Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-10-14
HUGHES CRAFT HUNT
Grand Jury Will Probe Scan
dals. Says Jerome.
GOT S2,6OO,OOO IN COMMISSIONS,
Mutual Life's Attorney Tells of $4,000
I'm Cash Given to Congressional
Campaign Chairman as a
Contribution.

paid as commissions by the Mutual
Life Insurance company to two mem
bers of the family of Richard A. Me
Curly, president OF the company, and
the promise of District Attorney Je-
rome that the insurance scandals GER
tainly will be submitted later to an ex-
traordinary grand jury were the SEN
sational developments in the insurance
situation.
1t was brought out by testimony be-
fore the legislative Insurance commit
tee that Robert II. McCurdy, son of
Richard A. McCurdy, has received as
commissions on foreign business ST..
163. $40 and on domestic business $541,.
So and that Louis A. Thibaud, son-in-
law of Richard A. McCurdy, has re-
ceived an aggregate of $500, 113 In
commissions from the company. 1t
was also brought out that Robert III.
McCurdy expected his income this
year would be about $4,000.
Previous to this testimony w. Il.
Thummel, an attorney of the Mutual
Life Insurance company, testified that
he had paid to the chairman of the Re-
publican congressional campaign COM
mittee the sum of $500 in cash as a
campaign contribution.
Mr.. Jerome In announcing In co1rt
that the scandals will be submitted to
an extraordinary grand jury said the
inquiry by the legislative committee
had shown greater moral obliquity
persons important in the business
world than did the shocking revela-
tons in regard to the Equitable Life"
Another incident of the days deyel-
opments was the publication Of a letter
from Charles IL. Hughes, counsel to the
legislative committee, to Samuel I'm
termyer, counsel for James IL. Hyde,
the former controlling stakeholder of
the Equitable Lie Assurance society,
in which Mr.. Hughes said the commit
tee would make no discrimination in
favor of Mr.. Hyde in his examination
before the committee,
w. #. Thumme, the attorney who
was associated with Judge Andrew
Hamilton in looking after legislation
for the New York Life, the Equitable
Life and the Mutual Life Insurance
companies In the so called legislative
pool that was exposed last week, testi-
fed before the committee that he was
now employed as an attorney for the
Mutual Life Insurance company at a
salary OF $1,000 year.
| Mr.. Thummel said that he personally
placed in the hands Of the chairman Of
the Republican congressional cam
paign committee $500 In cash which
had been given the witness for that
purpose by Vice President Robert A.
Granniss of the Mutual Life Insurance
company.
Witness said the contribution had
been suggested by the danger Of a
Democratic house, that would result in
acter to upset business and affect pol
Icy holders. He said other companies
had been asked to contribute, but he
did not know how many did, Mr..
Thummel denied paying any money to
any legislator for the purpose of infiu-
enclng legislation or to any other per-
son for that purpose.
Thummel In addition to describing In
detail how the big insurance compa-
MES combine to defeat undesirable
legislation throughout the United States
told of the Mutual's contribution of
GO IN a or
congressional committee and said he
supposed the other big companies con-
tributed an equal amount.
Robert III. McCurdy testified that in
addition to his salary of $4,000 a year
as general manager of the company he
had contract with the company by
which he still got commission ON re-
newals of foreign business by which he
has recently netted as high as $780,
1850 year over and above his sal
airy, making an income OF about $780,
600 a year, considerably more than the
salary Of the president of the Equita-
BILE. which Paul Morton declared was
extrayagant and dropped down to $780,
600.
In test1fying or MS rise from sal
airy Of $1,000 year In 1881, just after
leaving college, to his present income of
nearly $4,000 year young McCurdy
explained that before joining the COM
pany on salary he was a partner
with general agent and that 1t was
while acting as an agent that he made
this contract with the company for q
commission on all renewals of foreign
business.
He said that the foreign business
was very small when the contract was
made and that IL he himself had not
voluntarily cut down the commissions
to himself his compensation would
have been enormous. AS 1t was, he
kept on cutting of his commissions I'M
til now he gets only about 100000
year under his contract. to which he
would be entitled even IL he were not |
drawing salary of $4,000 a year
from the company as general manager. |