The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1905-10-20
PRESIDENT OF MUTUAL LIFE
REFUSES TO ANSWER
And Escapes Being Indicted McCurdys Offer of Another Witness
Alone Prevented His Indictment

let Mr.. McCurdy place himself in the
position he did. Had he, however,
been directed to answer and knowing
the information desired, and then re-
| fused. Mr.. Armstrong said steps would
| have been taken to indict him for a
| misdemeanor, which is the offense OF
witness refusing to answer questions
before a legislative committee while
| the legislature Is not in session. Ii
| the legislature were In session refusal
to answer would have constituted con-
tempt.
MIR. McCurdy during the day
| launched forth into a protest as to the
manner in which the investigation was
being conducted. He said the CONF
mlttee was going beyond the scope sp@
tended when it was appointed by the
legislature and that the investigation
had assumed the proportions Of an III"
QUESTION.
He was asked by Senator Armstrong
how he would conduct the inyestiga-
ton and told that If he had any better
method the committee would be glad
to know of 1t. Mr.. McCurdy thought
that putting a witness under oath made
him feel he was on the rack. He said
his answers were published in a dis
torted form, which appeared like an
attempt to ruin him.
After taking up the questions of the
reduction of dividends, Mr.. Hughes
read a long list of policy numbers with
the amounts of the face Of the policy.
what had been paid in, and the divi-
dends received by the policyholders.
Asked what he had to say to these, MFR.
McCurdy said, Figures don't lie, but
liars can figure" He then hastily ex-
planned that he meant that facetiously
and that he would he glad to verify
the figures. The only explanation for
specific instance of a reduction OF
dividends Mr.. McCurdy gave was that
: be supposed the policyholder had
= reduced rate policy.
r The legal expenses were again re-
4 Cured to and number OF vouchers
= for the payment of various sums We're
t read 1t was brought out that Will
= lam Barnes, Sr., of Albany, had ap-
= peared before the committees in AL
bany last winter and had received
81 900 from the New York Life Insur-
: ance company, as we'll as the same
/ amount from the Mutual Life Insur-
s ance company Later it was brought
Y out in a letter to Mr.. McCurdy from
i William Barnes, Jr., that Mr.. Barnes,
! Sr., was under an annual retainer to
r the Mutual Life Insurance company.
I Wisconsin Men involved.
q Mr.. Hughes showed to Mr.. McCurdy
voucher for the payment of $4,000 to
q William A. Fricke, formerly insurance
n commissioner of Wisconsin, and let
}. ter from Charlton r. Lewis, an attor-
a ney of Madison, Wis. The letter
4 stated that Mr.. Fricke would accept a
y retainer Ito see that the interests of
Il the Mutual Life should come to no
, harm" in that state. Mr. McCurdy ap-
q proved the voucher but could not re-
, member the details.
. A voucher in 1902 for $4,000 pay
4 able to T. Fl. Bowles was explained by
a Mr.. McCurdy as part payment in set
~ tlement of suit Mr. Bowles, formerly
- the general agent in Milwaukee, had
4 brought against the company 1t was
II testified to earlier in this month that
= Mr.. Bowles had been dismissed by the
;, company for insubordination. Mr.. Nc
: Curdy said Tuesday that the insubor-
:, dination consisted in throwing mud
and trying to injure the company.
Later Mr. Bowles agitated policy
holders crusade against the company
II and Mr.. McCurdy said the suit was
d settled to end the agitation, adding
Il that BOWleS went with the agitation
|, Thomas H. Bowles has not been In
d business since he severed his connec-
n tion with the Mutual Life Insurance
d company in Milwaukee. He is visit
e ing in this city and Tusday night he
), gave out statement in which he said :
s. THE aspersions cast upon me by the
s speculations and deductions drawn out
t by the testimony offered in the insur-
9 ance investigation are false, and
d stand ready, at the pleasure of the
J. committee, to go before that honorable
Il body and give the facts"
II The entire testimony of the day was
? a continual thrust and parry between
s counsel and the witness and when adj
d iournment was taken for the day Mr..
r. Hughes had not finished with Mr. Mo
/. Curdy
James Fl. Hyde of the Equitable Life
L. Assurance society and William H. Nc
l. Intyre, also of the Equitable, will vol
e unfairly appear before the committee.
2, Neither Mr. Hyde nor Mr.. Mcintyre
o will be called this week.