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Show OIL COMPANY DOING BUSINESS u ST LOUIS, March 1. Charges that tho Wators-Plerco Oil company has bv a subterfuges continued to do business lii Texas- after having been ouoted from that Btaio and that the company is jbbing- raado to pay the expenses of H.'Clav Pierce's present fight to re-w re-w tain cpntrol of it, wero made today by Charles M. Adams, former sodiotar and troasurcr of the company, in his testimony before Special Commissioner Commission-er McDonald Adams Is one of the throe men supported sup-ported .by the Rockefoller Interests, which own 55 por cent of tbo Plerco company, Bulng to compel their installation in-stallation as directors following the election of Fpbruary 15, at which vote3 cast for them wore disregarded Lawyers for tho three plaintiffs sought to show that the Pierce con-corn con-corn which charges tho Standard with seeking to evado a court order, has resorted to similar practices in Tox- as. Therefore ihoy contend, tho Pierce faction doeB not corno into court with cloari' hantlsT J In reply to, tho questions pf this own lawyers, Adams related tho mah-ner mah-ner in which ho sa.d the company continued to do business In Texas since the ouster under the name of the Plorce-Fordlcc association. Ho told of the payment of $320,000 in 1911 to a firm of lawyers as foes and paid that February 14 last $10,000 more was paid the firm from the company's com-pany's funds as a retainer for the sorvlcos it is now giving in lighting the Biiit Ho said Clay Arthur Pierce, son of H Clay Pierce, got $25,000 a yoar as president of tho company and that A M. Finley, the. older Plerco p brothor-In-law, got $12,000 as vice president. The witness testified that before Henry Clay Pierce paid the $070,000 for the Texas property he roquired an Indemnity bond and collateral in the shape of $300,000 in 30 gold notes, issued is-sued to the Waters-Pierce company Six of these have been roturned. The others aro still hold by Pierce, ho said. |