Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-18
JORDAN is STILL MISSING
CONTINUED from First Page.>

ance departments by the Equitable society
more especially In California. He replied
that he was, and on this matter said that
the trouble in California began in 1897, when
Andrew ]. Clunie, who was then insurance
commissioner OF California, complained to
the attorney general Of that state that the
Equitable society was not entitled to do
business in that state because its capital
stock was too small. The attorney general
did not sustain him. Mr.. McCurdy said
that the commissioner then requested the
company to furnish him with statement
of the list of policies 1t had issued in Cali
fornia from 1880 to 1897 and much informa-
ton concerning them. 1t was Mr.. Nc
Curdy's recollection that the commissioners
wanted the society TO review all the lapsed
policies and death claims for seventeen
years TO see II large amount could not
have been paid on each claim. The
Equitable society engaged counsel to rep
resent It at hearing in San Francisco and
the subject dragged along for three years.
In 1900 Commissioner Clunie demanded
that the society make a list of all its out
standing policies, so that he could estimate
the value of those held in California. The
commissioners fees for this, Mr.. McCurdy
said would have been $4,000 and IT would
have cost the Equitable society $4,000 to
get the information together. Finally the
commissioner became satisfied by sending
former Governor Budd of California to
make an examination and the society got a
renewal of it's license. Mr.. Budd visited the
New York Life Insurance company end the
Mutual Life Insurance company also. Mr.
McCurdy said that $3.50 a month bad beer
! paid to special counsel to represent the
Equitable society before the commission al
the suggestion Of E. s. Pillsbury the so.
ciety's regular attorney, who had told the
witness it was paid to a brother OF the
insurance commissioner. The total amount
paid in that way was 5000. The witness
said also that approximately 1880 was
paid to W. II. Chickering of California
counsel for the Mutual Life Insurance com
pany. At the close of 1899, when tn,
! Equitable society filed it's annual Statement
| with the California insurance department
the commissioner asked forty addltiona
| questions, the witness said, which the com
missioner knew It was practically impos
| sible for the society to answer, because
its books were not kept so as to do this.
Payments to Californian.
This, the witness said, was PRACTICAL!
a rehash Of the demands the commissions
had made previously. Witness said thu
the insurance department OF any othe
state to his personal knowledge and tina
like proceedings against the New York LIT
and the Mutual Life were terminates
about the same time as those agains
the Equitable society. There were a dozel
hearings on the Interpretation OF one o
California's laws and It was for represen
tation In these hearings that the $3.50
month was paid
Mr. Budd, while in New York consulte
almost entirely with Mr.. Chickerin
Witness said he thought Governor Bud
appointed Mr.. Clunie, as commissioner. II
did not think the man to whom the So
month was paid did anything for tn
Equitable society.
DO you Know how much Of thes
moneys was paid TO Governor Budd
asked the counsel for the COMMITTEES
Mr.. McCurdy said he did not know an
that 70 his knowledge no account OF dis
bursements was made by Mr.. Chickerinl
Mr.. McCurdy said he went 20 California
but did not see Mr.. Clunie to whom ii
$50 was paid In all the six weeks he wa
: there. The New York Life and the Mutu'
were also paying $50 month TO the san
man for the same service rendered n
Equitable, said the witness.
Another demand which the witness sal
] Mr. Clunie made was that a compile
! set Of the Equitable society's books I
kept at the oftices OF the San Francis'
agency. which would have cost the societ
. about $4,000. He also said that und
the law Of California the commission