The news & observer., 1905-10-19
WALLS OF PRISON
BEGIN To LOOM
Pity the Insurance Birds
So Small.
PERJURY Is CHARGED
Chairman Armstrong Says PIunkitt's
Case is Up 10 District Attorneys
Office. Also Gives Notice That
Work of Investigation Must
Not be 0bstructed.
CBy the ssoclated Press. J

(By the Associated Press
New York, Oct. 18.-The' district
attorneys Office was called upon today
by the legislative insurance investi
eating committee, because of testi-
mony of one witness, and the question
of an arrest for perjury is now being
considered by Assistant District At
torney Rand. The witness in ques-
ton is George j. Plunkitt an 1S-year-
old telephone operator in the employ
Of the stationery firm of l.. w. Law
renee & Company, from whom the
Mutual Life Insurance Company pur-
chased great deal of its supplies of
This nature. 1t was brought out in
yesterdays testimony that among the
volHR<~s fL~> oney charged to legal
expenses was olt-\r $g01, signed by
George j. Plunkitt. His identity was
not disclosed until today, when Plum
kit was called to the stand He
testified as to his employment, and
when shown the voucher denied that
he had ever signed it,
He further denied that he had ever
received that amount of money from
the Mutual Life Insurance Company,
or that he had rendered the com
pany any service.
Mr.. Hughes asked Plun1itt to write
his rame in ink on a piece of paper
which he did This and the vouchers
were then offered in evidence, and
the similarity of the signatures was
called to the attention of the COM
mittee
Shortly after this Incident. the SER
geant-at-arms was sent to commune
cate with the district attorneys office,
and soon Mr.. Rand appeared. He
was escorted to q seat beside Chair
man Armstrong, and for time he
critically examined the signatures.
All that Mr.. Rand would say was
that he had been summoned by Chair
man Armstrong, and when the chair
man was questioned he said the mat
ter was now out of the hands of the
committee and was cup to the district
attorneys office.
Another feature of the days hear
ing was the passage at arms between
Chairman Armstrong, Counsel Hughes
and James M. Beck. counsel for
President McCurdy. Mr.. Beck ac-
cused Mr.. Hughes of misleading the
public by not following out his lines
of Interrogation to the end. and as
serte he dropped a subject be-
fore the witness was allowed to ex-
plain
Chairman Armstrong then said
that the work of the committee must
now be obstructed. The committee
he said. wanted all the Information it
could get that would be helpful and
the witness placed himself in the po-
sition he found himself by his con-
tinually eyaSiVe answers. Mr.. Arm
strong said further that every wit
ness vii be treated with all possible
courtesy. Mr.. Hughes then said if he
had erred it was by showing courtesies
when circumstances justified an en-
tirey different course adding that
evasion would be held up to the con-
tempt it has always received.
was t.lF1 fJNtnK.c
of applause when Mr.. Hughes had
concluded which was stopped only by
q threat to clear the room.
William M. Carpenter a clerk in the
supply department of the Mutual Life
Insurance Company, who was under
the direction of A. G. Fields, the SUI
perintendent of this department and
was very close to Mr.. Fields in his
Legislative supervision" at Albany.
told of how q house has been main
tanned in Albany for several years at
the expense of the Mutual Life. Mr..
Fields occupied il only during the leg
isIative session. and on several occa-
sions two members of the insurance
Of lie legislature lived az
the house with Mr. Fields Mr.. Car
penter leased the house and paid for
the servants and supplies with money
furnished him by the Mutual Life.
He did not know whether these mem
DefS OF the insurance committee ever
shared in the expense; he never re-
ceiVed any money from thm; but ne
said they might have paid Mr.. Fields
No account was kept of these eXDend-
itureS. and the money was all receiy-
ed on vouchers calling for diSbuPSe-
ments for legal EXPENSES. A house
house hes been maintained for pc
riod of about ten years in Albany un-
der these conditions. but not always
i'm the same street. Later in the day
when Mr.. McCurdy was recalled the
President said he did not know that
the Mutual Lifc's funds had been
maintaining this house. although he
did know that Mr. Fields had rented
a house to escape the risk of illness
In hotels. He was assured Mr.. Fields
paid $500. Mr. Carpenter said thu
entire epense of running the house
had been about $4,000.
An attempt was made bv Mr.
Hughes today to eet trace of Thomas
D. Jordan, former comptroller of the
Equitable Life Assurance Society.
Frank b Jordan was called under
SuhDocnae and he said he saw his
father last Labor Day. He did not
know then that he was going away
and did know where he was now
Toward the close of the days ses-
sion Mr. McCurdy was being inte~-
'ooated on the trust companies with
which the Mutual Life Insurance
Company is connected and the sub
;i1iarv cornanies Of the Mutual I.ife
md was still on tho stand when adj
nurnment was taken.
SLUG TWO