Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-11-15
HYDE TELLS
GREAT STORY.
Fearing OdeII, Trust Company
Paid Him $4,000 to Settle
Suit.

NEW YORK. Nov. 10 Out of the
mouth of james Hazen Hyde, former
vice president of the Equitable Life
Assurance society. came a confession
which has cleared the mystery of the
notorious yellow dog fund of $6s5,-
900 carried in the Mercantile Trust
company by James w. Alexander, for
mer president, and Thomas ID. Jordan.
former comptroller of the Equitable
Life Assurance society.
Until Hyde appeared as Il witness
before the legislative insurance com
mittee who took that yellow dog loan
off the books of the Mercantile Trust
was Il carefully guarded secret.
Hyde confessed that he personally
paid $4,000 III of his own pocket.
that Thomas i. Ryan paid $2l2,500
and that the remainder of the sum was
wiped out by Alexander and Jordan
with money which they raised between
them. The Mercantile Trust struck off
about $4,000 in interest.
The $685., 900 account. according to
Hyde, was used for three purposes
settling strike suits, buying up stock
hands of spectators and for political
contributions.
The $212,500 which Thomas f. Ryan
paid in liquidation OF the yellow dog
vas for blocks of Equitable stock nc
quired with its assistance.
Tho CD1D ONO pai1 hv IyIn N-ae ,,,u1,,
because he thought he was bound III
honor TO make good the amount after
President Morton of the Equitable had
repudiated the loan. He said AlcXan-
der and Jordan appealed to him to help
them out.
OF political contributions all Hyde
could name We're two, enc to Cornelius
Bliss In the Roosevelt Fairbanks cam
paign last year. the other in August of
1904. These amounted TO $4,000.
Hyde swore that the contribution of
last year passed through the hands of
II. c. Frick.
Hyde, going back to the yellow dog
fund. again said if it hadn't been for
"the mixup'' in the Equitable the soci-
ETY. would have paid the loan.
When called to the stand Mr.. Hyde
said that he was twenty-nine years of
q Il graduate of Harvard college in
1898 and that Immediately or within Il
few months of his graduation became
connected with the Equitable Life As
surance society.
Il had always been brought up"
said Mr.. Hyde, IF you will allow me TO
make Il slight depression rs TO the his
tory of my connection with the society.
to consider it my legitimate lifework
to succeed my father in the Equitable,
and my education from my e%nrliest
youth. both at home and abroad, had
tended in that direction
Mr.. Hyde said that Il. ii. Hartman
and Henry c. Frick tried TO form II
conspiracy to enIov him ms IL factor
in the Equitable so that they could get
possession of the society and its $400,-
900. 600 of assets: that Tricks first
move was an effort to have him APP
pointed an ambassador by President
Roosevelt. Hartman. jacob II. Schitf
and Senator Depew did all they could
to further this plan. He was attracted
by the idea. and after they had made
all the preliminary moves he went TO
Washington and saw the president at
the White House. The ambassadorship
sought was o given him.
Mr.. HYDE testified that, although he
was vice president of the Equitable
Trust company. he did not know that
the company made loans to George H.
Squire in syndicate transactions. He
met many questions with the reply
that he knew nothing about the mat
ters TO which they referred. In II in
stance he remarked that he ''unfortu
nately had to rely on others to keep
things right All through Mr.. Hyde's
examination Mr.. Untermycr sat near
him and made many Interruptions.
When Mr.. Hughes got down to III"
$50,G1W,@nO Union Pacific blind pool he
asked Mr.. Hyde:
did YOU go into that transaction to
facilitate Mr.. Harriman'S getting con
troll Of the Union Pacific"
'1hat was NOT discussed" answered
Mr.. Hyde.
But it was understood"
"O~byiously," was the reply.
Mr.. Hyde also testified that Harri-
MAJ requested him 10 keep secret even
from the directors the fact that Equi-
table money vas being used in Tie
pool in Hyde's name. He said that he
even refused to disclose the fact to the
superintendent of insurance.
He also said that Mr.. Schif1 was
present mt a meeting when II of the
participations was made. When Mr..
Schlf's testimony was recalled Hyde
said. We'll, Mr.. SchifI is Il little hard
of hearing"
Charges of Il most startling nature
were made by Mr.. Hyde.
He declared that the suit of former
Governor Odell for $4,000 against
] A. =. AIgal.tttlltn. r aA.tt