Leonidas Merritt

Title: Pamphlet written about the Rockefeller Case
Type: Document
Date: 1897
Source: Minnesota Historical Society

Description: A minister named Gates who worked for Rockefeller during the court case wrote this pamphlet against the Merritts.

Transcription:

Appendix "A"

COPY OF
WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM

Dated New York, Dec. 31, 1896.

TO JOSEPH B. COTTON,
Lyceum Building, Duluth, Minnesota.

Telegram received. Under no circumstances can we compromise an accusation of fraud. Accept any admission that they were guilty of fraud. Essential pre-requisite Requirement. to any conference that Washburn Attorney for the Merritts. state settlement if made shall include, first, complete withdrawal of all charges of fraud and misrepresentation; Falsehood. secondly, a written statement, in form to be agreed upon, with permission to publish, that shall intelligently explain, consistently with the evidence given by defendant's witnesses, erroneous statements of plaintiff's witnesses, False statements of Merritts' witnesses. and intelligently explain how plaintiff's witnesses came to testify erroneously. With these things definitely understood, and provided further that Washburn has full formal power to make complete and final settlement of all possible controvseries between parties named in your telegram, and to give full releases, am willing to meet Washburn in New York within next ten days for conference without prejudice.
Meeting with open minds.

Appendix "B."

Certain matters of difference have existed between the undersigned and Mr. John D. Rockefeller, and a certain litigation has been pending Their lawsuit has not yet been decided by the court. between the undersigned Alred Merritt and Mr. Rockefeller, in which litigation it was cliamed that certain misrepresentations were made Lies were told. by Mr. Rockefeller and those acting for him concerning certain properties sold by him to Lake Superior Consolidated Iron Mines. Merritt's company. It is hereby declared that from recent independent investigations made by us or under our direction we have become satisfied that no misrepresentation was made or fraud committed by Mr. Rockefeller or by his agents or attorneys for him, upon the sale by him of any property to us or any of us, or to Lake Superior Consolidated Iron Mines, or upon the purchase from him from one or more of us of any stocks or interests in any mining or railway company or companies, or upon the pledge by us or either of us to him of stocks and securities belonging to one or more of us; and we hereby withdraw all such charges and claims and exonerate Find innocent. Mr. Rockefeller and his agents and attorneys therefrom.

Duluth, Minn., January 22nd, 1897.