The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-02
LIE, SAID THE SENATOR.
SCENE AT THE INVESTIGATION OF
Ay INSURANCE SCANDAL.

Senator shertt er Pennsylvania Deutcs That ne
was Concerned In the Attempt to Make the
Metropolitan Biro Company OF New Terk
Fay ESQ. 60 Defeat n Certain Bin.
HARRrsBuRe, Pa, Juno l.-"You lie. you
miserable little puppy exclaimed Senator
Charles NJ. Shortt OF Warren county this after
noon. toward the close of his testimony before
the joint legislative committee investigating
the $50. GOO insurance scandal, In which the
name OF the Senator has been handled about
freely.
John r.. French of Oil City. an agent Of the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company OF New
York for the Northwestern district of Pennsyl.
vania, had just left the stand, and was sitting
near Shortt, when the latter made a statement
regarding his talk with the Oil City agent.
Wheeling around toward French he Missed the
words:
Now amt tina. what l said r.
NO. responded French. decidedly.
You lic!" said Short, with rage.
1t had been whispered about that French had
made an affidavit involving in the scandal two
other Senators with Shortt- About April i a bill
prohibiting the insurance OF persons under 10
was before the Senate, and during the debate 1t
was charged that the newspapers were publish
manded of the Metropolitan Insurance Company
OF New York TO kill the bill. The name OF Sena.
tor Shortt was whispered whenever the scandal
was mentioned. As a result Of this talk q COM
mittee OF investigation was appointed. This
afternoon Haley Fske Of New York, Vice-Presi-
dent Of the company. appeared with his counsel.
Samuel b. Dickson. French. the maker Of the
much-discussed affidavit in the case, and one or
two others connected with the Metropolitan
Company. were also present. Sice-President
fiske told how he had come TO Harrisburg to see
surance, and how later the stories of a demand
for a large sum OF money to defeat the measure
reached him through two or three sources. He
told Of other conferences.
A few days after this the affidavit was placed
in Senator Gobins hands and he kept possession
of IL until to-day. when he turned il over to the
committee. IL was not read, but was used to
guide the committee in questioning French.
Another meeting Of the committee will be held
a week from to-day. The bill was defeated on
April II. when Senator Short wrote French a
testimony in a straightforward way. and stuck
to his statements. On the crossexauination he
told how he visited Senator Shortt at his home
at sugar Grove, Warren county, ten miles from
a railroad, TO ask him TO help to defeat the bill.
he related how Shortt told him he would have
10 see Judge Durham Senator from Philadel-
phiaI and Senator Andrews. and intimAted that
the latter was in the business, and made no
bones about il.
He further said that Shortt told him the
county men were honest. that he himself had
plenty. but would not say that he could not be
touched. yShortt. the witness added, had told
him that the action OF certain Senators on the
bill was in order to bring the insurance COM
panies TO time.
Senator Short asked to make q statement, and
under oath denied every material statement
which French made. He characterized his story
as a vicious and malicious lie.