Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-04
STATE TO EXAMINE
Governor Higgins States That Investigation Has Begun.
EQUITABLE TANCLE KOW AT ALBANY
Senator Bracket Presses Resolution For Inquiry Into the Methods of the Great Life Assur.
 ance Society.


 NEW YORK, April 1.-The most i'm.
 portant development in the Equitable Life Assurance society's affairs was
 the announcement last night by Gov
 ernor Higgins at Albany and by Presi- dent James W. Alexander of the soci- ety in this city that the state superin-
 tendent of insurance, Francis Hen-
 dricks. had begun an investigation of
 the tompany's affairs.
 This was followed by the introduc-
 ton in the state senate last night of a
 resolution providing for legislative investigation of the Equitable. The
 resolution was presented by Senator Bracket.
 MT. Hendricks returned to Albany after several days spent in conference 1 with those interested in Equitable mat ters in this city. The governors an-
 nouncement came less than twelve hours after the superintendent had 1 reached his Albany office and was fol- | lowed by formal announcement from
 Mr. Hendricks office in this city to the same effect.
 This action by the state authorities 1 follows request made by Mr. Alexan- der to Superintendent Hendricks by letter Feb. 21 and by Mir. Hyde in a
 later letter, announcement of which
 was made last Saturday night. | It will probably disclose officially, it
 is said, that Gage E. Tarbell, second
 vice president of the society and head
 of it's agencies. on the day he entered the fight to oust Mir. Hyde, sold out all his commissions on future policies for i $l35,O0O. This transaction, an agree : ment between Mir. Tarbell and Presi- dent Alexander. it is stated, was never passed on by the executive committee or any other official body of the so- 1 ciety.
 In an authorized statement last night, the first MT. Alexander has made since 1 the state superintendent was called in to the controversy, the president of the Equitable says that the investigation | by MT. Hendricks "is now in progress | Its result will establish the truth or | falsity of many matters which are now being alleged on the one hand and con- | troverted on the other" He also takes | occasion to deny some of the state ments made formally by Mir. Hyde last Saturday night. MT. Alexander's state ment in part is as follows:
 Tt has been my settled purpose to ! avoid as far as possible discussion in the public press of the merits of any phase of the controversies now existing
 within the Equitable Life Assurance | society. The examination asked for by
 me is now in progress, and it's result
 will establish the truth or falsity of
 many matters which are now being all legged on the one hand and controverted on the other.
 "In signed statement issued by the vice president of the society. James
 H. Hyde. on Saturday, April 1. 1905, certain statements were made which cannot allow to pass unchallenged
 He says that the charges that have been made against him have their origin in an effort by individuals to obtain control of the Equitable society and its assets. On the part of myself and the other officers of the society who are associated with me in this movement I desire to deny that our action is influenced by any motive ex- cept desire to discharge our duty as officers of the society.
 "Mr. Hyde further says that he has exercised no power except with the presidents concurrence In reply I as- sert that Mir. Hyde's usurpation of the presidents authority and his habitual action without the consent or the knowledge of the president of the so- ciety are among the subjects of seri- Ous criticism against his conduct as an officer of the society"