The New York herald., 1878-12-05
INSURANCE OFFICIALS ON TRIAL.

HARTFORD. Conn, Dec. l. 1873.
In the Hartford County Superior Court to-day COM
menced the trial Of certain of the exoicers of the
Charter Oak Life Insurance Company Of this city.
Henry j. Furber. of New York, ex-fnancal manager;
S. Il. wiggin. Of Boston, and James c. Walkley. of
Higganum. Conn.,. ex-president. and Samuel H.
White, now Of New York. ex-vice president. The
general charge that of conspiracy to cheat and de-
fraud the policy holders Of the institution There
a large attendance to-day. mainly of insurance men.
The indicted parties asked to plead early in the
proceedings. and they each entered plea Of not
guilty. The States counsel were State Attorney
Hamersley, Lafayette s. Foster. OF Norwich and John
Buck q this % city and , tor the defence appeared
Charles Il. Perkins. Lewis +. Stanton and Mvan P.
Hyde, of this city; Daniel T. Chadwick Of Lyme,
Conn, and Judge Leonard SWEET, Of Chicago. the
latter appearing in the particular interests of Mr..
Furber. An hour or more was consumed in impan-
cling jury both the State and the defence exhaust
ing their right of challenging before the number was
complete. The Court then took recess until after
noon.
At the reopening Of the court after the clerk
read to tho jury the indictment. The first count
charges the defendants with conspiracy to defraud
the policy holders Of the company; with having
transferred themselves majority of the capital
stock, thereby obtaining control OF the institution:
with paying large to Charlton s. Lewis to brbe
him to improperly influence Mr.. Stednan the
Connecticut Insurance Commissioner. to give
his official sanction to the insolsent com
pany: with creating new Offices with large
perauistes and with squandering funds
The next two counts were erased and the fourth
charged that the defendants conspred to deceive the
insurance companies by false showing of assets as
$l30Oo.o0o instead of the true amount. s9.oo0Voo.
The fifth and last charged conspiracy to obtain con-
troll of the stock and office property &c. with intent
10 manage the business to enrich themselves to the
detriment of the policy holders. Each count also
charges that the things alleged high crimes and
msde meanors and sets forth the details of the sew
eral things alleged to have been done.
STATEMENTS OF COUNSEL.
After the reading OF the Indictment which occupied
an hour, Mr. Perkins, for the defence made detailed
statement Of the proceedings last September before
Judge Beardslcy. when the demurrer to the original
information was argued. In concluding his remarks
Mr. Perkins moved that the Court allow an argument
70 determine which OF the charged in the in
dictment sufficient to sustain the allegations The
Court refused to grant the motion, which should
have been made, he remarked, at earlier period in
the case.
state Attorney Hamcrsley addressed the jury set
ting forth the matters that the prosecution would
proye--that the accused used their trust relations
with the company for purposes of cheating and to
enrich themselves; that in 1876 Mr.. Furber bonght
majority OF the stock at sl15 per SHARE and dstr-
buted to other parties in pursuance of arranged
PLAN that Illegal contracts were entered into by the
accused in behalf OF the company and that the assets
were largely msrepresentcd to the state Insurance
Department.
EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES.
The testimony opened with the calling Of T.. A.
Commissioner, who was requested to produce the
returns made by the Charter Oak in December,
1874 This was objected to by the defence
on the ground that this not referred
to in the Indictment. and that IL signed
by ONLY one OF the accused exPrcsident Walkley.
who had signed none of the subsequent reports. The
Court reserved its decision, and adjournment
taken until to morrow.