Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-25
Specific Charges Of Royal
Benefit Society
WITH COMMISSIONERS
BULKY PAPER FILED WITH DIS-
TRICT OFFICIALS TODAY.
Allegations Mentioned Briefly and
Strongly Emphasized-Hearing to
Be Granted Both Sides.


president, D. F. Pennington, today formally
preferred before the District Commission
ers specific charges against Thomas l.
Drake, superintendent of the District In
surance department, and formally request
ed the removal of Mr.. Drake from that Of
flee. The society presents its own per-
sonal grievances against Superintendent
Drake In thirty-one specific counts. and In
addition to these presents nineteen addi-
tional counts under the head Of general
charges "outside of its own specific wrongs
at the hands of the superintendent" max
ing fifty charges in all.
The formal presentation of specific
charges has been preceded during the past
week by two communications from the so
ciety. the first of which was received by
the Commissioners last Wednesday, and
contained a notice that the society pro-
posed to prefer charges against the super
intendent of insurance, and outlined the ma
ture of the allegations. Late yesterday
afternoon the Commissioners received the
second communication from the society, q
lengthy document. emphasizing the allega-
tons briefly mentioned in the first letter
and making a number of inquiries as to
certain actions of Superintendent Drake
and also seeking information concerning
an alleged affidavit of Henry j. Green OF
Charlotte N. c., in which there Is an init
nation of improper official relations be-
tween Ernest f. Niemeyer. former en-
ploye of the Royal Benefit Society, and Su-
perintendent Drake.
Upon receipt of the charges against Mr..
Drake today Commissioner Macfarland
stated that the Commissioners will give due
and careful consideration to the matter and
will see to 1t that both the Royal Benefit
Society and Superintendent Drake are
given fair and impartial opportunity to
present their respective sides Of the case
Commissioners West and Biddle were not
at the District building today, and there
fore the matter will not be taken up by
the board of Commissioners until Monday
1t Is expected the hearing on the charges
will be set for some time within the next
few weeks. in order that there may be as
little delay as possible in investigating the
matter
Personal Grievances.
The society under the heading of per
sonal grievances makes allegations against
Superintendent Drake in brief as follows:
That the superintendent of insurance en-
tered into collision with the former en-
ploye of the society looking to its destruc-
ton: that he used moneys Of his depart
ment for alleged attempts to investigate
the society at other points than In the Dis
trict of Columbia and securing reports
winch are untrue; that he did this with ma
lictous intent.
For inveigling the society to apply to
him for license without warrant of law:
for doing this with malicious intent to serve
ms purpose by circulating libelous and I'M
true statements as to the position of the
society to destroy its business For mis-
representing the attitude OF the society to
the corporation counsel and to the boa I'd
or Commissioners, with malicious intent
For falsely and maliciously publishing in
his annual report for 1902 a libel upon the
society without warrant of law. For yiolat-
ing the provisions of the code by refusing
to furnish the society with blanks on which
to make its annual report for the year 1904
For falsely and maiiciously stating that the
society had been enjoined from doing busi-
ness.
For threatening the society with proceed
ure under the criminal section of the code
wholly without warrant of law, in order to
intimidate it from doing business For caus-
ing examinations of the society with the
intent OF satisfying prejudiced motives For
publishing and circulating false reports
based upon false statements in reports OF
examinations For writing to other insur-
ance departments requesting them to can
Gel the license of the Royal Benefit Society
without authority of law and maliciously
For .misrepresenting the law and the facts
TO other insurance departments"
The society further alleges that Superin-
tendent Drake violated sections 655 and 74G
of the code and created rules with reference
to the society without warrant of law and
for the purpose of maliciously injurine il
by depriving it of its legal rights" The
charges also allege that Mr.. Drake has cast
needless suspicion on the society, causing
it to lose members and to be regarded
with suspicion, and that he caused agents
OF the society to be arrested in Florida
Many of the thirty-one counts In the
charges are merely repetitions of pre-
ceding allegations.
General Charges.
Under the heading of general charges
the society alleges Superintendent Drake
Is derelict in the duties of his Office by
falling to issue his reports In time to be
of value to the insurance interests he Is
supposed to supervise; that he has driven
insurance capital from the District by his
methods of persecution, and that he refuses
to obey the provisions Of the code. but
adopts rules in lieu thereof where his ends
are better served"
In one count the society insnuates a new
line of charges in the following language.
That he has made statements to one M
more representatives of insurance COM
panies calculated to impress any one with
the belief that he desired compensation for
issuing a license. thus injuring the dignity
and reputation of his office and of the Dis.
trict he represents"
The general charges allege also that ST..
perintendent Drake has considerable fric-
ton In his management of the insurance
department. and that he is showing favor
itism in the administration of his office In
count number thirteen of the general
charges the society makes the following al
legation against Mr.. Drake: THAT he Is
undignifed in his conduct; unlawful in his
methods; untruthfui in his statements: I'm.
fair in his dealings and unscrupulous in
his practices The charge Is also made
that Mr.. brakes official acts are largely
delneated by his prejudces on the one
hand and his favoritism on the other, and
that he is mentally unfit for the position.
The society requests of the Commission
ers sufficient time in which to sustain all
of the allegations made and require the
superintendent of insurance to furnish GER
tain documents and letters, and guarantee
witnesses. officials of various companies
and societies. full protection In the giving
of their testimony
The society also requests that In any in
vestigation of thu department and its finan-
cial methods that an accountant of the So
ciety be permitted to participate in the in
vestiga ton at the societys expense The
society also asks the Commissioners to en-
ploy a special counsel to represent the So
ciety In its complaint.
Another request of the society Is as fol-
lows: THAT in case a committee of alien
lists are appointed to examine into the men,
tai condition of the superintendent this so
ciety be allowed to employ one at its own
expense, the Commissioners another and