The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-09
State Superintendent of Insur-
ance of Missouri,
SwOOps Down on a Convention
Of Insurance Officials
TO OBTAIN TESTIMONY
In His Case Against the Under
writer's Trust.
He Couldn't Find Out Thing
and Gave 1t Up.

St. Louis, March &c. T. Orear, state
superintendent of insurance, backed by
the legal department of the state of
Missouri and having the moral support
of a special commissioner appointed by
the supreme court practically failed to
make any of the nonresident members
of the Western Insurance Union who
were summoned before him, tell any
thing they did not wish to about their
business.
The examination was held for the
purpose of securing testimony in the
suits of custer brought by the attorney
general of Missouri against 73 inSur-
ance companies charged with being
members of an unlawful combination
for the maintenance of rates. r. J.
Smith, secretary of the Traders Insur-
ance company of Chicago was the first
witness. He admitted the existence of
the union but denied that it controlled
rates. Henry NJ. Magill, general agent
of the Phoenix of Hartford, Conn, for
the southern and western states and
Walter Scott of Kansas City, special
agent of the Home of New York, were
also examined as to certain unlawful
combinations at st. Joseph, Mo. but
nothing of interest was ELECTED. This
finished the examination. Mr.. Orear
stated that he had not expected to OBJ
tain much valuable testimony from
members of the Western Union, but
when he got the local agents before him
at St. Joseph, Mo, he would make them
admit the charge of combination to
maintain rates
More than 100 of the 125 members of the
Western Insurance union were present
yesterday when that BODY met here in
Semi-annGal session Among those pres
ent were several presidents of large COM
panies in the east. To the surprise of
the delegates a number of the more prom
1nent members received subpOenas shortly
after their arrival summonIng them to
appear in the gentlemen'S parlor of the
Southern hotel to give testimony in the
suits of custer brought by the attorney
general of Missouri against 73 insurance
companies charged with being members
of a trust, known as the western 1nSur-
ance union"
Sam Davis of Marshall Mo. the com
missioner appointed by the supreme court
to take the dispositions, together with At
tOrney General Crow, superintendent of
Insurance Orear and q deputy marshal
from Jefferson City constituted the court
dispositions at this time was solely with
the view of saving witnesses the time and
expense that would be involved by a diff
ferent course of procedure
The regular order of business at the
semi-annuaI meeting provides that the
Onenine day shall be taken up with the
Most important. therefore. under the cir
cumstances. was a report from the special
committee appointed in September last
ia conduct the defense for union cOmpa-
MES in suits instituted in Missouri.
This committee, which is composed of
George T. Cram, Thomas s. Chard, John
II Washburn, Eugene Carey and w. H.
Wvulan. reported that lawyers had been
retained and that the course of procedure
of the Missouri state oTnclaiS was be-
The effort of the state officials is to
show that the real business of the West
ern Insurance union is to fix rates. all
the interests being pooled Several Of the
general managers have said that II the
1recise language of the law is enforced,
# will be impossible for insurance compa-
nies to be represented in this state and
they will have to withdraw. Superintend-