Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1905-10-19
HOUSE OF MUTUAL'S
LOBBYIST AT ALBANY
QUITE LUXURIOUS
Members of Insurance Com.
mittee Lived in II.
If STATESMEN PAID RENT
NOBODY KNEW OF IT

New York, Oct. 1S.-The district at
torney's office was called upon today
by the legislative investigation COM
mittee because of the testimony of one
witness, and the question of an arrest
for perjury is now being considered
BY Assistant District Attorney Rand.
The witness In question is George
J. Plunkitt, an eighteen-year-old tele-
phone operator in the employ of the
stationery firm of l.. w. Lawrence d
Co.. from whom the Mutual Life In
snrance company purchased a great
deal Of ITS supplies of this nature. Ii
was brought out in Yesterdays testi-
ntony that among the vouchers for
money charged to legal expenses was
one for 1901 signed by George j.
Plunkitt. His identity was not dis
closed until today, when Plunkitt was
called to the stand, 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. or thai
he had rendered the company any SER
vice.
Mr.. Hughes asked Plunkitt to write
his name in ink on a piece of paper,
which he did. This and the voucher
were then offered in evidence. and the
similarity of the signatures was called
to the attention of the committee.
shortly after this incident the ser
geant-at-arms was sent to commune
cate with the district<attorney office,
and soon after Mr.. Rand appeared.
He was escorted to seat beside
Chairman Armstrong, and for a time
he critically examined the signatures.
All that Mr.. Rand would say was that
he had been summoned by Chairman
Armstrong. and that the matter was
now out of the hands of the commit
lee. and was up to the district attor-
ney's Office
Another feature of the days hearing
was the passage at arms between
Chairman Armstrong, Counsel Hughes
and James NJ. Beck, counsel for Pfesi-
dent r. A. MeCurdy. Mr.. Beck ac-
oused Mr. Hughes of misleading the
public by not following out his lines
of interrogation to the end, and assert
ed that he dropped a subject before
the witness was allowed to explain.
Evaslon's just Reward.
Chairman Armstrong said that the
work of the committee must not be
obstructed. The committee he said
wanted all the information II could get
that would be helpful and the witness
had placed himself in the position he
found himself by his continual eya-
slve answers. Mr.. Armstrong said
further that every witness will be
treated with all possible courtesy. Mr
Hughes then said If he had erred, il
was by showing cOurtesles when the
circumstances justified an entirely dill
ferent course, adding that evaslor
would be held up to the contempt u
has always received There was
spontaneous burst of applause wher
Mr. Hughes had concluded, which wa
stopped only by a threat to clear tht
room.
That Residence at Albany.
william A. Carpenter. clerk in th'
supply department of the Mutual Life
Insurance company made an excellen
witness for the committee by his franz
manner and apparent desire to give
whatever information he could on th'
matter before the committee. Mr.
Carpenter was under the direction o
A. c. Fields, superintendent Of this de
partment, and was very close to Mr.
Field in his Legislative supervision
M Albany. Mr.. Carpenter told o
low house has been maintained II
Albany for several years at the ex
nense of the Mutual life. Mr.. Field
occupied Il only during the Legislative
session, and ON several occasions tw'
nJenbers of the insurance COMMITTEE
of the legislature. lived In the hOus
with MIR. Fields. Mr.. Carpenter leas
ed the house and paid for the ser
wants and supplies with money fur
nlshed It by the Mutual Life. III
did not know whether these member
~ The insurance committee ever shar
ed in the expense. He never receive
any money from them; but he sal
they might have paid Mr.. Fields. n
account was kept of these expendi
lures. and the money was all receive
on vouchers calling for disbursement
for legal expenses. A house has bee
maintained for a period of about te
years i'm Albany under these condi
tloAs, hut not always In the sam
street,
McCurdy Didn't Know 1t.
Later in the day, when Mr.. McCurd
was recalled tie president said he di
not know that the Mutual Life's fund
had been maintaining thishaise. a
though he did know that Mr.. Field
had rented house to escape the ris
OF Illness In hotels He was assure
that Mr.. Fields paid $500 rent, NJ
Carpenter said the entire expense {
running the house was about $4,000
Father Jordan Has Vanished.
An attempt was made by Nj
Hughes today to get some trace
Thomas u. Jordan, former controllt
OF the Equitable Life Assurance socl'
~ Frank B. Jordan was called und'
a subpoena. and he said he saw h
father last Labor day. lie did M
know then that he was going ava
and did not know where he was nov
Under persistent questioning by Nj
Hughes. young Jordan said no ma
Nas forwarded to his father and thi
he aid not know whether his father {
his ~niher were living or dead.
Edward w. Rogers, a clerk for
w. Lawrence & Co., was called ar
was represented by John b. Stancl
field. Rogers is also president of q
Globe Printing company. He WI
shown the Plunkitt voucher. and sa
he was Of the opinion that the sign
ture on the voucher and that write
ly<Plunkitt on the stand were ideni
cal. lie could not recognize either
them definitely as the signature