Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-16
legislat ton. That interview took place some
time during the legislative session Of 1904.
What He Told HYDE

would be stopped by him, that there was
no fear. no matter what was done about his
settlement of any retalatory legislation He
did not bother Mr.. Hartman about the
matter.
Mr.. Odell said he wrote a letter, at the
request of Mr.. Mcintyre. former fourth vice
president of the Equitable. in behalf of Mr..
Hyde's candidacy for the French ambassa-
dorship. This had nothing to do with the
shipbuilding settlement. The latter was
written before the settlement.
1--WE have had mentioned in the course OF
your testimony the subject of contributions
for political purposes; you have stated you
never solicited any from an insurance com
pany; were any ever made to you Vo!un-
tarily?"
No"
Did any ever come to you Indirectly
Possibly. through the national committee
and through Senator Platt.'
Senator Platt's Relation.
what relation had Senator Platt to the
matter?'
"He always gathered all the fund to-
gether ever since l have been connected
with republican politics except the last
year"
The witness said he knew nothing of the
efforts of insurance companies to prevent
inimical legislation and knew of A. e.
Fields activity in that direction only by
hearsay. He did not know Andrew Hamil-
ton. He said no moneys had ever peen
placed in his hands directly or indirectly for
political purposes or otherwise to influence
Legislation His was not the only ship
building suit settled, said Mr.. Odell. The
Cntermyer suit was settled and so were
others. He felt that his claims were just,
"Of course said Mr.. Hughes, you VIII
understand the committee is not here 10
try out the merits of the claim; we are
simply interested because definite threats
We're made that
No Truth in the Statement.
There is no truth in that statement so
help me Cod
When his settlement was under discus
sion Mr.. Hyde said to him that the Equita-
bic Life had always made political con-
tributions. Mr. Hyde did not. however
give particulars. Here Mr.. Odell was
asked TO tell precisely the facts about the
Introduction of the Amber bill. lie re-
piled:
.Whv. | had prepared the Introduction of
that bill and brought the whole shlpbulid-
ing case before Mr. Jerome, the district
attorney of New York. and stated that ne
had better lock into it and see whether
there was anything connected with or any
thing in connection with the scandal which
should not be investigated by MS once
He had the case for some time, ana ne
said TO me- after several weeks, that he
had gone into IL very carefully and ne
came to the conclusion that there We're no
grounds for criminal prosecution
In the meantime such concerns as the
Fire Company and the Whiting Paper Com
pauy and American Bicycle Trust and some
fourteen or fifteen others had been men
toned as having been either projected oy
Alexander and Green and presumably with
the approval. and support of the Mercantile
Trust all of which had been failures
Suggested Something Be Done.
1T was suggested that something ought
to be done to stop that, and in talking over
the matter in conference with people who
came in it was decided that some legisa-
ton, some remedial legislation could be
formulated and would prevent the unload
ing upon the public of these securities,
among others those which l have men
toned.
"In the meantime the paper had taken er-
tIrely different and antagonistc views Oh
the matter whether they had been inspired
or not do not know, but there was more
or less talk about IT being measure 10
get even with somebody and then, when
Senator Amber came in to see me ana talk
ed with me about it. said to him that I'M
der the circumstances ne had petler let tAe
whole thing drop"
Mr. Untermyer asked permission to cross
examine Mr.. Odell but was refused.
Justice Erastus F. Ransome, counsel for
George H. Squire. was next called. He said
Mr. Squire Is very sick man. He present.
ed a statement relative to the transactions
in Lawyers Title Insurance stock, and the
George H Squire trustee account. Former
President James w. Alexander of the Eyul-
table Life Insurance Society, asked Squire
to have that account carried under that IT,
tie said Judge Ransome. Mr.. Squire never
knew the purpose.
Senator Depew Called.
Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew was then
called The senator said he had been a di-
rector of the Equitable since 1877 and was
a member of the executive committee. He
never heard of the various trustee ac-
counts until this investigation. He knew
of the campaign contributions only in a
general way. He did not know the amount
contributed to the national campaign IN
1904. He hoped both state and national leg
isatureS would pass laws prohibiting these
contributions. He thought the contribu-
tions were made in the interests of the as
Sured at the time, but he thought the pub
licity given to the matter in this investi-
cation has changed the minds of almost
everybody.
Senator Depew said he was first asked to
go into a syndicate by George H Squire
He retailed the various syndicates he had
been In during four years and said these
had netted him 81 ,219. In these syndicates
he had 100000 tied up most of the time,
and 100000 is still tied up.
Depew's Services Recounted.
AS to his retention counsel by the
Equitable Society Senator Depew said his
statement to Superintendent Hendricks
covered the field, but he made an extended
statement OF his association with Henry b.
Hyde, and said he continued as counsel for
the society after the death of Mr.. Hyde be-
cause 1t was of Mr.. Hydes dying in
functions to his son. Senator Depew's sal
airy as counsel was $4,000 year from 1888
until last spring.
Witness said he never knew of the reten-
ton of counsel for legislative purposes, and
had never advised the retention of such
counsel. He did not know A. c. Field, but
had heard OF Andrew Hamilton. He said
he never had any interview with Thomas
ID. Jordan, former controller of the Equit-
able Life. as to legislative matters nor as
to letters of instruction from Jordan to
Fields. He knew nothing of the Amber
bill to revoke the charter of the Mercantile
Trust Company.
The Loan to Depew Company.
The loan TO the Depew Improvement Com
pany was asked about, and Senator Depew