The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-06-02
Which is Agitating Members Of the
Pennsylvania Legislature.
SENATOR SHORTS FIRM DENIAL
He Denounoes the Statement Of Insurance
Agent French as IAN Absolute, Vic
ious and Malicious Lie" Mr. Dur
ham Calls French a Perjurer.

handed to the committee an affidavit
made by John French, Of Oil City, an
insurance agent.
The first witness called was Haley
Fiske, vice president of the Metropolis
tan Insurance company. He stated that
Frank H. Leonard, of the Clearfeld
Coal company, who said he represented
one or two Pennsylvania state sena-
tors, called on the secretary of the
Metropolitan company in New York
and laid before the secretary a plan
whereby the bill could be killed. Leon
ard, witness said, made a similar propo-
sition on two occasions to the Brooklyn
superintendent Of the company.
Il appeared before the insurance
COMMITTEE" continued Mr.. Fiske, "and
spoke against the bill. After this, in
passing through the office of the Com
monwealth hotel 1 met Senator Kauff-
man. He made some jocose remark
about Doodle which annoyed me. He
told me that If we made an honest ef-
fort to kill the bill. without the use of
money, that he would help us, but that
If we used money he would favor the
passage Of the bill"
Mr.. Fiske then told of the arrange
ment for the meeting In Philadelphia,
at which We're present Senators Finn,
Kaufman and Goblin, the witness,
Agent French and a couple Of others.
At this conference French's affidavit
was handed over to the three senators.
"They took this information" asserted
Mr.. Fiske, with the express UNDER
standing that they assumed all re-
sponsibiity, although 1 told them !
would Loyalty stand by them if they
desired to use the information"
Sergeant-at-A Arms Joseph Wyatt was next
called and sworn. Unfortunately for Mr.
Wyatt, he is the official who figured in the
escape of Reed, the oleomargarine witness
who got lost from the sergeant-atarms Mr.
Wyatt swore that he had subpoenaed Secre-
tary Woodward, of the Metropolitan Life He
had called at the address given by Frank II
Leonard, but did not find him. He saw
only boy, and then came away and re
turned to Philadelphia.
"Then you did not see Leonard and
subpoena him ?" said Mr. Kunkel.
No, sir"
"Well, why didn't you stay and serve the
subpoena on him p
Because l did not know him and l wa
taken sick"
Agent French was then caueu. HC
said he VISA a resident of Oil City, ant
/ that he was a district agent for tn,
| Metropolitan company. He related {
| visit he paid to Senator Short, o
| Sugar Grove, Warren county in refer
ence to the bin.
"I had never met the senator be
fore" said French, but 4 called ol
him at his home in Sugar Grove abou
certain insurance bills l told him hi
constituents We're against these meas
ures, whereupon he replied: I have n
| sympathy for you people. l had tn
bill recommitted, thinking you peopl
would take your cue
"He told me-" the witness went OF
to say, that a state agent-he though
it was-had been ordered off the Hoo
of the legislature, and he told me o
Fiskes appearing before the commit
tee in a pompous manner. The senate
said that the committee was not i
Mr.. Fiskes hands, but that he was 4
theirs. He said to me: The peoDl
you want to get after are Judge Dur
ham and Senator Andrews. Andrew
is in that business, and he doesn't max
any bones about it. AS for myself,
have plenty. You know the countr
members are square and honest, an
they would not do anything of tina
sort. STILL that is not saying that
can't be touched.
{ "Ir. Shortt told me-" declare
French, that railroads, insurance con
panies and the Armour Beef compan
paid to have their interests taken can
, OF, He said that when our compan
J was asked by the committee for II
J amount of assets and liabilities thG
1t was done to see how much the
should strike us for. He advised me
see our people at once. A couple
; days later he called me up on the tel,
7 phone and asked me if / had seen OF
people. / told him that l had not, bl
that 1 was going to see the PittsbuI
agent"
Then French produced in evidenC
Z a letter addressed to him, dated Ha
; risburg, April IA, the day on which Il
= bin was killed 1t came from Senate
S Short, and congratulated hi
!, French) on the defeat Of the meal
:. ure,
4 In answer to further questioning NJ
b French said that at the interview
9 Sugar Grove Shortt had told him /
would vote against the blli that
demanded nothing for so doing. "Sel
ator Shortt," asserted the witnes
told me the company had used enoul
in postage stamps to kin the bill The
1 said to him: Suppose another b
would crop up. That would be de5
j. robbery He said to me: oh, no; Il
d boys are honorable. They will not TO
:, get >"
h Senator Shortt next took the stan
With much feeling he said tn
Frenchs statement was IAN absolut
vicious and malicious lie." and turnii
e to French he said, fercely "And "
d know 1t. You partook Of my hospito
|. ity, and then manufactured such
lowlived lie,,"
Mr. shortt said that French h
come to him an entire stranger; tn
IS he had never met him before but tn
ot he had asked him to take supper wi
( him at his home. He then deni
French's statements. sentence by Sc