New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-23
Could Not Redeem HIS mesaoa
Ore Lands-Stanley Commit
tee Will Invite Rockefeller
and Gates to Testify
Clashes at Hearing.
,rror, The Tribune Bureau J

noon 10 ask the oil man 70 appear oerors
II II MIR. Rockefeller declines TO como
voluntarily, said Chairman Stanley tne
public may form It's own verdict. The
Rev. F. T. Gates, alleged by Merritt to
have engineered the deal whereby tna
Merritt brothers lost millions or secur'-
tics because of a $4,000 call loan from
Rockefeller is also to be requested Z"
appear.
what was the value Of your secun-
tiea nut up 10 cover that Rochetener
Ioan?" Mr.. Merritt was asked.
about S1O.OOO,OOO," he replied.
"Then YOUR negotiations with Rookie
feller lasted only few monthsr
Yes"
"At the end OF that time did you own
the railroad?"
NO"
"D,d YOU own any Of the miningeoocS
or any Of the minesT
"No"
What did you haveY
"I had a chance TO walk from New
York 70 Duluth on the ties. That was
ali had in sight"
Many Clashes at Hearing.
II was a startling as we'll as pa
thetic narrative which was told to-day
by the once unsophisticated Westerner.
There were clashes between the Rookie
Teller counsel and the witness and be-
tween members of the committee. Az
| one time Representative Gardner de-
clared that, no matter how serious the
charges against Rockefeller, II was be-
vond the province Of the committee 10
hear them, because these charges con-
cerned incidents Of the early 9Os and
were only remotely related TO the opera
tions of the Steel Trust, for the investi-
CATION of which the House committees
was authorized.
Representative Danforth moved that
| the testimony Of the Merritt brothers be
stricken from the record. The motion
was overruled on a strict party vote, Mr..
Danforth and Mr. Gardner voting in the
affirmative and Representatives Stanley,
BeaH and McGillicuddy in the negative.
There was a bare quorum OF the investi-
eating committee present.
Leonidas Merritt. of a family which
his brother had described as lumber
| lacks at finance" told the committee
that he would trace his career from tho
time he went 70 Minnesota as a boy un-
I'll "the downfall of his family finan-
cially." He related his explorations OF
the Mesaba range his belief in the value
of the ore properties now said TO bs
worth S7O0,0O0.0OO. and his early efforts
TO interest capital Gradually he led up
| TO the time when he went into Rocke-
| fellers offices in New York and was per-
! suaded 10 agree TO a consolidation Of his
! own companies interests with those oc
! Rockefeller, who furnished money for
J the further extension Of tho Duluth,
Missabe & Northern Railroad and its
| adjacent ore fields.
Rockefeller met me with "A SMILE" no
| testified, and / noticed that he appeared
! 10 be a kindly, brotherly sort OF a fell
/ low He talked about the weather and
! he inquired about my family. He told
me that We the Merritt brothers, vera
! all right, because he had looked us mp
and wanted 10 help us, and he said that
| if we would agree TO the consolidation
! he proposed he would take care of us
! financially. He said he was proud 70 he
my partner ard hacker. Rockefeller
captured me agreed to the plan. and
| then Rockefeller turned me over TO tho
Rev r. r. Gates again 1 had met
/ Rockefeller through Gates"
Now He Thinks Gates Lied.
Gates told him that Rockefeller was
hard up.
by golly" said Merritt Il believed
him then, but now | know that Gates
! lied"
/ The witness then related how he had
mt up securities which he valued at
nearly S1O,OO0,OO0 for S420,O00 loan.
lie was dramatic at times, banging ths
table with his large fist and glaring at
! George Wildwood Murray, Rockefeller's
counsel. who sat near by. and with whom
he had tilt later i'm the hearing.
Merritt said he did not like to talk of
the Rev. Or. Gates. who had first ap-
preached him with the suggestion that
he interest Rockefeller in his financial
enterprises. Leaning across the table
ar in a rather quavering voice he con-
tinued his narrative:
"One day he came TO me in New York
with an amazing proposition. He told
lme bluntly that Rockefeller had ar
ranged to throw me and my brother Al
Z. ID out of the company; that lie had the
stock TO do il. But the Rev. Mr.. Gates
said Rockefeller liked us and would let
us remain in IL we did John D.'s bidding.
If we did this he said, Rockefeller would
crush the other stockholders and protect
My brother said: Mr.. Gates, we
have laws in our country. They would
put a man in Jail for that
Gates told him that Rockefeller with
Ibis hundreds OF millions would stand be,