New-York tribune., 1882-04-23
COMMITTEES FROM ALBANY.
,o,e,vc TUE JURY SYSTEM.

c. coustic remarks on the jury sys'e.h
"a an tho popular hostility to corporations "o -,
=. ouiet way Yesterday by Thomas Dickson' p'.' 80
a,,he Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, WV os,I
,o,ore the Senate special committee "Hio" Tho
.,,nc the causes Of the SPuyten Duy'h ui0" u, ono
s.,n ,ras the first and probably the oii,' In
.,,. o,,v number of sessions have ~e" "o.' ,ho
apanv The investigation yesterday 'ooA -, - be,nc
Metropoitau Hotel. the committeeman - rnomas and
Senators A. Lansing, the Chairman -
j. W. Covert. . ,be opcrating sys-
MI pioAS ', 49, no,aware and Hudson COMPANY
'eh " - -, ,n. nrecautions taken 10 prV''
,.. Cor as the patroliDg OF INC ~ 'i w -,
.,.n ssr,1ce are concerned In "uu''iO" y, ,no do
,n,ob was kept for filing al Aio''' W. roodo
W. =, all the accidents on 'ho io
- General manager. he SAID repo''or
''' ,sorts N the president once month Inc ssh'
.s"er, o. on the Delaware and Hudsnns roads WuS
,onced from time TO time In order 10 embrace new ~
ovements; at only three points WAS tue in'ei
iocrnc system used There we're no crossings vi INC
Ids where the canal company dld not nave INC is"'
NJ way; its engines however were dieclcu u $40"
- arproochns crossings of other tracks. 80 that the
, conld be under conro-thnt Is, be stopped before
.h crossing was reached in case danger signals were
di,aved An ordinary passenger tram on an oiuhaiy
- inc at the usual speed. could be stopped with
;n GOO feet. Mr. Dickson spoke OF an ACCIDENT
90 che NeyYork and Canada Road, where. a few minutes
-. .ho +racx-yyalker had passed the spot, lightning
.cl rocks on the side Of the road ana hurled elsht
M en ons Of it front Of train, wIecking the engine
arS ~ ToSertA railroad accidents may DC classified
nnGSr ncnc or omission Of duty by employees those re-
sn'iing from defective appliances ana tho,e IosuunS
from the intervention of the elements Is III the case you
have inst mentioned.
III ccidlts resrlt from the negligence Of employees.
~ IT, men through long immunity from accident, grow
esrSe ~ tesided that ON lis cOmplny's trains
hose was connected with the engine LOT iie li ot'i @ u
,he man trains BabcOck chemical hre eAtlusuls4@tIs @
were placed since the rpuyten Duy VII uls's'er oe
aIe 70 ea,t ca Wnnd II not add 10 the safety Of
eers II trains should come TO dead stop AZ al ih'ei-
Wr BcSsonG0f course it would You would secure
rerect safety not trains at all But tOpAS az
crossings woald not add pelcepiDy 10 seeuI''! Ho4I
TSc safest method of lighting cars. Mr Dickson
tb1ucht, was TO use candies, but The public objected
60 mat He commended the block ana lne
tne-bl OK s. stems p@s Sr. ,no SIr picson ex
Tlancd at great length his New mat no na!'e 10" t
rooa automatic signal sSd d an e care ana fidelity
~ ,loves Thc greatest precauuon Tor the puo4c Wa.
t M rs.ir Dplanccs Tor safety OF travellers he
Thought II would bc unjust 10 the ~, te TOOK
,bcv were compelled 10 publish the tesilmoD! e9 Iouh
for their own use escie1 might happen from
Se,cct in a rau which could possibly be known 10
the company when the rail was accepted EeI lle CON-
pany might be anxious TO conceal inc 'o' " os40 ~
Sir Lansinc-But the company might oH eXonfra'eu. fr
MI Dickeon-No not when the case went 10 tne 9uIE,
Most furics don't weigh extenuatlnG circumstances III
iayor OF the company. 81. .-,.,, ,,o ,r, svgtor
Mr.. Lansing lhen inc Iauit Hos VIII '0 I''' N''
iT Dc.on-Yes In our State IL is not only unfair 10
thc railroads, il is farce There ought 10 De eohs
son OF experts try the responsibility OF railroads Wheh
TF Lsnsng-would you have some legal knowledge in
'AS SIR Diesson-weu suppose So IA pause But tho
los the better No act Of the railroads could improve
Their position before jury. Ibeheye tual puDhc sen-
mn, /. opposed to dom justice ions No cX-
enuatne circumstances are considered IN suits arising
Tr THomas~You are In proper entitled to non
Mr. Dckson-we never get it.
