The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-11-21
A GOVERNOR
AND SENATOR
ON THE RACK
Life Insurance Inquisitor
Hughes is no Respect
er Of Persons-The
Fine Art Of Financial
window Dressing

window Dressing"
Former Governor Odell
Gives the Lie Direct to
Hyde, Makes Some
Admissions That Are
Now Of Much import.
New York, Nov. 16.--With a former
governor. who is the chairman Of the
Republican state committee and the
junior United States senator from the
Empire state. compelle1 TO submit to
gruelling cross-examination as to
their business ethics" and the manner
In which they have mixed politics and
insurance; with the senior United
States senator from the state under
subpoena to- tell what he knows about
the methods of "holding up" life in
surance companies by politicians, and
with the head of the securities re-
partment of the Equitable Life Assur-
anco Society, John Gilchrlst compell-
';ed to show under oath that the so
clety habitually practiced what is
known as " window Grsssing'-that is,
making dummy loans at the close of
the year In order to show au apparent
reduction of its enormous cash bal
ance today can be characterized as
the most sensational In the history of
the legislative investigation of insur-
ance conditions since its inception.
Chief interest centered in the ex-
animation OF Governor Benjamin B.
so soon as the proceedings opened
this morning to be questioned regard
ing the allegations of James Hazen
!. Hyde that he had blackmailed the Mer-
=, camille Trust Company into compro-
missing his shipbuilding bond suit for
$4,000 In order to keep the legisla-
ture from repeating its charter Odell
gave the lie direct to Hyde, declaring
that the overtures for settlement of
his suit originated with Hyde; that
the Amber bill, which struck at the
Mercantile Trust Company had moth
ing to do with his $4,000 settlement,
and claiming that 1t originated from
high motives and entirely because he,
and certain of his friends in the Re-
publican organization believed that
the Mercantile Trust Company's char
ter was so complex as to permit half
dozen dummy insolvent companies
to hide behind its ramifications,
Odell was permitted to testify at
his own request and he admitted that
he had gone beyond the limits of his
litigation before he got his SIS, 900. He
admitted that he had told Charles NJ
Schwab. head Of the shipbuilding trust,
that he believed there was evidence
enough In existence to secure the con-
viction of all persons who were in
terested In the floating of the ship
building bonds. He claimed, however,
that he did not make this particularly
as a threat in order to force q set
tlement, but simply expressed his hon
est opinion while discussing with Mr..
Schwab the slump In the quotations
on the bonds.
In explanation of the Mercantile
Trust Company's repeal bill he stated
that after the newspapers of the
state had published an intimatiOn that
the measure was introduced through
motives of revenge, he went to Sena-
tor Amber, the author of the bill. and
told him that he feared tnat his un-
fortunate connection with the ship
building matter was of such charac-
ter that 1t would be better for him
to drop this legislation and Senator
Amber did So Incidentally 1t might
be remarked in this connection that
Senator Amber died some months ago,
/. so that he cannot be called to verify
Mr.. Odell's statement.
iOdell admitted writing letter to
President Roosevelt asking him to ap-
point Hyde ambassador to France, but
said he did so at the request of
Hyde and not of q. Fl. Hartman. He
Bwore emphatically that he had never,
while candidate for Office solicited any
contributions for political purposes
from any company and declared that
none such had ever come to him di-
rectly He admitted that some con-
tributions might have come to him
through the national committee or
through Senator Platt. He declared
that the latter had always gathered
the campaign funds together ever
since he (OdelD had been connected
with Republican politics in the state,
excepting last year.
Following this statement by Govern
or Odell it was announced that the
NOM miftaa uouId call Senator platt