The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-05-20
ROCKEFELLER ON
WITNESS STAND
Appeared for Second Time and Tells
R How Innocent He Has
Been. - .

How Innocent He Has s.,
Been.
Hunted Press Leased Wire Servicel
| WASHINGTON, May 20.-John D.
Rockefeller Jr., appearing for the sec
ond time as witness before the fed
eral commission on industrial rela-
tons, today entered a categorical de-
NAL of statements regarding his con-
nections with the Colorado coal strike
made by Chairman Walsh of the COM
mission. Rockefeller submitted a
prepared statement when he was
called to the witness stand He re-
affirmed his testimony before the
commission at New York, when hi. de-
MED he directed the fight of tho coal
barons.
"All policies, as well as matters of
detail. were decided upon and carried
out by the executive offices at Den
! yer without asking our advice,' said
| the oil kings son.
Rockefeller denied that correspond
ence submitted the commission
showed he was directing the fight
against the strikers, as Chairman
| Walsh asserted. He repudiated the
allegation that he knew on admis-
sion of his own agents, that the Colo
| RADIO Coal and Iron company con-
trolled prices and fixed the working
conditions at the Mines"
He denied further that he exercised
a personal influence that extended
even, to the state house at Denver,
and presumed to dictate letters that
went out to the president of the Unit
ed States and to governors Of states
over the signature Of the governor of
Colorado
This was another of the charges
made by Walsh after reading Rookie
fcller correspondence submitted to
the commission. Rockefeller turned
from the Walsh charges to answer
newspaper statements connecting the
Rockefeller interests with the prose
cution of John r. Lawson, executive
board member Of the United Mine
Workers, who recently was convicted
of murder in the Colorado courts in
connection with one of the Colorado
riots.
81 desire, to state unequivocally
that neither I nor any of my assoc
ciates has had any connection what
soever with this case,'' said young
Rockefeller, II feel and have SO ex-
pressed myself very explicitly that
when private interests, either individ-
ual or corporate, participate in Grim
inal prosecutions, the proceedings
tend to lose that impartial quality
which should characterize the admin
GERS and directors Of the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company, agree with
me.
''As soon as learned this trial was
coming on I made careful inquiry to
assure myself that the Colorado Fuel
& Iron Co., -yas, not participating in
any way in the prosecution and was
assured by Mr. Welborn that this was
the fact -
Rockefeller offered a lengthy ex-
PLANTATION Of the charge that he had
attempted to dictate the text of a
letter to be sent by Governor Ammons
of Colorado to President Wilson and
the governors of other states, on the
strike situation. The correspondence
on that point. mentioned by Chairman
Walsh, developed through a visit
paid to New York by Maj. e. J. Bough-
ton, adjutant general of Colorado, he
told the commission
Major Boushton never met Rookie
Teller, the latter related, but he did
meet Ivy J. Lee, publicity representa-
tive of the Rockefeller interests.
Boughton told Lee, Rockefeller ex-
planned, that Governor Ammons was
anxious to remove certain misunder-
standings spread over the country
| about the strike. Lee suggested that
the governor write a letter to Presf-
dent Wilson and another to the gov
ernors of the states. Boughton made a
memorandum of his own views on the
situation with the understanding that
Lee put them in form to be submitted
later to the governor. Rockefeller
said that he (Rockefeller) sent to
Lee rough statement concerning
the Colorado situation he had previ-
lousy drawn up. with the suggestion
that Lee might find it useful in prepar
ing the draft for Major Boughton.
Rockefeller said that he personally
had never seen copy of the draft
sent to Major Boughton. Boughton, he
said, had since assured Lee that he
went no further with the suggestion
and that Governor Ammons neve:
knew it had been made.
Rockefeller denied the correspond.
ence he submitted to the commission
disclosed that he withheld informa-
ton from the department of labor.
The department asked for no infor-
nation. he said He also denied that
correspondence showed he had con-
sidered publishing string of news
papers or that his letters had shown
him Indifferent to conditions of suf-
fering in Colorado because OF the
strike.
Rockefeller gave to the commission
brief summary OF all the sugges-
lions he said he made to the Colorado
Fuel and Iron officials during the
strike. These included suggestions
for mediation and for arriving at
some plan OF settlement.