Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-11-16
Mr. HARTMAN
FOLLOWS HYDE
He Acted Only as Friendly
Advisor
According to Promise He saw the
President About the French Am
bassadorship but did not Recon-
mend Hyde.

man, chairman of the board of direc-
tors of the Union Pacific railroad, for
mer member of the board of directors
of Equitable Life Assurance Society,"
and connected with many railroads
and financial institutions, the former
friend of James HaZen Hyde, against
whom the letter charged acts of an
unfriendly nature in his testimony
yesterday, was one of the chief wit
nesses before the Armstrong commit
tee on insurance investigation today.
Mr.. Hartman was called Immediately
after Mr.. Hyde and mis- testimony was
a series of denials of the charges made
by Mr.. Hyde.
Mr.. Hartman said that Mr.. Hyde
came to him about month before the
Odell settlement was made and asked
him to use his influence to induce
Odell to settle his suit against the
Mercantile Trust company. Mr.. Hyde
told him that the Odell suit was dan
gerous to the Mercantile Trust COM
pany in that it might induce other
suits to be brought by other people
who had subscribed to the bonds of
the United States Shipbuilding COM
pany. Mr.. Hartman said he arranged
an interview between Governor Odell
and Mr.. Hyde, which was held in Mr..
Harriman's office.
Some days later Mr.. Hyde and Mr..
Colby visited Mr.. Hartman and Mr..
Hartman promised to see Governor
Odell and "try to get him to do some
thing about settling the suit" An
other interview between Governor
Odell and Mr.. Hyde took place; it may
nave been at Mr.. Harriman's house.
Afterward Mr.. Hyde told Mr.. Harri-
man that he was willing to pay $780,
600 and asked him to try to get the
governor to accept that amount. Gov
ernor Odell told Mr.. Hartman that if
he (Harriman) specially advised it. he
Governor OdelD would settle for that
amount.
81 told Mr.. Hyde after that inter-
view" said Mr.. Hartman, land said
to him that if l were in his place and
were going to settle it, while l had no
advice to give as to whether it should
be settled or not, 1 would not stand
OH $4,000 on settlement OF that
kind. l would make. it satisfactory.
And I understand afterward that Mr..
Hyde saw him and payment was
made. of which I had no further
knowledge"
Mr.. Hartman denied having said
to Mr.. Hyde as Mr.. Hyde had test
fled that there was a possibility of
powerful interests in Albany doing
harm to the Mercantile Trust COM
pany because of the shipbuilding loss
es. He also denied saying anything
to Mr.. Hyde about the repeal of the
charter of the Mercantile Trust COM
pany and declared that he did not
know of any rumor that a bill was
introduced to repeal that charter.
About a year ago, Mr.. Hartman
said, Mr.. Hyde came to him and ask
ed him to use his influence to have
him appointed as ambassador to
France, and that he (Mr. Harriman)
promised when ne saw the president
to speak to him about it. He said that
he did so, but did not know whether
Governor Odell did anything about the
appointment. There was no cOnnec-
ton, Mr.. Hartman said. between Gov
ernor Odells claim and his own action
on the ambassadOrship. Mr.. Hartman
said he mentioned the subject of the
Odell suit to President Roosevelt, but
did not remember whether the presi-
dent was consulted about it.
Mr.. Hartman said he might have
told Mr.. Hyde that it would be good
thing to have such a committee ap-
pointed as the one headed by Mr.
F'rick. He declared that he had never
said that the report of the Frick COM
mittee would be favorable to Mr.
Hyde. that he would not be concerned
in any movement to buy the Hyde
stock and that he had told Mr.. Hyde
and Mr.. Frick that Mr.. Hyde ought
not to sell it.
On the day before the report of the
Frick committee was presented, Mr..
Hartman said, he told Mr.. Hyde he
did not think anybody but the Equita-
BILE society or Mr.. Hyde should own
the shares and that if Mr.. Hyde had
any fears on that subject he (Mr.
Harriman) would subscribe $500 900 to
a fund to help him hold it, that if
he thought it desirable to turn it over
to the Equitable without any pay for
it, Mr.. Hartman thought others could
be induced to do the same thing.
Mr.. Hartman did not recall that
Mr.. Hyde made any answer to that
suggestion. Mr.. Hartman did not re-
peat this talk to the Frick committee.
and he said he did not think that COM
mittee had any specific Information
about the relations of the Equitable
to the Union Pacific syndicate other
than charges made TO the committee
by j. w. Alexander. The committee
did not ask him about the facts. In
the findings of the Frick committee
Mr.. Hartman said he understood that
Mr.. Hyde's membership in the syndi-
cate was criticised on the score that
he had committed the Equitable So
ciety to transactions without the
knowledge of the legislative commit
tee.