Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-30
PIERCE BITTERLY
ARRA|GNS JOHN D.
Says Head of Industry Knows
That Oil Conspiracy
Continues.

ST. LOUIS, May 30.-Henry Clay Pierce.
through his chief counsel, severely ar
raigns John d. Rockefeller in a state
ment issued last night. Mr.. Pierce has
proved a doughty opponent of the Oh
Trust. He is now vigorously fighting to
free his company, the Waters-Pieree
from control of 26 Broadway.
That the Oil Trust has a good deal to
hide is indicated by Mr.. Rockefeller
evasion of Samuel U~ntermyer's questions,
it is pointed out.
H.. s. Priest, chief counsel for the
Waters-P Pierce Company, made the fol
lowing statement:
The testimony Of Mr.. Rockefeller, as
reported in the newspaper dispatches, is
certainly not calculated to convince the
ordinary American citizen of Mr.. Rookie
feller's ignorance of the perpetuation of
the Standard Oil Trust in violation Of the
decree of the Supreme Court Of the
United States. / have not had an oppor-
tunity as yet, of course, to read the YER
batim testimony, but as the reports In
the various papers agree concerning the
essential features of the examination |
assume that they are correct.
Says There's an UNDERSTANDING.
The attempts at evasion employed by
Mr.. Rockefeller when he was on
fronted with direct questions concern
ing his knowledge of the methods en-
ployed by the Standard Oil Trust to
continue its monopoly, In spite OF the
Supreme Court decree, are probably as
effective in revealing to the general
public the maintenance of the trust as
any of the admissions which were so
unwillingly dragged from him. This,
too, In spite of the fact that the whole
tenor of his testimony was to show that
a thorough understanding exists among
the big men of the Standard Oil In their
direction of the companies which the
Supreme Court ordered to be entirely
divorced from the trust.
"The collision among the moving
spirits of the Standard Oil Company in
their efforts to evade the mandates of
both the Federal Courts and the SUI
preme Court of Missouri and absorb the
Waters-Plerc Oil Company into the still
existing combination can be readily seen
by the most casual observer in the at
tacks that are being made by the
Standard Oil against the Waters-Pierce
Company In the courts at the present
time. Coincidence could hardly explain
the concerted movement.
Would Prove Conspiracy.
"The present hearing in New York. of
course, is a continuation of the recent
ones in st. Louis brought about by the
Vxr.t.,-9 DIaraa rnpanan1 IN nrot,a tn tta
Circuit Court the existence of a Stand
ard OIL conspiracy in restraint of trade.
AS you remember, the votes presented
by Standard OIL agents and employees
at the February meeting of the Waters
Pierce stockholders for the purpose of
electing a Standard Oil directorate were
excluded in direct obedience to the Mis-
souri, Supreme Courts decree ordering
the Waters-Pierce Company, under PEN
atty of forfeiture of its charter, to re-
frain from any connection, direct or in
direct, with the Standard Oil Company.
"The Standards agents Secured a writ
of mandamus to compel the votes to be
counted and the Waters Pierce Company
is now making good its promise to the
court to show that the Standard is still
keeping up lne ola conspiracy III re-
straint of trade and is controlling the
business of the companies formerly open
ly acknowledged as subsidiaries, with
the exception of the Waters-Pierc Com
pany.
'"rhe recent action brought against the
Waters-Pierce Company In the Federal
court here by H. NJ. 1ilford, one of
the Standards trusted agents, to pre-
vent the Waters-Pierce from buying Its
own refneries and getting its oil from
other sources than the Standard com
panies is but another phase of the cam
paign of Mr.. Rockefeller, Mr.. Archbold
and their associates to draw the Waters
Pierce Company into their combination.
There is doubt In my min that the
close of the present litigation forced on
the Waters-P Pierce by the Standard will
result in a complete revelation of the ex-
istence of the old trust and an utter
defiance Of the decree of dissolution
handed dow by the United States Su-
prene Court"