New-York tribune., 1905-11-24
Sup RIVER FRIEND" UP.
Continued from first page.

beard and bright blue eyes, which not lhire--
Quently twirikled he flung back sprightly an
suers to Mr.. Hughes He identified himseh as
an insurance man of nearly fifty years stahu-
Ing and briefly reviewed his work with various
insurance companies up to the late fos' "heh
ne became insurance expert ana "i.oi
Just about ten years later in 1883 Mr. Manning
fest,fied he received his first retainer from Mr.
Nichols. but never then later from any IN
surance corporation directly.
The size of this retainer was the first sur
prise that Mr.. Manning furnished Joiii a.
Nichols author of the friend up the river,
who gets around about this time every Seat
letters had specifically sworn that he haa pau
Mr. Manning $3.50 from each of three separate
81 600 sums paid him by the New-for M Lie, INC
Mutual and the Equitable-that 1s' si'ooV
wear Mr. Manning swore just as posiuVely
that he got only $3.50 in all, or S150 for each
company. What Mr.. Nichols had done with the
rest he did not know. But he had been tod thar
the New-York Life withdrew from the arTanse
r,,ent in 1899. and as result he had Thereafter
received only $500 annually. paid IN 80
n1ents in the legislative session
Mr. Manning was s-clear that the retainer was
merely in recognition of the fact that he pos
sessed valuable insurance knowledge, and was
ready 10 employ It, but he had never been calleo
upon in all the years he received his retainer
TO use his information.
WAS NEVER INIMICAL.
Were YOU employed by any persons to deal
with insurance matters that would be antagon-
Sistic to any Of the companies?' Mr.. Hughes
asked.
.No. and 1 should have Indignantly refused
any such Offer was the prompt answer thuS
demolishing the "inimical' explanation OF Mr..
Nichols. The examination continued thus
o-what did you understand to be the reason I1, Tor
YOUR being retained by Mr.. Nichols? AI5lnp1s Sfp
10 be at the service of Mr. Nichols IN the ueien''
0I omDidnf YOU think it strange he never called
because no occasion had arisen that would can LOT
tne spd 1ou understood that the $3.50 made
up. $50 from each of the three companies!
oENewYork S5 Mutual and Equitable? AaYes sa
understand that Mr.. Nichols was retained DS
'nSse 9@Do @ you remember the investigation of 1877
o.LYou remember getting out a report OF that
investigation? Yes sir; very f olstlIesq wesq Al
viii state this that when was subpenaed by Ml
Graham to go 10 Albany me ocers and they
completely pulled the wool over their eyes as 'tes @
who could straighten the matter out and he SUD-
p(SilaS4 6Yon me acted as sort of expert? Ayes;
nointed out the reason. had certain parties brought
the printed reports that they had been garolea.
questions answered in the afh[matve @ thde daI fhe
substance of the question. and the negatDe IA tne
wrong about it, so 1 inquired of the official stenog
rapher Are you aware of this thing? he salu
osaid said they had refused to let him the evi-
Then qfRGe said that being the case demand from
you certified copy OF me S4 foef;monv m both
because it had great deal of expert Information ION
eeedingy valuable document to have in the pos
session Of insurance companies. ,.
that NoW, T'f this % is I the book You got? At looks
ve5y ysoge faar are ReTy rare aren't they? e
cannot and volume. III nave st tluT nsye found some
difacuity in finding that When it was known that
ss hse snted sos ed' 'G Copy OF it, and were almost viii
Ing to pay any s price ndo you'd ask ihey pa'' ms
a-aow many did you, publish? AmWsll Sup Sup
ss %sr. published in Hackensack by printer named
w.n.cR Whst 81 H ala yo1 do with the 800 or copies?
o1when did you dispose of the last Of them7
how ng69r ogr Of aggg gsaFs h ag probably ten
fifteen years ago..
TESTIMONY COPYRIGHTED.
o-And this book was copyrighted by in
1857 A.-Yes sir; and I will give you my reason
When 1RT fe MITE G examnaton Of the @
snd other @ y was is gEen aye out there M
Mr. McCurdy that that evidence was copyrighted
t6eiI S Interest in order that they might not
lo.-Yog mean that the Mutual Life copyrightesd
@ nd that 6nGt IN r Mctnrds evidence @
or one S th9 ne sa9 Rat a f % S e mH Is
luteiy correct but that is what my Impression
again, that that thing was done Now. I don't
Rnow what their motives were
MR. MANNING'S BOOK.
Mr. Hughes then read from Mr.. Manning's
book extracts from the testimony of Richard
A. McCurdy before the early insurance investi-
CATION in which it developed that the Mutual
Life had copyrighted Mr.. McCurdy's testimony
at still earlier investigation before the State
Mr. SJIrdy iT1ciG GfaH
in this that he had not personally had it copy
righted ard made no answer when asked If
he had had it copyrighted to prevent its publ
cation. Apparently the testimony
daylight however. Thus a hidden trail of by
gone scandal was unearthed. Mr.. Hughes then
continued to run through the book without turn
ing up much of significance. The book obvious
iy contained much that insurance officers might
not desire circulated among their policyhod-
ers This, Mr.. Manning conceded. Mr.. Hughes
then asked:
Depew al All regarding this matter? A-No sir;
don't think Senator Depew would anywhere
me. and certain ] won't go anywhere
near him.
Mr. Manning then recounted that many years
ago. at Senator Depew's request, he had op-
posed an insurance bin at public hearing.
which subsequently talked TO death" in
the closing hours of legislative session. Mr.
Hughes continued:
have been engaged by Mr.. Nichols have YOU had
anything TO do with legislation al all? A-No
sir; except to keep Informed.
Q.-How does it happen that copies of this
book have been published from the plates if there
that there any necessity for IT, and I did not
care 70 20 IN INTO It any further l dropped it when