Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-29
AFFIDAVITS SHOWING THE PECU.
LIAR WORK OF HIS ROAD AGENTS
Undeniable Proof Of Their Hold.Ups and
the Effect It Has Had in Prejudicing
Investment Interests Against the
State.


collected SSS7, and Sil5 for examining
the Girard Fire and Marine of Phila.
delphia.
Z. c. Irwin, president of the Fire
Association of Philadelphia, makes
affidavit as follows:
Judge Foote called at the home
Office and stated that he had been
deputized to make the examination OF
the company. His attention was called
to the fact that the Pennsylvania in.
surance department had only recently
made an exhaustive examination Of
the company, COPY of the report OF
which had been furnished the Kansas
department
He replied that he wished to inves.
tigate the real estate values claimed
in the companv's items of assets He
called later and spent some time in
conversation with one of our officers,
discussing free silver politics more
than the condition of our real estate
holdings A similar call covering tie
same plan Of examination, followed
the next day. la all he was with us
scarcely long enough to cover the time
of one whole working day.
During that time he must have sat
isfed himself without recourse to our
books and without examining the
records of or worth of a single
piece Of real estate so far as | know,
that our condition came up to the re-
quirements Of the Kansas department;
for in the afternoon of the day he fin.
ished his examination he went to our
secretary, told him he had finished,
and bill was presented for $50, al
though no service could have been
rendered either his common wealth Or
our company by his call. His bill was
paid"
Mr.. Thomas Bates, of Chicago,
was sent out as the representative of
some 30 companies which had been
forbidden by McNall to write tornado
insurance in the state. Mr. Bates
makes'the following affidavit: "Thom.
as Bates, being first duly sworn, de.
poses and says that in the month of
May, 1897, he was cons ulted by sever
al insurance companies regarding the
action of Webb cNall, superintend.
emit of insurance for the state of Kan.
sas, in notifying said insurance COM
panies that they must at once cease
writing tornado insurance in the
state of Kansas.
"Atiiant further says that about May
5, 1897, on behalf Of said insurance
companies he went to Topeka, Kan, to
consult with said McNall, in which
consultation said McNall insisted that
said insurance companies must cease
writing tornado insurance in the state
Of Kansas, although this affiant
showed him that under the authority
conferred upon said insurance COM
panies they clearly had right to
issue policies Of insurance against loss
by tornadoes.
"Affiant further says that being
wholly unable to convince said McNall
that said companies had right to
issue said policies he consulted men
engaged in insurance business in
Topeka, and was advised to go to the
firm of Quinton & Quinton, attorneys
at Topeka, and this atfiant did 60 to
said firm and stated to man he sup.
posed to be the senior mem Der Of the
firm his business, and was informed
that he believed the matter could be
arranged so that said insurance COM
panies might continue the business Of
writing tornado insurance in Kansas,
and thereupon this affiant made con.
tract with the said firm Of Quinton &
Quinton, providing that il they sue
ceeded in getting a decision from the su-
perintendent Of insurance in favor of
the companies in said matter that said
companies were to pay said attorneys
a certain sum Of money, the exact
amount as this affiant now recalls, be-
ing 800 from each company.
"Affiant further says that on the
next day after such arrangement was
made he was notified by said firm Of
attorneys that they had secured a
favorable decision from said superin-
tendent Of insurance, and that the
companies would not be molested In
transacting their tornado business In
Kansas"
In view Of the fact that McNall, &C
cording to his own statement, is a great
constitutional lawyer, thi s sudden
conversion by firm Of lawyers who
mad just been promised 1000 fee is
probably the most sudden and re-
narkable since that Of Saul of Tarsus.
Who has the Money!
When last checked up Judge Foote
had examined % companies. His
charges ran all the way from sl15 per
visit up to 1856 in the case OF the
springfield. Mass Fire 4 Marine In.
'urance company. In that case part
,f the judges bill was SIS for lady as.
,istant This would indicate an average
Tor the Judge Of about $500 company,
Or a pleasant total Of 80, 200 for the
summers work. McCrary and Tatman,
McNall's other examiners, have
been rather more Industrious than the
Judge and have examined some As com.
oanies Assuming that they ha We kept
np the judges average In the matter
If charges in the matter of fees. their
combined charges would amount to
$4,000, making grand total for the
A..