Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-16
DID THREATEN RYAN
E. H. Hartman on Stand at
 Armstrong Inquiry.
"OBELL GETS POWER THROUGH ME-
Feared LegisIation Would Re In- stigated by Alexander Faction. Doubted Ryan's Motive and
 So Wanted Half of Stock.

So Wanted Half of Stock.
 NEW YORK, Dec. 16.-After D. H. I Hartman, financier, had contradicted Thomas F. Ryan before the legislative insurance Investigating committee the committee was forced to take a recess when Hartman refused point blank to reveal the names of members of the legislature and others at Albany with l whom he admitted having communicat- ed last winter in reference to legisla- ton he feared would be instigated by the so called James W. Alexander faction in the society.
 MT. Hartman agreed to reveal the names to MT. Hughes or to the com mittee privately, but the chairman in l sisted that the names be given public ly from the witness stand. Finally the witness declared he would be oblig- ed to have consultation with his at torneys, Judge Leavitt and Paul D. Cravath. If my attorneys recommend that I give the names" said MT. liar riman, T shall do so, for I believe I | can get the consent of the parties after ward"
 Ten minutes later Mr.. Hartman re- turned to the witness chair and re vealed the names. He said:
 "The men referred to were Mir. Nix on, speaker of the assembly, and Gov ernor Higgins.
 l fsT r1nnrnly aclxnd fhor,1 yuhofhap fhora was any legislation preparing in regard to the situation. regret have been compelled to drag these two names | into this matter, especially that of Mir. Nixon, who has since died, and as their position in this matter, although en- tirely pure and blameless, might be misconstrued, I appeal to the members of the press to at least leave those names out of the headlines"
 Hartman fairly grilled his enemy, Ryan, owner of the Equitable, who had sworn that Hartman tried to sandbag him into dividing the Equitable stock which Ryan had bought from James Hagen Hyde.
 The imputation that he had threaten ed to use his influence with Governor Odell to defeat Ryan's plans with re- gard to the Equitable Mfr Hartman met with the following statement.
 Tt is not who have political in f1uence through my relations with Mir. Odell but MT. Odell who has political influence through his relations with me-"
 This was delivered in a tone of au- thority and with naughty wave of the hand, the manner being that of a man who felt sure of his ground-the manner of an emperor conscious of his power.
 Later the witness said Mir. Odell might resent the statement, but he qualified it only to the extent that he thought any man in politics should appreciate having. the friendship of men of prominence.
 Mir. Hartman said he was not in politics, but that he had political in- fluence.
 Inquisitor Hughes asked him if he had taken any steps to thwart the plans of Thomas r. Ryan in the owner ship of the Equitable Life.
 Not yet" replied Mir. Hartman, with a quiet force that was sermon in itself.
 Although he gave the lie, to nearly all the statements sworn to by Ryan, Hartman did not deny that he had threatened to use his influence to crush Ryan. just as he had crushed other enemies, unless Mir. Ryan proved the purity and sincerity of his motives in buying the Equitable stock by sharing 1t with me"
 He entreated my cooperation ad- ded NIT. Hartman. "and said that he had taken this step in order to do something conspicuous. as he had not done anything conspicuous in all his life"
 ! It certainly was Harriman's hour of triumph and he wore a complacent smile to show how he appreciated it.