Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-05-29
EVADED MANY QUESTION!
BECAME INDIGNANT WHEN COUN
sEL SUGGESTED THINGS HE
DID NOT LIKE.
He Was Given A CRILLINl
Tried 10 Make Him Tell OF the Piai
of Dissolution Adopted by the
standard on Company.

NEW YORK, May 2s.-John ID
! Rockefeller, retired head OF the dis
| solved standard on company was
! placed on the witness stand here to-
| day 10 tell whether he believed theI
company had been really dissolved
under the decree Of the L. S. supreme
court
The aged millionaire could not bo|
induced at all times TO give direct AMI
sWers to questions but made indig-
nant denial Of all suggestion that|
there had been any effort 10 eyade tho|
decree Of the court.
Mr Rockefeller appeared as Il wlt-|
ness In the action brought nomlnaly|
| by Missouri to compel inspectors oil
the election Of stockholders OF the|
| WAters-Pierce OH company Mt ST.
| Louis last February TO vote proxies ofI
| the Rockefeller and other Standard
| OH Interests which had named Stan-|
dard on men NJ officers Of the com-|
pany. The inspectors refused on the|
ground, that TO do 80, would VIOLATED
the dissolution decrees Of tho supremo|
court Of the United States and the|
! United States and OF the decision of
| the Missouri supreme court oustlng|
the Standard OH company Of Indiana
from the former state. The Waters
/ Pierce interests alleged in fighting to
prevent the Standard on representa-
/ tives from gaining control OF the COM
pany, that the manner In which tae
Standard on interests had observed
the decree Of the United States court,
was "farclal."
Pounded His Fist.
THE richest man In the world"
was subjected 10 a grllling by Samuel
/ untermyer. counsel for the Waters
Pierce interests, that caused the Wit
ness 10 pound his fists on the table to
emphasize his indignant denials OF
| pointed questions as 10 whether tho
decree of the court had been in fact
carried out.
Did you ever have discussion
with John d. ArcfAold as to how tho
subsidiaries should be cut loose and
still hold Tight" queried the Waters
| Pierce attorney.
There was never any thought OF
cutting loose and holding tight" Mr.
Rockefeller almost shouted. Il hap
pen to know about that"
Mr., Rockefeller had previously said
that he never had read the u. $. SUI
preme court decree, although he knew
about 1t in a general way"
ENaded Direct Answers.
Mr.. Untermyer had the utmost diff
ficulty throughout the examination to
get him to answer questions by yes"
or mo- Mr.. Rockefeller persisted in
giving his own answers in his own
way nor could he be induced to
change his tactics even after commits
sioner Walter 5. Jacobs had instruct
ed him TO give direct answer. Find
ing the efforts hopeless, the examin-
ing attorney remarked that IL the
witness were asked il the sun was
shining outside, Mr. Rockefeller
would not give "A direct answer. He
would say instead that the moon was
about to rise
Both Mr.. Untermyer and Commits
slOner Jacobs found frequent occasion
10 object to "promptings' Of Geo. w.
Murray, Mr. ROckeiellers personal
counsel, Mr. Cntermyer declaring that
he was influencing the witness an
sWers. Mr. Untermyer drove hard at
Mr.. Rockefeller to get him to explain
the plan adopted for dissolution If the
Standard oil company and how it was
that the old company name the di-
rectors and officers of the segregated
constituents companies
The fact that the STANDARD OH
king was to testify, attracted a large
crowd to the building at 81 Wall
street, where the hearing is being
held IN the offices Of Samuel Inter
myer attorney for the Waters-Pierce
interests. So dense was the crowd
that Mr. Rockefeller and his attend
ants were obliged to force their way
into the building
Where do you live, Mr.. Rockefel-
ler?' was the first question OF Mr..
Untemeyer.
"Pocantico Hills is my present res
idence."
do you remember executing
proxy for Waters-Pierce OIL COM
pany2'
Il do"
'Who presented YOU the proxy?"
MY secretary"
Did he tell you what he wanted
the proxies for"
He did not"
did you ask?"
Il did not
controversy at that time over tho
stock?'
Not at that time"
Mr.. Rockefeller explained that he
signed proxies almost every day as
sent from his office.
You know there is frequently a
contest over prOXies?'
"Yes."
How do you determine for which
party YOU should sign?
IL have never found proxies sent
from my office that We're not right
for me to sign. There has never been
any difficulty with them. | sign the
proxies as a matter of routine" he
answered.
"Thav haVa "A certain discretIOn in