The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-15
POSES As POWER
BACK OF THRONE
Railroad Magaate at Insurance
Inquiry Owns He Yields
Political Influence.
DECLARES T. F. RYAN
APPEALED FOR AID
Hartman Tells Of the Row Over
Equitable Control and Of
Interviews.

Equitable Control and Of
Interviews. sYse
in the insurance investigation today.
said that he was instrumental in pre-
venting bills from being introduced in
the legislature to aid one faction in the
Equitable to get control of the so
sciety;
1T has been openly Charged said
Mr.. Hughes. that you get your politi-
cal influence thru your relations with
Mr.. Odell. y HI
II should say that Mr.. Odell gets
his political influence thru his relations
with me, responded Mr.. Hartman.
Wired Certain Persons
Mr.. Hartman said that when a moys
was on foot to give the control of the
Equitable to James w. Alexander and
his friends by means Of legislative ae-
ton at Albany, he9 wired certain per-
sons at Albany to keep. him informed
as to the progress such proceedings
might M / + make NAL Asked who these persons
ed that he be excused from answering.
He said he did not want to answer be-
cause he did not want to give occasion
for sensational newspaper headlines.
The committee and counsel. Mr..
Hughes retired for consultation. Mr..
Hartman said he would like to con-
suit counsel before replying.
Higgins and Nixon.
The committee decided, however,
that he should answer, and he did so.
saying that the persons frem whom
1 he had requested the information were
Governor Higgins and the late Speaker
! Nixon of the assembly.
After Mr.. Hartman had answered
1 concerning Governor Higgins and Speak.
er Nixon, Senator Armstrong, chairman
8 Of the committee, said:
We are sorry You gave such an air
Il Of mystery to this matter, as we all
know such inquiries are regular and
3 commen.o
i Mr., Hartman then said: IT uss
1 the press ID spare these men and not
bring their names into the headlines. =
Ryan and Hyde Stock.
Mr.. Hartman said he learned of the
J, sale Of the Hyde stock. on the day
Z that Mr.. Ryan bought it. He telephoned
4 to Mr.. Ryan and asked him if he had
i bought it..
!, Ryan said the purchase was condi-.
tional,' said Mr.. Hartman, and that
he wanted to see me and talk with me
and that he wanted my help; / crit
! he meant by It.
Ten or fifteen minutes later / went
!. Ito Mr.. Ryan's office. He told me he
| ! had decided to buy the stock and said
i it was time for him to make q name
: for himself He said he had decided
to buy Hyde's stock provided he could
> Il get his nominee elected chairman Of
l the board. He said he had made a
col of nd ho n
s anything to make name for himself.
Ryan Wanted His Help.
: ~ questioned his motive. He had
l told me he wanted my help, that was
] the one man in New York whose help
T / he desired. -
; ssWhat kind Of help9' asked Mr..
Hughes, counsel to the Investigating
8 committee.
: s1To help him get his nominee elected
: chairman of the board,o replied Mr..
!. Hartman.
/ Asked upon what ground he had crit
: icized Mr.. Ryan's plan, Mr.. Hartman
q replied:
: tsWeH, it was rather staggering to
= anybody that Ryan wanted TO control
Y the Equitable or should have control
! of it.
81 Pure, Unselfsh Motive.
d Il told him. continued Mr. Harri.
I man, that if I was satisfied that he
k was acting from a pure and unselfsh
motive in the interest of the Equitable,
st would help him. He told me his plan.
g II did not tell him then that / wanted
e share in the Hyde stock. I assisted
n him to get his nominee elected.
is why did you, if you were not salts
fed as to the purity Of his motives7''
< asked Mr.. Hughes.
j. aI became satisfied that with Mr.
u Morton in charge and IT Mr.. Ryan were
y sincere, the affairs Of the Equitable
would be safe. / was not convinced
y that Mr.. Ryan was sincere. did mol
81 stock with me-
G Assemblymen Rogers Of the committe,
es here asked: When did you resign 81
OF director Of the Equitable9o
II tWhen the Frick commission mad,
N their report. = This was June 2.
ed Saw Ryan Again.
!, seThe next interview with Ryan wa
the Monday following the purchase O
the Hyde stock, said the witness
81 First, however, told Mr.. Ryan
RYAN said he wanted to meet me, sn,
- after Morton was elected Ryan calle'
I'D me- up and said he appreciated my he'll
and wanted me to continue and said b
81 would do nothing further without p
consent and wanted to meet me. / mad
pe an appointment to meet him. At !
n. o clock Mr.. Cravath came and sal
,e. RYAN was sorry he had to proceed wits
he out me. Il told Mr.. Gravath considers
rysl this an act of bad faith, turned N
". back on Cravath and walked away. a
m, Mr.. Ryan later asked me to coY
he to his office on Monday and meet Ml
lis Root. In that interview with Mr.. Crs
it. vath he told me that Mr.. Root had p
let sisted on the appointment OF the tr9i
res tees Of. the Equitable at once and tn
nd announcement in the morning paper
ar That was the first intimation that ny
~. Ryan had asked the trustees to acts
nd Much ON His Mind.
ley stI want you all to understand. the
1b- have something besides life lnsul
ed l,anca to do and think of. My min
Is. was on the 49, 900 miles Of railroads an
his thirty-fiv to forty steamships which
US have to think of. I wanted only !
= Continued on Cd Page, 9Th Column.