time Senator Clipp. who was
a stockholder with the Merritts and their
attorney, urged them TO sell, but they
did not, II was at this time that they
first had Mr.. Rockefeller suggested 10
them as the man who might DE interested
Ia the project.
Merritt related how In 1898 he went to
New York with Rev. s. d. Gates, Mr.,
Rockefellers almoner. Gates was his
constant companion and urged HIN to
!