New-York tribune., 1880-10-07
ONE OF MR.. BARNUMS TOOLS.

THE RECORD OF TIE SkCEErhI;Y OF THE SPURIOUS
HANCOCK REPUBLICAN CLUB-A CAREER srRHwN
WITH THE WRECKS OF ROTTEN COMPANIES.
Those Democrats who ashamed to he known as
SUCH endeavor t. conceal their identity under the
name of The Association OF Conservative Rcpubll-
cans and Independent Voters of the United States"
arc not pleased with the recent exposure i'll THE
TRIBUNE. IL was shown that their claims TO repre-
sent anybody but Democrats and a few persons
who long ago left the Republican party, mnch to
the relief of that party are without foundation.
Colonel" Henry Hercules Hadley who is
officially designated as " Secretary of tins Asso-
citation (which has its National headquarters III II
room in a boarding house in y-fourih-Stl, has
written a letter. which has been published III one or
more Democratic wspapers, declaring that HE
TRIBUNE was unjust 10 the association. lie asserts
that instead of thirty the association has l,3oo
members but lie declines TO furnish any names Tor
publication now, stating that he viii give them as
soon rs the list reaches 2.50O. AS nearly three
months and a halt have passed since the
nomination of General Hancock, and dur
ing that time, according to the SeCre-
tary's own 6guYes only 1900 names have been
secnred and as there is only month left ~
which to secure the remaining leo names, the
secretary evidently does not expect to oner h7 liSt
for publication during this campaign. lhe state
ment that the association numbered only thirty
was obtained from the National Democratic Head
quarters, where probably better record is Kept
than at the branch headquarters in Twenty fourth
ST. The difference between tho two statements Is
sald to be due TO the fact that the nnnDer 80 re-
ferred TO those members who once belonged to the
Republican party, including such men as Boss
Shepherd. John w. Forucy, A. j. Plumb, b. +.
Butler. r. t. Wakeman and A. b. Mullett.
while the l. 800 include Democrats and so-caed
Repnblicans alike. For a National association.
however which claims 10 have branches in nearly
ALL the States of the Union, 800 is not cxraor
dinary membership even if the statement should
be accepted as correct.
Colonel Henry Hercules Hadley, while calling
himself secretary" is really, next to William H.
BarnuIn the head aud front of the association. lie
conducts all the negotiations for membership, Is IN
charge of the headquarters" and answers all
inquiries and correspondence. he IS sad 10 nave
offered his services to Mr.. BInum early IN
the campaien aud after an examination of his past
career which seems to have been LARGELY occupied
in organizing unsound insurance companies. Mr..
Barnum accepted the offer and placed hIn in charge
OF - the bureau Tor the organization OF Conserva-
tive Republican clubs"
Tie latest effort of Mr.. Hadley to bring himself
before the public is made in the form OF letter
addressed to General Garfield, IN which he repre-
sents h,mself to be "a lifelong Republican" etc.
He then proceeds to give, IN the most approved
Democratic fashion, his opinion of General Gar
fields fitness for the Presidency This letter Is being
extensively circulated by the Democratic National
Committee. The value OF Mr.. fIadley's opinion may
be inferred from the following facts about his ca
Ieer:
.'Colonelr Hadley is well known in insurance cir
ces in this city The Insurance Monitor and Ihe IN
slvaao Times devoted many columns. between
~
of the schemes in which he interested. In
fact he became so notorious and the inquiries about
him were so frequent, that one OF the insurance
Journals had circular printed exposing his meth
DDS and tins sent out III answer to inquiries.
His operations were so extensive mat large
edition of the circular was exhausted
Not TO 90 back of his insurance career, it may be
stated that Mr.. Hadley first came to the surface IA
All insurance solicitor in Sandusky, OHIO. lie was
af;erward agent at Cincinnati for the Standard Life
Insurance Company. which collapsed He then
became connected with the Continental LiIe lnsu-
rance Company. which was tainted with frand and
failed. In 1870 he organized the Peabody Life In
surance Company, of which he was for time pres
jdent. The company got from its subscribers about
S75 900 in six months and Mr.. Hadley, when on
the witness stand, could give no satisfactory ac-
count of where the money went. IL IS suincicnt 10
saw however, that the subscribers never got thclr
money back. Mr.. Iddey then became interested
in the Farmers and Mechanics Life Insurance
COMPANY which also proved delusion ana snare.
The New-York State Insurance superintendent,
in speaking Of it in his annual report, characterized
il as "a type of reckless audaclty yoked mp Win
wholesale fraud" In 1874 Mr.. Hadley came to the
surface again AS representing a concern In Newark,
N j. called the Continental Steam Boiler, Fire ana
Marine Insurance Company, of which the New
of
II, of if. and u was such perfectly transparent
froud and was SO quickly and summarlly
tbrottled that 1t made but little NOISE III
the yorldD Mr.. Uadey's brother, another Hancock
Pennbhcan was about the sane time secretary OF
the Union Insurance Company OF Jersey CITY, an
other bogus concern, winch was closed up Dy thc
Secretary of State
Reconinc too well known in New-York insurance
circles Mr. Hadlcy went to Washington, where
he represented company formed Ior Tue
purpose of borrowing money anu loahIuB
il again at higher rates. The plan was 10 seh tue
bonds hearing interest, and then loan thc proceeu'
upon real estate for higher rate' Inc oohuno'"o
eroneously supposed that they were secured by the
lien nnon the real estate The bonds. or " real os-
tate notes ~ they were called. greatly resemoied
,be crcerhack currency, bearing 100" and 3OO
and other denominations on their lacc' nn'a4 & ~
words appeared on their tace over Tue M rd
the president aud tTeasuTci' =. otI,orwisa
bv deed of trust upon property winch s otherMist
poencnmhered and depositeti with the Treasurer OF
the Real Estate Loan and Trust COMPANY oi Wasn tc
ihgton ID. c." 1be concern soon c4preu' anu '"'
holders of the notes suffered. , ,,oo, y in
Mr. Uadley then returned to the wild cae II III
surance schemes, which offered a more P,ov Plon,apo
field The Industrial Insurance any Con,pany'
the Washington Fire Insurance oohPanY'
The Washington Life Insurance COM Comi-
pany, the Capitol Fire Insurance oon,- n-
pauy, aud other like concerns, Wnson nno 1,v a..
happy creditors little no assets were ano,e we
schemes which occupied his attention Hay,np en ra-
hausi ed the field IN Washington, Mr. hauiey ie t
turned to New-York apd turned his attention W
the law The only case he is known TO nave oeoh
cnnnsc,.a VII vas some scheme before O CO nnit-