Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-11-22
.PLATT AS WITNESS
New York Senator Before In-
 surance Investigators.
ADMITTED HE RECEIVED THOUSANDS
State Campaign Funds Augmented by Equitable and other Companies. Contradicted McCurdy--Man-
 ming Depew's Friend.

NEW YORK, Nov. 2. -Tottering and feeble, Senator Thomas c. Platt went on the witness stand before the legis- lative insurance committee here and confessed to having received from the Equitable, the Mutual and possibly from the New York Life Insurance company hundreds of thousands of dol lars for Republican state campaigns.
 He admitted that the money was paid to influence legislation at Albany.
 MT. Platt said these donations were always sent by special messenger in packages of currency and that he turn ed them over immediately either to the chairman, secretary or treasurer of the Republican state committee. He as- serted that he knew nothing of the de- tails of the distribution of the money.
 He gave the lie direct to Richard A. McCurdy, president of the Mutual Life. who swore when he was witness be- fore the committee that he had never contributed cent for political pur- poses outside of the Republican na- tional commitsee's strong box
 Leading up to the confession of Thomas c. Platt the day brought an unfolding of the mystery of Senator Chauncey M. Depew's friend up the river''
 Lawyer John A. Nichols, who wrote letters to Senator Depew about the "cantankerous friend up the river," who appeared annually as an applicant to the Equitable and grew impatient when not attended to promptly. went on the stand and revealed this friend" as one W. S. Manning. former actu- ary, who had entered into some sort of agreement with the Equitable and the other big companies through him by which Manning was paid money every year to refrain from writing matter inimical to the insurance interests, as he had been doing previous to the 'ar- engagement" The Equitable's payment to Manning, he said, was, as rule, $450 a year.
 Shades of the Tweed ring came back with Thomas P. Conan. whose busi- ness was taking care of the Equitable Life in departments of the city govern ment and having the personal tax as sessment of the companys officers re- duced.
 1 Second Vice President George E.. Tarbell of the Equitable Life followed Thomas Conan, and he was asked why he had had Conan interest himself in the Tarbell tax assessments.
 , All he did in my ease" said Tar bell, was to make an appointment at the tax office for me. I knew he was acquainted with the city departments and that was why asked him to do what he did for me-
 FpeIn zthiss pnintylM Mr, Hughes garried Tarbell through the history of the re- lations between life insurance agents and life insurance companies. Platt's haziness of mind. so far as Mccall and the New York Life was concerned. applied not only to the gen eralities of state campaign. but also as to any campaign of judicial of ficer in this city or elsewhere.
 Yes" agreed the old man just as he tottered down off the witness stand, "it must have been that the insurance companies expected quid pro quo for their contributions. They never asked me to do anything for them. but I think it must have been that they ex- pected that they would be paid back in protection for legislation"