The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-15

the Mercantile and its character. but the organization of the company ante dated Mir. Hyde's connection with it by
 aoout twenty years and he was only aoie to say that he had heard the char
 ter was . special one
 MT. Hughes then said:
 Hughes Wants DeAniteness. want you to state specifically and understanding the Importance that the statement should be accurate and denn- ite, just what Mir. Hartman said upon
 that point and MT. Hyde in reply said: He suggested the advisability or settlement in view of this powerful in- terest in Albany that was antagonistlc to the Mercantile Trust Company. l have thought It over carefully and that is as clear and succinct as can make it."
 MT. Hyde in reply to further aues- tioning said that Mir. Hartman saiu
 there was a possibility of the repeal or
 the charter of the Mercantile rus. Company and that he had already
 made some investigation. Witness did not know that any bill was introduced | for this purpose. This conversation with Mir. Hartman was had shortly before the settlement of the suit which was made last fall.
 The French Ambassadorship and the | TenOEteQ aSplTdtlOHe VI MI AaSeS NV | that post were taken up. and he said | 1t was suggested to him by MT. Prick l first about a year and a half ago. He said he never suggested it himself nor | thought of 1t, though naturally he
 would have been pleased had he gotten
 1t. Later, Mir. Prick suggested the l matter again. Mir. Hyde added in a
 sarcastic manner, T think their req sons for taking this extraordinary in- terest in my absence from the country have become very obvious since theu." Mir Hyde was asked what he meant by that and he replied:
 Hyde Makes Charge.
 'T think they thought they would acquit themselves of their friendly to themselves.'
 Mir. Hyde thought Mir. Hartman would not have looked on 1t with great regret. Witness also solicited the support of MT. Schiff last fall. Mir. Schiff promised to try to use his friend ly offices. Witness said he went to Washington to the White House alone and that Mir. Hartman used his friend ly offices in the matter. Mir. Schiff had some conversation with MT. Bliss, who, witness thought. wrote a letter to the White House. Senator Depew interest ed himself in a very general way, but Mir. Prick was the active agent.
 The appointment of the Prick com mittee was then gone into and MT. Hyde said:
 MT. Hartman led me to believe through a mutual friend that the rep resentatives of that committee would be very friendly to me and he did ev- erything he could do to dissuade me from selling my stock. at the same time doing everything on that com mittee to knife me and destroy the value of that stock"
 Mir. Hyde's attention was called to the seriousness of these statements and he replied that he had spent many sleepless nights and long. sad days re- fecting on them and he made this statement as a matter of reflection and conclusion.
 Mir. Hyde said that the Prick com mittee injured him because he did not think the investigation nor the report was in all details fair.
 Conspired Against Hyde.
 He thought that they injured him by conspiracy, using that word after con siderable reflection, to deprive him of his rights and seize control of the So- ciety. He thought they were doing everything they could to destroy the Society. posing meanwhile, as his friends. while on the other side he was being attacked by Mir. Alexander and his friends under the sham of mutual ization.
 Explaining one of the reasons for his belief that the Prick committee was hostile to him, Mir. Hyde said:
 MT. Prick. who was chairman of that at the election in February became a member of the executive committee, and endeavored from the be- ginning absolutely to dominate the en- tire society and to inaugurate a reign of terror"
 Witness said he had had several off, fers for his stock in the society from others than MT. Ryan. and his reasons for selling to Mir. Ryan were set forth in his letter to the board at that time This letter was made public last May anG was introduced into evidence today.
 Mir. Hyde further said that there was no stipulation in the sale to Mir Ryan nor restriction of any kind, by which 1 the stock would revert to Mir Hyde or by which he could regain possession of | 1t. |
 Prompted by Untermyer, Mir. Hyde | added that Mir. Hartman asked him to | move the adoption of the Prick report, l which Mir. Hyde absolutely declined to | do, as 1t seemed to him to be con- | of everything that ever hap pened in the society and he was ad- | vised by counsel "that such a step | would mean the throwing of the | Equitable surely where 1t seemed to be | drifting very much at that moment, | Into the hands of a receiver
 MT. Hyde was excused until tomor- | row, and Haley Fiske, vice-president | of the Metropolitan Life, took the stand | 10 make several corrections in his testi- | mony of last Friday, after which the | committee adjourned for the day.