Arizona republican., 1905-12-16
MIR. HARTMAN
 TESTED RYAN
He Was Merely Hunting for
 Pure Motives.
When Ryan Refused to Divide the Hyde Stock With Him He Knew He Wasn't Right.

New York, Dec. 15.-Before the leg islative Investigating committee anoth- CT chapter was added today to the chronicles of what Thomas F. Ryan called the strenuous" interviews be- tween himself and MT. Hartman. MT. Ryan gave his version of the converSa- tion to the committee few days ago, when he said that MT. Hal riman at the time of the acquisition of the James H. Hyde stock in the Equitable Life In- surance company demanded an equal share and threatened to use his poli- tical influence against him if he did not surrender. Mr. Hartman today recited to the committee his version and added some interesting statements affecting his relations with Former Governor B. B. Odell, Jr., chairman of the New York state republican com mittee and also to a request to watch legislation affecting the Equitable so- ciety, which he had made upon Gov ernor Francis Higgins and the late $. Fred Nixon, speaker of the New York assembly.
 In substance MT. Hartman testified today that when MT. Ryan bought the Hyde stock, carrying the control of the Equitable society, he asked MT. Hartman to cooperate with him in saving the property; that MT. Harri- man agreed to do it if satisfied that Mir. Ryan was acting from pure and unselfish motives; that MT. Ryan did not satisfy him as to the purity of his motives, and that MT. Hartman in formed him that he would use his in 0uence against him.
 The test which MT. Hartman said he applied to determine MT. Ryan's purity of motive was to offer to take one half of the Hyde stock and to name two trustees of the society MT. Ryan refused to agree to that. MT. Harri- man testified that MT. Ryan should have assumed that he (Mr. Harrlman) would use his political influence against him. He was not certain whether he said anything about leg islative action as a warning to Mr. Ryan, but he declared that he had nothing to do with starting the present insurance investigation
 Charles E. Hughes, counsel for the committee, informed MT. Hartman it had been charged that he got his po- litical influence through his relations with Former -GeNernor--B. B. odell. IT, MT. Hartman said: "Well. I should think MT. Odell had his political in- fluence because of his relation with me" Laughter followed the remark Later MT. Hartman said to the As sociated Press that the remark was meant in jocular sense.
 Last spring, MT. Hartman said when the management of the Equita- ble Life Insurance society was divid- ed into two factions, with one headed by President James w. Alexander and the other by James H. Hyde, an at tempt was made by the Alexander fac tions to induce the legislature to mu- tualize the society. Mir. Hartman said he asked the members of the legislature to watch out for any leg islation favorable to the Alexander faction and to report to him if it ap- peared. He was adverse to disclosing the names of the men to whom he made this request, ard only consente to do so on repeated urging.
 He then stated that it was Governor Higgins and Speaker Nixon whom he had asked to watch out for the Alexan- der legislation. He added that no such legislation was introduced and that he took no steps through Governor Hig- gins and Speaker Nixon to prevent It. The committee adjourned until Mon day.
 Senator Armstrong stated tonight that just before finishing the investi- gation, about December 30, the com mittee may go to Albany to examine the state insurance department holding sittings at the capital.