The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-11-16

Mr.. Mccall Told lie Must Order
Missing InsuranceWitnesS Home.
pRosERs DEMAND ACCOUNTING
yestimonv Shows the Equitable Order
ed Agent to Kill or Assist In Passing
Bills in Legislature That Atteeteo or
usined the ComnanY or officers.

Helped the Company OF O''09's'
Now York Nov. John A. Nc
Call. president of the New York Lie
Insurance company. was called before
the Armstrong committee of insurance
Investigation and peromptorily ordered
nv the committee to demand the return
from Europe of Andrew Hamilton the
LAWYER who has had charge OF leslsia-
tive matters for the New YORK Lie
Mr.. Mccall was further ordered 10 de-
mand an accounting from Hamilton OF
the moneys expended by him and OF
the balance which ne owes the New
York Life. Mr.. Call denied that II was
the policy of his company TO have MT.
Hamilton remain abroad until AFTER
this INVESTIGATION had been concluded
and said that on the contrary he would
very much like To have Mi Hamilton
return.
Mr.. Mccall. replying to Mr. Hughes.
counsel for the committee. said he had
called the attention of the board OF
trustees TO his testimony before the
committee relative TO Hamilton and
gave Mr.. Hughes a copy of his state
ment. which said that il Hamilton did
not return to the New York Life the
nm of S22500O by December 81 he
would himself pay IL to- the company.
Mr. Mccall said Mr. Hamilton was
either in Paris or Nauhoim.
Another interesting line Of examina-
ton was opened mp just before the adj
journment for the day when John Me-
Guinness. an employe of the Equitable
Life. was called He produced letter
books and memoranda which Mr..
Hughes reed ana was i'm the midst OF
reading when adjournment was taken
These were instructions from former
Comptroller Thomas d. Jordan. of the
Eouitable. 10 4. c. Fields relative TO
the killing or assisting the passage OF
every bill introduced into the lesisla-
ture that would affect OF help the In
terests of the insurance company or
any Of It's officers
The letter referred Fields 10 a bill
relative to taxation which Mr.. Jordan
instructed Fields to have killed if 1t
affected Suffolk county Mr.. Hughes
who had been reading the memoranda.
stopped here and asked the witness
what interest the Equitable had IN suf-
folk county. Witness hadn't sufficient
information 10 clear this point but
when asked if # wasn't because James
II. Hyde had a residence there. witness
replied he thought IL was.
Other witnesses were John R. Hege-
man. president Of the MetropOl tan Lie,
and Vice President Fiske, who were in
terrogated along the line Of agents sal
aries. legal expenses of the company.
real estate holdings and the methods
Of acquiring properties. and the fact
was brought out that the fire insur-
ance firm that places all the risks on
the properties OF the Metropolitan is
composed of ". D. Edmister and Silas
b. butcher. the latter a director OF the
Metropolitan Life.
The low rate of interest at which Mr..
Hegeman secured loans and the reason
of the rebates of this interest that
Mr.. Hegeman received from the old
firm of Vermiiye & Co was testified to
by several members Of that firm, which
has since gone ont of business. This
firm was the banker Of the Metropoli-
tan Life but since last March the bust
ness has been taken over by VIM. A.
Reade & Co. Mr. Reade was a wit
ness and said that Mr.. Hegeman got
these loans at a rate below the market
rate because Mr. Hegeman had been
client for a number Of years and be-
cause Of the volume Of business he
transacted with the firm Of Nermilye
e On