```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Sunday May 30, 1915
From the Appeal to Reason: Round by Round Pummeling of Rockefeller by Walsh
Frank Walsh Knocks Out Young Rockefeller
in Three Days' Battle
-----
Plutocratic Prince Gets Severe Pummeling from Chairman of Uncle Sam's Commission on Industrial Relations---Youthful Magnate Tries to Dodge Walsh's Powerful Blows But Fails---Public Opinion Decide Walsh is Victor Over Arch-Hypocrite---Appeal Reports Mighty Struggle by Rounds---Special Correspondent at Ringside, Washington
-----
Scene of Fight-Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D. C.
Time-May 20, 21, and 22.
Occasion-Hearing of Federal Commission of Industrial Relations.
Opponents-Chairman Frank P. Walsh, people's representative,
and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., prince of plutocrats
Prize-Good will of the American people.
Round One
[Walsh shows that he is the general of the ring. Rockefeller's effort to force the fighting a complete failure. In this round Walsh demonstrates that he is master of the situation.]
Walsh sharply rapped Rockefeller at the hearing when Rockefeller protested against the form of a question. "I happen to be conducting this examination myself," Walsh said, "and any strictures you may pass upon my method may, in your opinion, be good taste, but they cannot affect me. So far as directing me as to how I shall conduct this examination, I must say that is entirely my own affair."
"My only desire," said Rockefeller, "is to have the examination entirely fair."
"I am to be the judge of the fairness of my examination of you," returned Walsh, "and I must insist that you confine yourself to answering questions and making any such explanations as you may desire."
Round Two
[This was Walsh's round. Rockefeller made no effort to defend himself. His tactics in this round consisted of a poor memory and poor dodging.]
Walsh read a letter by Rockefeller to Bowers, dated December 26, 1913, at a time when foreigners and negroes were being sent into the Colorado coal fields to take the places of strikers.
"You say you tell your father of the progress of industries in which he has invested? Did you tell him that when your men were out in the canyons that Christmas your officials were shipping in these foreigners and negroes to take their places and force them to starvation?"
Rockefeller said he could not remember as far back as that, but that he probably had seen his father at that time.
"What did he say about this situation, or did he just laugh at it?" fiercely demanded Walsh.
"It is difficult for me to recollect," said Rockefeller.
Round Three
[Rockefeller angers Walsh with his evasive tactics. The latter tries hard to corner the young plutocrat, but fails because of squirming methods.]
Walsh seemed angered at the indifference of Rockefeller to the testimony before the commission.
"Haven't you heard any of these witnesses telling about conditions out there?" he exclaimed. "Is it a part of your plan not to learn or to even hear of these conditions?"
"I shall read the testimony," quietly replied Rockefeller.
Round Four
[Rockefeller loses power of speech when Walsh pictures his deportation to Girard, Kan. Rockefeller perspires profusely at this terrible suggestion.]
If a burglar attacked him Rockefeller said he would use force only to defend his life.
"Suppose the burglar's mask fell off and you found he was the sheriff," suggested Walsh.
"An officer of the law should not be opposed," said Rockefeller.
Walsh then painted a picture of an invasion, at night, of Rockefeller's home at Seal Harbor, by four men, one of whom Rockefeller knew to be a sheriff who had no regard for the law, while the other three were foreigners, ignorant of English. He asked the witness to assume that he was aware the sheriff's purpose was to deport him to Girard, Kas., in a box car, and inquired:
"Knowing the sheriff's character, would you submit?"
"If a man's life seemed about to be taken-" began Rockefeller.
"No," interrupted Walsh. "There's no intention to take your life-just to deport you unlawfully."
"I've stated the only circumstances under which I think an officer of the law should be opposed and I'm not prepared to go beyond that," said the witness.
"Isn't it a fact that you'd rouse the neighborhood and resist the Anarchist sheriff?" urged Walsh.
"I've nothing further to say," replied Rockefeller.
Round Five
[Walsh came near scoring a knockout in this round. He was hindered by John D.'s apparent inability to distinguish between representatives of justice and representatives of Colorado Fuel & Iron.]
Walsh-Would you go to Denver and take action against your officials and employes, paid by you down to and through the trial of Lawson, if you knew that their testimony was being used to secure conviction and, in effect, being paid for by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company?
Rockefeller-I would not stand back of any authority that was not perfectly fair.
Q. Then you would go there?
A. I am not prepared to say what steps I would take.
Q. Suppose you learned that a man who had the exclusive privilege of selling to the company stores was taken to Trinidad and made a member of the jury that tried Lawson? What would you do?
A. I have no knowledge of the facts you state.
Round Six
[After chasing Rockefeller around the ring. Walsh forces the evasive magnate to seek shelter behind his second, Mr. Welborn.]
In a statement read to the commissioner, Rockefeller had denied that officials of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company had anything to do with the prosecution of Lawson and called attention to a statement issued by Welborn, saying some of the company's employes might be called as witnesses.
"Were these employes," asked Walsh, "men who came through a detective agency who pretended to be strikers, and did they afterward, for pay that your company gave them, testify to that portion of the evidence which convicted Lawson of the crime of murder?"
"I would have to refer you Wellborn," said Rockefeller.
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````