Mr. Ia.isins-Then the judicial system ia at fanlt
Mr Dckson-Well, don't want to drag politics into
maj nsca,y Ne have had better success accident
the United states Courts ihan III te 9!aIe toufs OUTS
Iiere lot OF petlioggers along the hne o every
railroad make IL business to drum up Gases against
Mr Tansing-That is a necessary evil.
Mr. Dlckson-I don't know that 1t is necessary; DO
T. Thomas, superintendent Of transportation OF the
New-YOrk Lake Eric and western k-]iroad Compahys
@ " Sond nrobably Soon be adopted for lighting the
asseneer cars and that tools be used in
Of me vas being put eacn as fast as possible
The company had abandoned the US oi baDcock IRE ire
extingushefs because they could not be relied on M
Thomas condemned the block system on me Penhs.,
vauia Railroad because IL was not an absolute eocS
to approach OF rear trains III case OF accident o e
The committee adjourned without fixing day TO re-
assemble 1t VIII probably resume lis sessions IL Albany
this week.
AFFAIRS OF INSURANCE COMPANIES
The special committee of the Assembly to
hyestgate insurance Teceiyershps met at the Metro
pohtan Hotel yesterday. MessIs. Erwin Baker ana
Haceerty were present. Richard A. McCnriy, vice
pre,ident of the Mutual Life Insurance Company was
examined in regard TO the transfer of the Widows and
Orphans Company TO the Reserve Mutual which took
place several years ago and in which Mr. NcCuTdy was
Concerned The witness SAID that the traHtGcti0n was
m entirely private one and took place several years
before MI appointed leceiverof the Reserve
Mufu he nc
10 examine into it, lie willing state however that
Fredcrck A. Freeman who then secretary OF the
Mutual Protection (Which was aerwaid changed INTO
the Reserve Muual, made proposition TO hlm 10 pur
chase stock Of the widows and Orphans IN w:lch
company the witness a stakeholder He entered
into an agreement win MI Freeman 10 purchase thS
stock and mace the transfer i3T con- ienlsauoh %
came INTO the arTant enent ana received altogether
Nv work" said MI McCurdy " in negotiating for
Tie sale OF the stock Is tile transaction TO which Mr.
rierson referred wheh he said that received $1,000
for fve minutes work. That statement is alsehOOd
ana slr. Person were here would tell hin 50 u LIS
IHcus McAdam ~ intervening lawyer who has re-
ceiycd large sums "by order Of the Court" was
then examined. He SAID lie admitted
g. tic bar in so lie represented beiween 800 and
400 pOcy-I holders in the Continental Life Insurance
Company. lie was unable to give a detailed statement
Of his connection Win the Continental could
not remember far back 1879. lie had acted as
Consulting acuaIy 10 the receiver is total claims Tor
services actuaIy amounted % SID, and his claims
fom policy yholders amount 10 $4,000 VI $4,000 lie Was
allowed oInpcnsaoa from iAe !uhtls o to Cohnncnal
n addition 10 that which be received ron the pGhcy
lOic.s whom he represented because he benebed the
fuud When asked 10 explain how 1t was that on one
ocoSon h. char ,ed the fund S25 ior half hours WORK
IL exaulng papers. and 80 at another time for similar
Service lie said II OWNS 10 the value Oi the papers ne
examined. could tell whether II was customary
10 charge FOR the cKIunauon OF papers outside OF IN
slgdaoe not, Ec had hol very little expert
Gee
should not have been surpr sed If yon had charged
SZOiOr putting papers in apgeonhoe," sad Nj. iaS-
Etuy
your time r. 20 valuable after service Of year
o. ine br YOU VIII Dc higp1ced attorney before You
g. through said Mr. Babcr.
lie Committee adjourned until next FRIDAY, when
Judge Mes, brook Is 10 De examined.