The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-16
HARTMAN CLAIMS HIS
 OBJECT QUITE HONEST
VAS SUSPICIOUS OF RYAE'S IN- TEREST IN THE EQUIT-
 ABLE LIFE.

Not Satisfied as to the Unselfishness
 and Purity of the Desire to Get Con-
 trOI of the StOck-DId Tell Ryan
 That He Would Use His Influence
 Against Him for This Reason
 Wanted Half of the Hyde Stock
 Says Oden Got His Political Influence
 from Him.
 New York, Dec. 15.-Another chapter was added to the chronicles of series of what Thomas F. Ryan called 'istren- uous interviews'' between himself and E. H. Hartman. Mir. Ryan gave his version of the conversations to the committee a few days ago when he said that MT. Hartman, at the time of the acquisition of the James H. Hyde stock, demanded an equal share of the Hyde stock of the Equitable Life As surance society, and threatened to use his political influence against him if he did not surrender it. Then MT. Har- riman recited to the court his version of the affair and added some interest," ing statements affecting his relations with the former governor, B. B. Odell' jr., chairman of the republican state committee, and as to a request to wtach legislation affecting the Equita- ble society, which he had made upon Governor. Francis W. Higgins and the late s. Fred Nixon, speaker of the New York State assembly.
 In substance MT. Hartman stated to the committee to-day that when Mir. Ryan bought the Hyde stock, carrying control of the Equitable society, he asked MT. Hartman to cooperate with him in saving the property; that Mr. Hartman agreed to do so if satisfied that MT. Ryan was acting from pure and unselfish motives; that MT. Ryan did not satisfy him of the purity of his motives and that Mir. Hartman mo- tified him that he would use his influ- ence against him. The test which Mir. Hartman said he applied to determine Mir. Ryan's purity of motive was an offer to take one-ha1f of the Hyde stock and to name two trustees of the society,
 MT. Ryan refused to agree to that. MT. Hartman testified that MT. Ryan ought to have assumed that he (Har- ', riman) would use his political influ- enoe against him. He was not certain whether he said anything about legis- lative action as q warning to MT. Ry- an, but declared that he had nothing to do with starting the present insur- ance Investigation. ss ,&&~ .**@.
 Charles E. Hughes, counsel for the committee, Informed MT, Hartman that it has been charged that he got his political influence through his re- lation with former governor B. B.. l odell, jr. MT. Hartman said: "Woll, I should think MT. Odelt had political influence because of his relation with me" Laughter, followed the remark. Later MT. Hartman said to the Asso- ciated Press that the remark was meant in a iocular sense.
 l MT. Hartman declared to the conn mittee that he did not confer with MT. Odell about the advisability of legis- i lative action and that he had not vel taken any action to thwart MT. Ry- ans plans.
 l Last spring, MT. Hartman said, when the management of the Equita- ble Life Assurance society was divii- ed into two factions, one headed by President James W. Alexander and the other by James H. HZde, an att tempt was made by the Alexander tac- out for any legislation favorable to tion to induce the legislature to mutu- alize the society. MT. Hartman said he asked members of the legislature to watch out for any Legislation favera- bleto the Alexander faction, and to re- port to him if it appeared. He was averse to disclosing the names of the , men to whom he wadethis request. and only consented to do so after repeated urging on the part of Senator William w. Armstrong and MT. Hughes, and after he had been allowed to consult with his counsel. He then stated that 1t was governor Higgins and Speaker Nixon whom he had asked to watch out for the Alexander legis ation. He added that no such legislation was in troduced, and that he took ho steps through Governor Higgins and Speaker Nixon to prevent it.