The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-31
ORRIN T. WEIGHS ACTION.
Correspondence Showing That Mr.
WEIGH Came Near Shutting Out
the Connecticut Mutual


WEIGH Came Near Shutting Out
the Connecticut Mutual
In response to an interrogatory as
to whether there was anything new in
insurance matters, or if there was any
further correspondence between him
self and Jacob L. Greene of the Con-
necticut Mutual Life, superintendent
McNaH answered:
Yes and no. Possibly it is new to
the people of Kansas, but still the rec
ord is somewhat ancient. I have been
examining the insurance commission
er's report for the year 1881, and l find
that beginning in 1880, at the time Orrin
Il. WEIGH was superintendent. he had
some correspondence with one Jacob
l.. Greene who was then as he is now,
the president of the Connecticut Mu-
tual Life Insurance company Mr..
Greene at that time was just about as
correct in his statements concerning the
company's business as he has been in
his recent correspondence with this de-
partment.
1T seems that at the time the COM
pany filed its annual statement in this
department for the year ending De-
other things, that the company, at the
close of such year, owned real estate
in Chicago, ST. Louis, Indianapolis,
Detroit, Kansas City, Hartford and To-
ledo in excess of 81, 100000 The SUI
perintendent went to st. Louis and
made an examination and found that
some $468, 900 worth of the property at
that place, that the report flied in this
office, properly sworn to, showed be-
longed to the company's assets, actual
ly belonged to Jacob L. Greene in fee
simple; that Jacob L. Greene had the
same insured in his individual name.
The superintendent further states and
reports that in the states of Indiana
and Missouri he found over 81, 20O,0 900
of real estate in the name of Jacob l.
Greene instead of in the scOmpany'S
A foff -ocsTofl n
ence took place, not only by letter but
by wire. Here is one of the passages
from a letter of the superintendent of
insurance, bearing date Topeka, Janu-
airy 20. 1881:
What insurable interest have you?
What am I asked to do? 1 am asked
to accept for the security of widows
and orphans fund intrusted in your
company for the money loaned to it by
its policy holders, and to give the Con-
necticut Mutual Life Insurance COM
pany credit for real estate shown, by
the only evidence in existence acceSs1-
BILE to it's policy holders, to be your
property in fee simple, and to do this
upon your assertion alone that there is
a private record in your possession and
under your control, accessible only at
your pleasure, showing it to be the
property of the company, and this, too,
when, unless 1 am miSinformed, you
treat this real estate as your own, by
insuring it against loss by fire in your
ual protection. 1 cannot accept real
estate as an asset of this company IN
less shown by the usual public records
to be the property of the company
And on April 4, 1881, Jacob l. Greene
sent the following letter to Mr.. WEIGH,
superintendent of insurance:
Il am informed that copies of our
recent correspondence with you about
the title to some of the real estate of
this company are in the hands of third
L write to ask whether you, or any
person having access to the papers in
your department, have given to or per-
mitted to be made by any person, any
copy or copies of any part of the cor
respondence referred to; and if so to
whom, or by whom, was any such copy
given or made? or, more cOncisely, are
any copies out, and who had them, and
how did they get them?
Below is the superintendent reply to
Your letter of the 4th inst, received.
In the matter to which you refer, you
are correctly informed In order that
the work 1 had commenced-that of
causing you to turn over to the COM
pany the millions of dollars of real eS-
tate, titles to which you had, as man
ager of the company, taken in your
name in fee simple, and so hOld-might
not. in your refusal to continue the
company within the jurisdiction of this
department, be left unfinished, after
you commenced talking about If we
report to your department this year.
/ forwarded copies of our correspond
ence to a limited number of state in
surance departments, where l had good
reason to believe it would be used, if
necessary, to complete the task I had
begun. To these and my counsel, gen
tlemen in no way interested or connect
ed with life insurance or it's manage
ment except as policy holders, copies
were furnished by me, and to none 9th
erS. This being a public Office, its files
and documents belong to the public,
who are free to inspect them al all rea-
sonable times. The management of
your company made necessary and
furnished the material for the cores
pondence to which you refer, and if it
brings to the surface that which you
would rather have remained uncovered
to the public the blame is chargeable
to none other than the company's man
ayers.
Il am glad to learn by Secretary Tay-
lor's letter of a recent date, that the
necessary deeds have been made, exc
cuted and fled for record, conveying the
real estate referred to to the company
This record is found on pages 246, 249
and $50 of the report of the superin-
tendent of insurance for the year 1881;
hence 1T will be seen that this is not
the first time that Jacob L Greene has
been called down by the insurance de-
partment of this state.
Rales Hoes SPADES all garden tools