Pope v. State

HIGGINS, Justice.

The state of Texas and the Railroad Commission brought this suit against the Keystone Refining Company, alleged to be a partnership composed of S. B. Pope and Alonso Nix, to recover statutory penalties for alleged violations of orders of the commission made to prevent “waste” under the oil and gas conservation acts and applying to the East Texas oil field.

The case was tried without a jury and judgment rendered against Pope for penalties in the aggregate sum of $6,500. The court found that plaintiffs had failed to establish a partnership between Pope and Nix and that Nix had…