The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-04-12
NO WITNESSES PRESENT
HEARING CONCERNING INS URANOE .DEPA RTMENT INVESTIGATION

Names of Witnesses Submitted and
 Committee to Subpoena Them-Henry
 C. O'Sullivan Makes Another state-
 mcnt Concerning His Charges-No
 Dato for Farther Hearing yet Assign
 ed.
 A hearing on house joint resolution
 No. 145 was the first matter on the list
 ford yesterday. This resolution Is one
 presented early in the session by Rep
 resentative Kennedy of Derby and
 drawn by Henry c. O'Sullivan of this
 city. It provides for an investigation
 of the legal expenses of the insurance
 commissioner in 1898 and of the history
 and final settlement of the suit of State
 Insurance Commissioner Frederick A.
 Betts against the Aetna Life Insurance
 company of Hartford. There have all
 ready been two postponements of the
 hearing on the resolution, at the request
 of MT. O'Sullivan, and it was expected
 that yesterday he would have witnesses
 present to support his charges and be
 ready to go on with his side of the case
 Consequently when the committee ses- sion opened shortly after 3 o'clock yes
 terday the supreme court room was
 filled with large crowd of spectators,
 who expected an interesting session.
 MT. O'Sullivan was present with his counsel, Attorneys Martin Conlon and
 T. M. Connor of this city. After the opening of the hearing the resolution was read at the request of MT. Conlon, who then said that he was not satisfied as to what the committee wanted, whether the hearing was an investiga- tion or a hearing to obain facts and re- port back to the general assembly upon the necessity and advsability of an in- vestigation of the insurance commits sioner's office. Senator Vinal remark ed that it was about time MT. O'Sulli- van and his counsel understood the scope of the resolution.
 Mr. O'Sullivan stated to the commit tee that he had just arrived at the capitol and asked that an opportunity be given him to speak with his attor- ney. The request was granted, and MT OSullivan and MT. Conlon withdrew from the room for few minutes. On their return MT. Conlon stated that he represented MT. O'Sullivan as an indi- vidual, and that he did not understand that citizen of Connecticut, who asks for an investigation of any public af- fairs, was obliged to go to the expense of furnishing witnesses and counsel and supply all that was necessary to establish the charges that he may make He thought that the state should attend to these matters and that MT. O'Sullivan should not be expected to bear the expense. He said that it was MT. O'Sullivan's purpose to estab- fish a prima facie case to justify the state in making an investigation, and not to tell the committee that the in surance department was in such con- dition that it ought to be investigated. It was the duty of the state to follow up the charges and not the duty of a private individual. Continuing, he said, 'Tf the committee will authorize MT. O'Sullivan to summon witnesses, he will do so We are now here with what we consider enough to make out a prima facie case. The committee should supply counsel We are here to assist the committee by suggestions and by witnesses, not to conduct the investi- gation."
 MT. Conlon then sat down and si- lence reigned a few moments until he asked if the committee had decided that Mr. O'Sulivan must conduct the 
 MT. Kenealy, house chairman of the committee stated that the committee had understood that MT. O'Sullivan would present a prima facie case and was prepared to have him go on with his evidence at once. After more ver- bal sparring Attorney John w. filling l of this city, who appeared as counsel for MT. Betts, objected to further delay and asked that MT. O'Sulivan be re- quired to substantiate his allegation | that S50.000 had been paid for a settle ment of the suit against the Aetna Life | Insurance company. Mir Kenealy then | Instructed Mir Conlon to proceed with | proof of a prima face case, and said l that the matter was not question as to the necessity of an investigation, but the investigation itself.
 MT. Conlon then produced the insur- ance commissioners report for 1897, which contains a report of the proceed. ngs against the Aetna Life Insurance and offered it in evidence. MT. filling again insisted that MT. O'Sulli- van should proceed to give proof of his charges. MT. Conlon reviewed the charges in the case against the Aetna Life Insurance company that funds were wrongfully diverted from the mu- .ua1 department of that company to he stock department, and that the lat CT department profited thereby to the mount of $6000,000 He said that the 'ase was stubbornly fought and that he insurance commissioners intention prevailed at all stages of the game; hat the agreement for a settlement in no way to the claim of he commissioner, but that just as the was about to be compelled to urn over to the mutual department the money taken from the stock depart nent, the case was settled. He charg- d that in the agreement between the Aetna Life Insurance company and imself, the commissioner had left con- iderable to the discretion of the com- Z any
 He said further: eve claim from our that immediately after the ettlement was announced, people close 0 the commissioner and the Aetna