The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-29
INDIGNANT DENIAL
BY ROCKEFELLER
No Effort by Standard Oil Com
pany to Evade Dissolution
Decree.
GRILLINe BY UNTERMYER
Richest Man in World APP
pears as Witness in
Suit.
GRlLLING BY UNTERMYER

New York. May 2s.-John d. Rookie
fclicr. retired head of the dissolved
Standard oil Company. was placed up
on the witness stand here to-day TO
tell whether ne believed the company
had been really dissolved under the
decree of the United States Supreme
Court.
The aged oil millionaire could not
be induced at all times to give direct
answers to questions, but made in
dignant denial OF all suggestions that
there had been any effort to evade Inc
decree OF the court.
Mr.. Rockefeller appeared as a Wit
ness in the action brought nominally
by the State of Missouri 10 compel
the inspectors of the election of the
stockholders of the Watcrs-Pierce Oil
Company. at St. Louis, last February,
to vote the proxies OF the Rockefeller
and other Standard oil interests
which had named Standard OIL men
as officials of the company. The in
spcctors refused on the ground that
TO do SO would violate the dissolution
decree OF the Supreme Court of the
United States. and OF the decision Of
the Missouri supreme Court ousting
In Standard Oil Company. OF Indiana,
from the former State. The Waters
to prevent the Standard Oil repre-
sentatives from gaining control OF. the
company that the manner in which
the Standard Oil interests had OBJ
served the decree of the United States
court was "farcical"
Subjected to Griliing.
The aged oil magnate, the richest
man In the world" was subjected to
a srillinS by Samuel Untermyer
60 Ike NJ
es's, that caused the witness to mound
his fists on the table to emphasize in
diSnant denals of pointed questions
as to whether the decree of the court
had been in fact carried out
Dld YOU ever have a discussion with
John u. Archibald as to how these suh-
salaries should be cut loose and still
neid tight?'" queried the Waters
Pierce attornel
There was never any thought OF
cutting loose and holding tight, Mr..
Rockefeller almost shouted. II han.
pen TO know about that"
Mr.. Rockefeller had previously made
the statement that he had never read
the United States Supreme Court de-
cree. although he knew about il lin
a general way"
Mr., Cntermyer had the utmost din
Guilty throughout the examination 20
- ''i.i ~ answer questions ny yes
or no"
Both Mr.. Untel7nyer and Commits
sioner Jacobs found frequent occasion
to object to the prompting" OF George
W. Murray, Mr.. Rockefeller's personal
counsel. Mr.. Untermyer drove hard
at Mr.. Rockefeller to get him to ex-
plain the plan adopted for dissolution
of the Standard Oil Company, and how
II was that the "old company" named
the directors and officers OF the seq
regated constituent companies.
Emphasizes Denial.
After declaring that he had given
the organization OF the companies no
attention. and that he had turned his
Waters Pierce holdings over TO tho
gentlemen in charge OF the reorgant-
cation because they knew best what
to do" Mr.. Rockefeller. who had
been. talking in gentle. we'll mod a.
lated voice. was asked the question
as TO whether he had discussed plan
to "cut loose and hold tight" 1t was
here that he brought his fist down
on the table to emphasize hts 'ndis-
nant denial.
The matter of these reorgani1ations
is something have given no atton-
ton to at ALL" he added
Then how do you know whether
it is being managed so as to cut loose
and hold tight. II, as you say, you