Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-17
COPY ORDERED GIVEN TO ATTORNEY
Unqualified Denial that Report Was
Edited in Favor Of. Anyone.
NO pRETENsE DOCUMENT IS COMPLETE
Report Only Preliminary and Covered the
Main Features.
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF TESTIMONY TAKEN
Hendricks Also Denies that Copies or
Any Portion of It Given TO Any
one. : 'ch Has Not Been

IN 10 AAAs
ALBANY, n. lily 16-~The answer of
superintendent :, Hendricks Of the
State Insurance nent to the pub
lished criticisms Of 7cial acts In con-
nection with the tesl taken by him
in the investigation OF Equitable Life
Assurance society and eliminary re-
port thereon is made In extended state
ment issued from the insurance depart
ment tonight. Incidentally the suffrin-
tendent publishes letter addressed by
him to his deputy, Robert H. Hunter, at
New York instructing him to deliver his
copy OF the Equitable testimony to Dis
trict Attorney Jerome.
The statement includes an affidavit by
william A. Comstock Superintendent Hen
dricks confidential stenographer certify
ing that he alone did the stenographic
work and transcribing OF notes in connec-
tion with the taking of the testimony
and the preparation of Superintendent
Hendricks preliminary report and that he
personally knows that no change or
omission was made in the testimony or the
report; that outside OF the persons of
ficially employed in the conduct OF the
investigation no person heard, read or saw
the report OF the testimony excepting Gov
ernor Higgins and his counsel, Cuthbert w.
Pound.
Report Not DOctOred.
The statement is as follows:
The statement made in certain news
papers that my report and the testimony
taken was edited and altered in the in
dividuaIs is unquaiifiediy false. No per-
son except those employed by me In the
conduct Of the Investigation read or had
access to the report prior to the time II
was delivered to the printer, except Gov
ernor Higgins and bis counsel, Cuthbert w
Pound. No suggestion was made by either
of them as to any modification OF the re-
pom and no change was made In the re-
pppinted * IN the exact form in Which il
was finally drafted by me and my coun-
At the interview with the governor and
his counsel ] was asked by the governor
whether ] had been successful in securing
ttS0 net' tSst the investigation @ still was heces-
ters which had not been fully covered was
one which deemed OF immediate import
unable to procure the facts, by reason of
not haying learned of II until the prelim-
naby systsa ~ h, thai had been In.
formed that the Equitable society was
carving loan in the Mercantile Trust
appeared, on its books as a liability. The
governor stated TO me that he believed
accordance with that suggestion 1 then
directed my counsel to make a further in
vestiFation and examination relative to
my report was delayed until the conciu-
Our efforts in that particular were un-
successful. At that time we were unable
TO secure the facts relating to the matter
and consequently my report remained un-
changed.
Never Pretended 1t is Complete.
with reference to the criticism that my
report does not fully cover all OF the
facts brought out,in the testimony; l never
to everything that was developed by the
testimony. On the contrary / stated at
the outset that II did not; that the report
was preliminary in character and covered
only such matters as l deemed OF imme-
under,ooR % to Comply With tGy tSe promlse that
] made TO the Insurance commissioners
OF other states early in May to present
Impossible in the limited time ! had to
refer in detail TO all matters developed
The further charge made that some of
the testimony taken was suppressed or
edited II the interests Of certain individ-
word of the testimony given and taken
was transcribed by the stenographer in
the transcripts OF the testimony absolutely
without change.
Mr.. Hendricks goes on to say that on
July he sent copy OF his report TO
Attorney General Julius NJ Mayer at
Albany and one 10 Robert II. Hunter. his
deputy In New York City. transcripts of
his letters 10 these officials appearing In
his statement. The other copy. he de-
clares, since completion has remained at
all times In the department vault.
In his letter TO Mr.. Hunter. superin-
tendent Hendricks says; a.
Should the district attorney desire ae-
cess 20 this evidence you are at liberty
TO deliver It to him or allow him TO ex-
The statement continues:
The charge that copy OF the testimony
IVES IVES 2I9SsTed ey any other person from
hli GfP9sSs apsolG55siy 95 false and &
publication in the newspapers OF a part
OF the testimony the copy In the New York
same had not been broken. The other
copy had not been removed from the vault
IN the department at Albany
status of Hartman.
with reference to the inquiry as to why
Mr. Hartman was not examined, Mr..
Hendricks In his statement says:
ale was not member OF either the ex-
eeutive committee or the finance commit
tee. by which committees the business OF
the society was transacted. There was
nothing in the records OF the society OF
IN tho transactions disclosed by any OF
the schedules furnished in which Mr.. Harri-
mans name appears as either selling 70
or purchasing securities from the society
except as mentioned In my report Al
though the society has been a large pur-
chaser OF so-ealled Hartman securities
"a careful examination OF the schedules
shows that Il has not sustained any loss
by reason Of such holdings"
y Appended is the amdavit OF Mr.. Com
stock. the stenogrnpher. relating to the
taking OF the testimony and the precau.
tons employed in safeguarding the report