The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-12-08
Received Money Of Security
Life.
las A STATE EMPLOYE
Insurance Department Drawn Into the
scandai-Mrs. Harper a Bene-
fciary-Large Sums
Paid.

New York, Dec. g. William A. Bats.
paymaster of the Mutual Reserve Life
Insurance company, was the first wit
ness before the insurance Investigators
yesterday.
| Charles NJ. Turner, president of the
Security Mutual Life Insurance Com
Ipany Of Binghamton, also had another
turn on the witness stand. He said his
company had paid 81 900 a year to Mr..
Keefer, clerk in the New York state
insurance department, to perform some
duties as actuary Of the Security Mu-
tual.
at did not occur to me,n said Mr..
Turner, that this confiicted with Mr..
Keefe's duties to the insurance depart
ment.
| When Mr.. Butts had shown he was
unfamiliar with the details OF payments
in connection with the estate Of Ed
ward 3. Harper, who, as president of
the Mutual Reserve, bequeathed to
Frederick A. Burnham the management
of the company, Mr.. Hughes recalled the
company's book keeper, John A. Hyland.
1t appeared that money in large
amounts was paid by the cashier to Of
ticers of the company and charged TO
the account OF the estate Of Edward b.
Harper" There was payment Of SIS 600
TO Mr. Butts, paymaster, and one Of
$3.50 to NJ. B Moss, metropolitan agent,
! both on Nov. 4, 1896. Then, ON Feb.
l1l, 1897. the sum OF $500 was paid
to Mrs Emma N. Harper and G. w. Har-
per, executrix and executor Of Edward
II. Harper. The check for this was in
dorsed to Annie DAVIS, who, according
to the witness, was sister OF Mrs Har-
per.
J Mr. Hughes called attention to a book
entry showing that in 1895 SIS 900 had
been pad TO the different persons and
charged to the account, while S21 900 had
been restored and credited thereto. Be
yond giving the bare figures, as shown
on the books, Mr.. Hyland was unable
to explain the transactions.
| The payments 10 Mrs. Harper on ac-
count Of the estate had continued up to
the present tine, said MIR. Hyland, the
money being drawn against commissions.
The aggregate amount drawn against
the estate IN favor Of the widow had
been S134,067.
eat what rate Is she now being paid z"
"She gets one.third of 20 cents per
81 900 on insurance still in force, written
lprior 10 July 2, 1882
Are any amounts being paid to Presi.
dent Burnham out of this r.
~Not to my knowledge
Mr.. Butts, returning to the stand,
testified TO handing $4,000 to Mr. Burn.
ham, without receiving voucher or
knowing for what the cash was to be
used. This was the $4,000 he received on
account Of the Harper estate.
George w. Eldridge, vice president Of
the Mutual Reserve, who was on the
stand Wednesday, was called again. He
was asked to explain why payments
were being continued under the old
Harper contract. He replied that Mr..
Harper or his estate had been entitled
to percentage Of receipts indefinitely.
As to his former testimony, that Mrs.
Harper had received only S4s, 900, he said
lie had not been his intention to make
such an assertion. He could not remem-
Der that the Harper contract had ever
been declared invalid. The payment to
| President Durham on account of the
estate had ceased after d resolution Of
the trustees in August, 1898, he said.
Why an excess OF $21 900 had been paid
ont on account Of the estate in 1898 he
did not know, except that he had gem
eral recollection that there was some
mistake in drawing the checks and max
i ing the vouchers
The Binghamton insurance concern
lC. Ne. Turner admitted, once employed
as consulting actuary man connected
with the state insurance department.
who was hey" asked Atty Hughes.
"AIr. Keefer.D
How long was he your consulting
laetuaryf"
II don't recall"
eNyas he in the insurance department
at the timer"
@Yes."
what did you pay him?n
Zone thousand year
what was his salary in the insur-
ance Department.
II don't know about that"
Mr.. Turner said it never occurred to
him that Mr. Keefe was an employee Of
the state He was sure that his public
duties were not interfered with.