New-York tribune., 1905-11-18
SIDELIGHTS ON FUNDS.
SOME QUEER PAYMENTS.
Senator Depesc and Equitable Of
friaLs on the Stand.

Amusing sideligh,s Oh Equitable Legislative
expenses and yellow dog funds suppheo tie
feature to the session of the legislative insur-
ance investigation yesterday, and huTTiee TO
call of Senator Chauncey M. Depew to TESTIFY
regarding certain mysterious but not uhihteih-
cfble letters furnished additional lnciueii''
Announcement OF the appearance OIL 0e-
Thomas c. Piatt at the. next session Vi 'iie
committee on Tuesday was made just peioie
adjournment. Senator Platt, at the re9ues' 'h
the committee will testify about his cotec'ioi'
OF campaign funds mentioned py eh-GoNe.
odell in his testimony on Thursday.
ator David e. Hill's name was hearo Loi 'ii0
first time at the inquiry yesterday wheh Vouoii-
ers for his retainer, together with humorous
letter OF acknowledgment from the Demoerae'
politician, put in evidence.
payment Of over $4,000 to arrange cam
paign carried on by the California insurance oe-
psrtment figured IN the various legal expense
items Nine thousand dollars of this was PAID 10
q brother Of the commissioner, who did aoso-
lutely nothing in return. This fact was shown IN
,ba evidence Of & S. McCurdy OF the EQui-
table who explained, amid general laughter
that he was not of the Mutual McCurdy family
i payment of 81. COO at the order of james W.
Alexander to the late Thomas d. Hustled. son
of the former Speaker of the Assembly. was
also shown. There also a fee of slS.ooo 10
Tracy Boardman & Platt shown by voucher.
A foreign legislative agent. the ''plensry" agent
of the sbig three" life insurance companies, the
Mutual, the Equitable ana the New-York Life,
was also disclosed in the person Of George H.
Bachelor who received 900 on one occasion
and sl0350 for salary and disbursements
SENATOR DEPEw RECALLED.
Senator Depew was recalled TO tell about two
interesting letters written by ex-Quarantine
Commissioner John A. Nichols who was shown
10 have received $1,000 annually from the E0ui-
table for number of years, running back as
far as 1885 The letters and Mr.. Hughes's ex-
animation follow:
Q-senator Depew. have asked you to. to CONE one
have been placed in my hands this morning In con
ehSR T5a Ton letter under date Of December
1896. from john A. Nichols Dc you REMEMBER @ ths th
,s;s seept 1fae Of ;hat letter. AVN you let me sec
o'ICertainly you may see them all Your letter
is next Do You recall the receipt Of this first letter
that ] now show. you? Al do. .,,4,,,, 80
John a Nichols ''a was to the Equitable Life? A.
He was retained by the Equitable at different
o@He appears to have received s1yooo year for
that have been produced from him Do you recall
for what ce ssces hat he eer relates bGt think
a claim that he made in regard TO some man
remember.
This is the letter:
New-York December 1s, 1896
My Dear Depew: Ny friend who usually gets
around at this time of the has written me sew
ss letters to 3 Which 5 @ have ons nSt Teg G esdsy as n
desires to have me help him IS usual lsd What shall
do? Faithfully yours, JOHN A: NiSE99bs. NitsIa9
SIReference is made to some one who usually
Does that refresh your recollection? Alt does
Something about II at the time and passed the letter
on the executive officers for them to do as they
osI show YOU a letter of December q. 1902 puT-
S5s o yo reca re that ietter Al do not recall
It undoubtedly is addressed to me.
New York December "a. 1909.
been very cantankerous of late and wants to know
as o ko9 osa RSni say go
Wishing you all the good things OF lie IN TINS
''iiO4s seANOH' ! A-"' 'JoHN A NICHOLS"
To what does that refer? Alt refers to the same
Q@Do you now recall who ne is? Al do not
Q~Do you recall the subject matter7 At was
some claim that he had against the company which
written 10 the subject do not know, and as l
o"was it any one connected with tn. New
e-Or connected with New-York politics? Al
Or with the legislature or politics OF any
jurisdiction? Al think not; think he was an
insurance man.
Senator Depew knew nothing of the payments
TO ex-Speaker Husted's SON. OF John A. Nichols
he knew nothing save that he had been at one
time active in politics and later retired. He was
equally without recollection OF the payment OF
S14.166 in the California incident
RETAINER TO d. B. HILL.
The statement of the retainer paid ex-Senato or
Hill shown to have been So CO. later increased
TO 81 500 was accompanied by the following let
ter OF March 20, 1895:
T. ~ Alexander President Equitable Life Assur-
ence Society. No l2o Broadway. New York CITY:
Thie L wiz Ts aGsePt 1t will aTip eGns in b hsqay HILL at
r ST feel pretty well that Congress is
adjourned. and the country is safe. When the
legislature adjourns. the State will be safe
Among the payments to John A Nichols
$1,000 settlements introduced in evidence
under dates between 1So1-1904 lin the matter
pr Browning in the matter OF Bodes.' lin the
matter of Bliven" and "in the matter OF Pear
son." Each cost the Equitable $1,000, but they
were not explained. There was also shown an
annual payment to James F. Pierce, former
euperintendent of insurance, of $500, dating
back to 1897. James NJ Lewis. ''in re Missouri -
received 1888 3S on June S. 1S99-a figure sug-
gesting that the Equitable paid one-third Of a
$4,000 payment. Another fractional payment
was 81 666 66 to Z. r. OBrien. of Chicago.
There was also item TO Charles r. Brayton
OF Providence, r l. 1t noted that the
vouchers for these various items We're stamped
sometimes in blue and sometimes in red s. g.
NcCurdy. who supplied the evidence regarding
them, explained that the blue meant payment
by cash and the red by check Two vouchers
endorsed by Judge Andrew Hamilton were
Introduced In evidence.
THE CALIFORNIA CAMPAIGN.