The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-22
John A. Nichols DisclOSes
 Identity.
I. C. PLATT ALSO WITNESS
insurance Companies Regular Contributors in Campalgn.
The New York Senator Says He Was Expected to Protect the Con- cerns from Any Hostile
 Legislation.

New York, Nov. 2i.--The identity of Senator Depew's "rambunctious friend up the river. was disclosed in the ses- sion of the State Legislative Insurance investigation Committee today by the testimony of John A. Nichols, lawyer under retainer by the Equitabie Lire Assurance Society.
 Mr. Nichols had written Senator De pew a letter referring to an fndiviouai in the above terms and the letter was read at the session of committee Fri- day when Senator DeDew was on the stand. The Senator was unable to re- call who was called the 'rambupctious friend,'' but today Mir. Nichols disclosed a series of payments to W. H. Manning of Albany, a former actuary, who had been connected with the investigation of insurance companies in 1877.
 Mir Hughes inquired as to a report that Manning had beer In possession of information that was suppressed during the investigation and that would have been detrimental to the Equitable. Mir. Nichols could not re- call the suppression of information, but he details the payment of sums of money over a considerable period to Manning as an inducement to give up his business as actuary, in which ca- pacity he believed Manning was a men, ace to the Equitable Life.
 Paid Regular Retainer.
 Mr. Nichols said he was paid a re- tainer from the Mutual and New York Life for the same purpose. that ts' taking care of Manning" as Mir Hughes characterized it. He an- nounced the payment by the Equitable for Manning was made to Nichols on vouchers bearing false names, which Mfr. Nichols said was done to protect Manning.
 Aside from the disclosures made by Nichols on the witness stand, the fea- ture of the day was the appearance of who did not hesitate to tell of the con tributions of insurance companies to State campaigns. The Equitable, the Mutual and the New York Life were the only insurance companies that made cobtributsd regularly sfo, o,ooo to State campaigns, the Mutual the same and as frequently, and the New York Life a sum not as large. and occasionally only. The moneys were always defiv- cred in cash to Senator Platt's offiee by messenger and he turned them over to he was expected to influence the Leg tsiature when any Legislation appeared that was hostile to the insurance com panies. Senator Piatt said he believed he had asked President McCurdy for a contribution when the needs were very great.
 Tarbell Tells Secrets.
 Gaze E. Tartell. the second vice president of the Equitable. was also a 1vtfuess today r5'- -o--'--- Friday was interrupted by the adjournment and today he continued his exclamation of the agency system of which he had charge end the maner of arriving at commissions. He detailed a history of the agencies in the insurance company of his own efforts to reduce the cost of getting business.
 During his testimony, Mir. Tarbell made a very extended explanation of the good the insurance companies have done and the difficulties under which the work is carried on. One part or his testimony caused much amusement to the committee as well as to the spectators when he described fight with the New York Life over taking over agents.
 In this statement, Mir Tarbell told how he had won over a general agent and 200 sub-agents of the New York Life in this city. without the cost to the Equitable of so much as one dollar. The only inducement offered was that the agents could make more on com mission basis than under a salary of the New York life.
 Made Deal on Sunday.
 Mir Tarbell detailed this deal with the agent in its various steps and said that he clOSeQ tue dedt uH d CunOdy. He thought it was a good job and it was done on a good day.
 Mir Tarbell's testimony was again in- terrupted during the afternoon and As- semblyman James J. Apgar of Vest chester, was called. His card, with the ! inscription Hyde says to pay him. was attached to voucher for $l.s0O which the Equitable paid Thomas Illus led and the voucher bore Husted's en- dorsement MT. Apgar knew absolutely nothing about the money. nor did he know how his card came to be used for such a purpose.
 position of George H. Squire. the for naer financial manager of the Equitable Life. would be read for the record but Mir. Hughes explained that the sup- committee had not completed the ex- animation, Mir. Squire being too feeble to stand any lengthy conversation
 PIatt Causes q stir.
 Senator Platt's entrance created stir in the Committed room. He walk ed slowly in on the arm of Robegt c. Morris, his counsel, and leaning neaVi' ly on a cane. He took the witness chair and was sworn. MT. MOTIFS started to address the committee, ou stopped on Chairman Armstrong's ex' planatton that counsel are not hearo formally by the committee.
 Senator Platt had been carried uI the stairs of the city hall to the dooi of the committee room in chair When he was seated and sworn. Mir Morris said the Senator would answe' all questions freely and frankly.
 In reply to questions by Mir. Hughei Senator Platt said he had received con tributions more particularly from th' Equitable Life Assurance Society fol the State campaign fund and during { period of at least the last ten years The contributions were of $10,oo0 each He could not tell when they com menced but they continued every yea for some time. He received no none! from the Equitable for local campaign nor for the expenses of any candidate to the Legislature. The money wa divided as seemed expedient Tn packages of money, he said, were sen over to his office by a messenger ant he immediately turned them over t' either the Chairman, Secretary O Chairman of the State Committee.
 They were all cash contributions, al came by messenger and all came vol untari1y Senator Platt said he coul' E mi remember whether he made a Ta