Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-16
HARTMAN GIVES VERSION
Continued from First Page.)

Continued from First Page.)
to meet me. made an appointment to
meet him. At II o'clock Mr.. Cravath came
and said Ryan was sorry he had to pro-
coed without me. 1 told Mr.. Cravath
considered this an act of bad faith turned
my back on Cravath and walked away.
Mr.. Ryan later asked me to come to his
office on Monday and meet Mr.. Root.
Root Insists on Trustees.
''In that interview with Cravath he told
me that Mr. Root had insisted on the ap-
pointment of the trustees of the Equitable
at once and the announcement In the
morning papers. That was the first in
timation that Mr.. Ryan had asked the
trustees to act. l want you all to under
stand that / have something besides life
insurance to do and think of. My mind
was on the 5000 miles of railroads and
| thirty-five to forty steamships which
| have to take care of. I wanted only to
safeguard the Equitable Mr. Ryan did
not tell me at the first interview what he
paid for tho Hyde stock.
AT the next interview Root and Cra-
vath were present. l said to Ryan You
want my cooperation He said, Yes.
: I said. will take half of your stock pro-
vided you win agree to the appointment
OF two additional trustees who will be
absolutely independent Ryan refused
and told me l had promised TO
help him IL l was satisfied. said this
was my way of being satisfied. ] do not
| remember what else l said / may have
said what these gentlemen say did. I
intended. unless l was satisfied of his mo-
tivas, to oppose his control of the society
ha I
knew whom he had selected as trustees
but did not know his plan to divest him.
self of control OF the stock"
why did you object?" asked Mr.
Hughes
II wanted two trustees Independent OF
Mr. Ryan. I think that any trustees
named as Mr.. Ryan named them must bs
to a certain extent under his control, espe
cially as he had named a man out of hi,
own organization as president. l did no
demand a right to name two trustees. bu
merely that they should be independent o.
Ryan. l offered to turn my stock over L
the society IL all did. l don't see why h,
should not make the trustees number
hundred IL his motives were pure. l wa
not a philanthropist; l did not consider |
such for him to pay S2,5OO,00o which h.
was going to get back when he got contro
of the society"
= No Possibility of Panic.
at was because OF my interest in tn
Equitable that ! wanted a share. Their
was no possibility OF a panic. No one bu
Ryan had such view. doubt whethe
he had IT,"
did you tell Ryan IL he did not give yo
a share OF the stock you would oppos
whatever he did," asked Mr. Hughes.
. mo, sir wrong Interpretation ha
been put on what I know OF this. / hav
no recollection of having said TO Ryan
did not intend to let anybody control tina
stock unless | had a share in It. cannO
! say positively that l did not say 1t"
Ibid you tell MIN he would have you
help If he gave you a share?'
~ made no demand for the stock, bu
insisted that he should satisfy me tina
purity fhis motives which he could d
ny giving me a share"
Did you tell him he could not succee
Il without your help%'
Il was convinced that he intended {
center the control of the Equitable in hin
self and ] told him that my inhuenC
would be thrown against him. ! told hi
4 ! would use every effort | could 1t wa
4 not so strenuous an interview 1t Taste
only fifteen minutes"
DID you refer to legislative action {
say anything about the legislAturoS''
! 81 do not recall any such thing. or thi
l would do anything to influence legisl'
ton l cannot deny positively that 1 d.
| do not know that II would have bee
1 improper. Everybody knew that the
/ would be legislation on the matter. If
recoliect, l would be perfectly willing
/ tell it,"
No steps Against Eyan.
Did you take any steps 10 tbvaTt b
| plans?"
Not yet. | had no conversation wi
/ Governor Odell about the advisability of
l legislative investigation nor about a
, kind of legislation whatever. / knew not
I ing about this investigation whatever"
Mr.. Hartman said he was in politics a
= has some political influence and he (
not consider II improper II he did use
political influence against Ryan. Moth
improper in Ryan's conduct OF the ECU