Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-15
HARTMAN SAYS
MAS STAGGERED
Railway Magnate Tells His Side
of Quarrel With Ryan About
The Equitable
RYAN SAID WANTED HIS HELP
Hartman Claims Ryan Asked Him to
Aid in Getting His Nominee Elected
Chairman of the Board = Insurance
Committee Probing Equitable Pur-
chase.

Chairman OF the 0oaFo - 'uSui dHSe
Committee Probing Equitable Pur-
chase.
New York. Dec 15-E. H. Hartman
was called to the stand when the insur-
ance investigating committee opened
it's session today. Hartman said he
learned of the sale of the Hyde stock
on the day that Ryan bought it. He
telephoned to Ryan and asked him If
he had bought 1t. Ryan said the pur-
chase was conditional" said Harri-
man, land that he wanted to see me
and talk with me, and wanted my
help. / criticised his plan and wanted
to know what he meant by it. Ten or
fifteen minutes later I went to Ryan's
office He told me he had decided to
buy the stock and said it was time for
him to make name for himself. He
said he had decided to buy Hydes
stock, providing he could get his NOM
inee elected chairman of the board.
He said he had made a good deal of
money and never had done anything
to make name for himself. I ques-
toned his motive. He had told me he
wanted my help; that was the one
man in New York whose help he de-
sired"
what kind Of help2" asked
Hughes.
"To help him get his nominee elect
ed chairman OF the board" replied
Hartman.
Asked upon what ground he had
criticized Ryan's plan, Hartman sre-
piled:
"Well, 1t was rather staggering to
anybody, that Ryan wanted to control
the Equitable. or should have control
Of it."
II told him." continued Hartman.
that if was satisfied he was acting
from pure and unselfsh motive in
the interests of the Equitable would
help him. He told me his plan. did
not tell him then / wanted share
in the Hyde stock. I assisted him to
get his nominee elected, because be-
came satisfied that with Morton in
charge and if Ryan were sincere the
affairs Of the Equitable would be safe.
In another Interview with Ryan at
which Root and Cravath were present
I said to Ryan: You want my cooper
ation?' He said, Yes I said: I will
take half your stock If you will let
me name two trustees Ryan refused
and told me had promised to help
him, If I was satisfied. I said this
was my way of being satisfied. I dc
not remember what else said. may
have saidwtat these gentlemen said ]
did. I intended, unless was satisfied
of his motive, to oppose his control OF
the society and thought it ought to be
stopped.
..I know whom he had selected as
trustees, but did mot know his plan to
diyest himself of control of the stock
wanted two trustees Independent OF
Ryan. 1 think that any trustees
named as Ryan named them must be
to a certain extent under his control
especially as he had named a man out
of his own organization as president.
did not demand the right to name two
trustees, but merely that they should
be independent Of Ryan. I offered to
turn my stock over to the society, II
all did. I don't see why he should
not make the trustees hundred If his
motives were pure was not a phil
anthropist and did not consider it such
for him to pay s2,5OO,00O which he was
going to get out it when he got con-
troll Of the society. 1t was because OF
my interest in the Equitable that
wanted a share There was no possi-
D1l1ty OIL d pdulC. NO OlIS DuI ny OH
had such view. I doubt whether he
had it."
Hartman said that he was instru-
mental in preventing bills from being
introduced in the legislature, to aid one
faction in the Equitable to get control
Of the society. TT has been openly
charged" said Hughes, "that, you get
YOUR political influence thru your rela-
tions with Odell."
81 should say that Odell gets his po-
litical influence thru his relations with
me-" responded Hartman. He said
that he is in politics and has some po-
litical influence, and he did not con-
slider it improper if he did use his po-
litical influence against Ryan. Moth
Ing improper in Ryans conduct of the
Equitable has yet come to my atten-
ton" he said, "and / have not had
time to attend to 1t. If anything had
come to my attention l should have
acted"
Hartman said that when the move
was on foot to give control Of the
Equitable to James w. Alexander and