The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-10-10
THREE MYSTERIOUS PAYMENTS
- MADE TO ROBERT oLiPHANT
Attorney Hughes vsinIy Tried to As
certain Why $4,000 Was Paid
For Expenditures In a Year.
A WITNESS WHO "pIpN'T KNOW"
10 Record Could BE Found Of s2,5oo
Paid to National Republican
Congressional Committee.


New York, Get. 6.-It was brought
out in the testimony of Charles A.
Preller, auditor of the Mutual Life In
suranco Co., the first witness at the
afternoon session of the legislative in
vestigating committee, that since juno
i, 1901, Richard H. McCurdy, president
Of the company, has been receiving
$15o,O00 a year salary, the highest ever
paid to any official in an insurance
company in the world.
Other facts included in the testimony
of the witness related to several mys-
terious entries of three payments Of
$25, 900 each made to Robert Oliphant,
chairman Of the committee on expen-
ditures for the Mutual Life Co. during
1904, which Mr.. Preller was unable to
explain. The payments were made to
Mr.. Oliphant on Jan. 80, Aug. 81 and
Nov. 8, 1904.
After much bustling around, James
M. Beck, attorney for the Mutual Life,
produced book In which reference
was made to the payments, where 1t
was stated that they were for law ex-
penses. No further explanation of the
item could be obtained.
A great deal of time was taken up
with the witness in going through a
ledger account book, taken from the
auditors Office, which contained all
items of expenses since 1877. One in
teresting item was that which showed
$1,002.720 had been paid out during the
year 1904 for salaries.
Mr. Hughes then demanded an item
ized account Of the salaries of the ex-
ecutive officers of the company since
1877. The record was produced and
was as follows:
President McCurdy, 1877, $4,000;
1886, $4,000; 1898, s75,O00; 1895, $780,
600; 1896, 100000; 1902. s150,000.
General manager, Robert H. Nc
Curdy, 1891, $4,000; 1895, s22.5O0; 1896
$4,000; 1908, $4,000; 1904. $4,000;
1905. $4,000.
After the list of salaries had been
read, Mr.. Preller was excused, and Rob-
ert H. McCurdy, son of the president
and general manager OF the Mutual
Life, again took the stand.
Mr.. McCurdy could not say positively
whether the $50, 900 salary of his faith
er had been fixed by the trustees Of
the company.
"Do you think that the salary was
fixed by the trustees?" he was asked.
Eyes, sir; at least, presume So"
HAS the question Of fixing that SAL
ary ever been brought before the board
of trustees?"
81 don't know"
WAS 1t ever brought before meet
ing of the board which you attended"
II think it ante-dated 1909"
Mr.. Preller said that he did not know
where In the books OF the company the
$2,500 contribution to the national Re-
publican congressional committee had
been entered.
MIR. Preller could not inform Mr..
Hughes what employe Of the company
might know where to find the entry of
the item. When Mr.. Hughes called his
attention to the entries showing three
different payments of $4,000 each to
Robert Oliphant, chairman of the COM
mittee on expenditures, Mr.. Preller
could net say what the money had been
paid for.
For what reason would there be a
payment to the chairman of the COM
mittee on expenditures of $25.000?"
II don't know, sir"
when you made payment Of $685.
600 to hobert Oliphant, what kind OF
voucher do you get?"
II get voucher signed by Mr.. OIL
phant as chairman of the committee,
showing that amount Of money given
him for purposes which don't know"
Mr.. Preller made the same state
ments regarding the other two pay
ments OF $4,000 each.
While Mr. Hughes was trying to as
certain what relatives Of the McCurdy
family hold well paid positions In the
Mutual Life Insurance Co., Robert x.
McCurdy, general manager Of the COM
pany and son of its president, gave
some of the most interesting testi-
mony.
Mr.. Hughes was particularly anxious
to learn what salaries were paid to GER
tain of the officials, but Mr.. McCurdy
said he did not know. II had already
been shown that Mr.. Thebaud Of the
firm G. H. Raymond q Co., the Met
ropolitan agent for the Mutual, who
received three-fourths of the profits OF
that Arm. is a brother-in-law Of Mr..
McCurdy.
After Mr.. Hughes bad asked wheth-
or any OF the salaried agents OF the
company were related to any Of its ex-
scutive officers and had been told that
they were not, he inquired;
"The medical director OF your conn |