New-York tribune., 1905-06-16
JEROME ON EQUITABLE.
No Moral Difference BetaUeen Of
fciaLs and Larru Su7r1qnerfeLd.

District Attorney Jerome expressed his opinion
of the officers of the Equitable Life Assurance
Society last night at the dinner Of the Mer-
chants Protective Association.
TN case of the eminently respectable gentle
men who have been concerned in the Equita BILE
Life matter" said he, "the things they have
done were not immoral, described in Section
52S of the Penal Code larceny, but in a
moral sense defy you to distinguish their acts
from the crime defined in that section
'rwas 1t decent according to the canons Of
gentlemen, that foreign Ambassador of ma
ton at peace with us should be made adver-
tising medium? If you your wife or your
sister should be used in the same way, would
your ideas of morality permit you to associate
thereafter with those responsible for such an
ectf
Since the Equitable difficulty has arisen
have been in receipt OF many letters from per-
sons who cannot see the difference between such
acts as those committed by the eminent gentle
men IN the Equitable directory and the con-
fdence game played by Larry Summerheld,
whom I recently sent to prison for ten years;
and I cannot make such people understand that
there is any difference between the two classes
OF transactions. People read IN the newspapers
OF these affairs of high finance and gay era
ciousi That's stealing. That is not financed and
they get angry and they write me letters some
things like this:
what is the matter with your We voted
for you; why don't you put these people IN
taf? I can't give them elaborate explana-
ton as to that question when they ask me why
do not make some move against men eminent
IN high finance when have sent Larry Sum
meraeld to prison I can't make them under
stand that these gentlemen are just outside the
reading of the statute. while I recognize that
tbers is no difference morally between these
men and the +bunco steerer like Larry Summer
field I can't convince the people that can't
do anything to punish these men,
Before he was sent away, Larry SummerheId
came over to a table where 1 was sitting in
restaurant and asked me how I was able to get
SO good a case against him when he was de-
Tended by the best lawyers. It is the same
thing with these other men. They are selling
something to suckers that is worth nothing.
Yes. that's funny and it's not funny. When
the common people get to the stage that they see
these officials circulating among the -Four Hun
dred and reapng their great rewards, of course
they don't understand. and they write let
ters demanding that do something"
The dinner was in the nature Of a testimonial
of the appreciation, by the business men of this
city Of Mr.. Jerome's work with that Of Senators
Frawley and SAKE in obtaining the amendments
by the legislature of Section 544 0f the Penal
Code relating to the making of fraudulent
statements OF financial standing. Edward D.
Page president Of the association, presided.
Others at the guests table were Judge George
c. Holt of the United States District Court:
Recorder Goff and Judges Warren W. Foster.
Joseph E Newburger and Rufus B. Cowing. Of
the Court Of General Sessions; Clarence Whit
man. president of the Merchants Association.
and Senators Frawley and SAKE.
Judge Holt declared that he would be glad TO
cooperate with the members OF the commercial
bodies and the District Attorney in bringing
about more drastic legislation to punish fraudu
lent bankrupts. He advocated putting in the
hands of the District Attorney the criminal pros
ecutions in bankruptcy cases, instead of per-
rnitting them to remain in the Office OF the
United States District Attorney.
President Page presented to Mr.. Jerome set
of enerossed resolutions, thanking him for his
mart in getting the legislation.
Judge Foster. President Whitman of the
Mapufa cturers' Association and Senator SAKE
also spoke.