New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-19
KEPT HOUSE AT ALBANY.
d MOTC4L PAID ALL BILLS.
Iro Senators Liued Therefore,
erY or Perjury Sh07cn.

The trail Of dollars leading from the yellow
dog fund of the Mutual Life Insurance Com
pany supply department to the Albany legal
expenses" was thoroughly exposed Yesterday
The Legislative Insurance COMMITTEE listened
TO the amazing declaration of a Mutual Life
witness that for the last ten years that COM
pany had maintained a house at Albany during
the legislative sessions for the mysterious and
missing A c. Fields legislative agent: that the
bills OF the cook and the butler the janitor and
the caretaker had been paid by the polfcyhold-
ers OF the Mutual and had been hidden from
view under blind charges in the supply depart
ment accounts. In this house, while legislators
the witness said had lived Appraisal Commis-
sioner Charles 2. McClelIand of westchester
a State Senator and member of the Insurance
Committee and ex-senator Graney, Of the same
county, who at first an Assemblyman.
Whether the Mutual also paid their expenses
was not disclosed. Such we'll known legislative
agents Gene Woods and Moe Dinkelspiel were
not infrequent visitors at the house.
Nor did the revelations pause here. The for
mer partner of Fields in a Dobbs Ferry livery
stable shown in the new role of an exam
iner of the State Insurance Department. and he
admitted that for no apparent reason he was
accustomed to drop IN" on Fields at his Mutual
Life office. But the saddest phase of the pro-
ceedings that involving the testimony of an
unfortunate telephone boy also an employe of
the Mutual, who swore that a signature on
voucher for $3.50 Is not his and then twice
wrote his signature. which was so absolutely
like the one on the voucher that the attention
OF District Attorney Jerome called to the
apparent perjury. The case of the boy. George
Plunkitt, is now under advisernent by Assistant
District Attorney Rand, who came to the com
mttee room and examined the signature. A
oR,Ix- e6o
in this case, and criminal action of some sort
will follow.
But Plunktts testimony not the only
surprising instance Of forgetfulness on the
part Of q witness. Edgar w Rogers, pres-
dent Of the Globe Printing Company, dummy
concern controlled by Lysander w. Lawrence &
Co. through which a portion of the $4O0,Nn
printing business done by Lawrence for the
Mutual was transacted, and clerk in the Law
renee firm. suffered absolute failure of mem
ory when confronted by a voucher signed with
his name and, like the Plunkitt voucher. bearing
the Endorsement of A. c. Fields. Equally amaz-
ing was the sworn testimony of Frank B Jordan,
a son Of Thomas D Jordan. the missing con-
troller of the Equitable, who dismissed by
President Paul Morton for refusing to supply
information regarding the $6S5,0O0 yellow dog
fund Of the Equitable. that he had no knowledge
s to the whereabouts OF his father. Three con-
secutive exhibitions of such mental atrophy
have not been seen at the inquiry hitherto.
Still another remarkable feature of yester-
days session was the effort of James NJ Beck.
attorney for the Mutual to convict Mr.. Hughes
of unfairness in his treatment of witnesses. Mr.
Beck has had several earlier encounters with
Mr. Hughes. faring badly each time. but yes
terday he even unfortunate for when
his attack ended Mr.. Hughes made brief.
straightforward statement of his constant ef-
fort be fair to witnesses and his frequent
self-repression in the face of their evasive tao
tics. This was greeted by burst Of applause
more vigorous than any that has yet broken the
orderly proceedings of the session. and when it
ended Richard A. McCurdy president of the
Mutual. who then the stand, arose and
in a few words expressed his personal apprecia-
ton and approval of Mr., Hughes's courtesy
toward him This left Mr.. Beck entirely
stranded and he sat for several minutes ner-
vously toying with piece of string He made
no further effort 10 interrupt Mr.. Hughes.
The attitude of Mr.. McCurdy noticeable.
He neither buoyant, at earlier appear
ances. nor defiant. as on Tuesday Instead, he
showed signs Of both nervousness and fatigue.
On the witness stand he was tractable. of the
stand as he sat listening to the amazing revela-
tions Of the various Albany establishments Of the
Mutual TO the tale of the expenses of cook
and butler and other functonaries of the AL
bany headquarters of a Mutual agent he mani
tested a nervous anxiety that left its mark on
his face and showed in his manner
The wherea bouts of the missing A. c. Fields
was brought more nearly up to date by William
NJ Carpenter. whose clear and definite answers
showed the full extent of tn Albany establish
ment. which he superntended for Mr. Fields.
Mr. Carpenter testified that he had seen Fields
in Kingston, N Y. as late as OCTOBER L, ana
that al thar time Mr. Fields had declared his
intention of going to Southern California at
once A new participant in the legal phase of
the hearing was John b Stanchfield. of Elmira.
Who as counsel for Edgar W. Rogers. the print
ing man declared for his client that as citizen
he notice T1Ght
resist the investigation by the committee Of his
nrivate affairs He described Rogers as ''Iner-
chant" A moment later Rogers declared him-
eelf a clerk and Mr.. Hughes countered on Mr..
s+anchfeId with great adroitness, He did not
conCede the right Of Mr. Rogers to resist the
examination Of the committee.