Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-11
LEGAL EXPENSES OF MUTUAL
officials Testify that Counsel Have Carte
Blanche in Matter Of Disbursements.
CASH FOR POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Ninety Thousand Dollars Paid to
Republican Committee In Three
CampaiEns-McCurdy says In
surance is PHILANTHROPY.

NEW YORK. Oct 1O-The sessions OF
the insurance investigating committee were
terminated for the week at the adjourn
nent today because OF the death OF s.
Fred Nixon, speaker Of the assembly OF
the legislature Of New York. at his home
in Westfeld
The testimony today did not elicit any
information OF a sensational nature beyond
what had been discounted in the testi-
mony OF previous witnesses. The feature
was the presence as witnesses Of the execu-
tive officers Of the Mutual Life Insurance
company. These were President Richard
A. McCurdy and Vice Presidents Granniss
and Gillette
While Il had been hinted last week that
some expenditures charged to legal ex-
penses might have been contributions to
campaiG i committees IL was announced
definitely by DR.. Gillette that the Mutual
company contributed $4,000 to the repub-
iican national committee last fall. that In
1900 $4,000 was contributed and in 1896 $3.50
was given for campaign purposes.
Gillette Pays the Cash.
pr. Gillette testified that he paid these
amounts personally in cash and later In
the day Mr.. McCurdy said that while he
knew campaign contributions had been
made he did not know the amounts. He
said that no contributions had been made
to campaign committees before 1896 and
that no contribution to state municipal
campaigns had ever been made in this
or any other state. The contribution of
800 to the congressional campaign COM
mittee, Mr. McCurdy said. he knew nothing
| about until It came out in the testimony
last week.
An interesting statement was made by
uuh ho ha
stand early in the day. Mr.. Olyphant is
chairman Of expenditures and he could not
| tell what the. s25, 900 items drawn to his
order were for beyond that they were for
legal expenses. He said the company main
| tatned a confidential fund for expenditures
for which no voucher was taken and no
receipt was received. These payments were
made upon assurance OF an executive officeT
that they were all right"
| Vice President Granniss knew little about
the contributions to campaign funds. but
justified them on the same ground as
President John A. Mccall of the New York
Life, that the silver plank in the demo.
cratic platform was a menace to the inter.
ests Of the policyholders.
Solicitors Have Carte Blanche.
When Mr.. Crimmins was called he as
sumed the entire responsibility for the
terms Of the contracts with c. Fl. Raymond
& Co., by which that frrn made such large
profits. When the method OF the expendi
ture OF the $4,000 items was inquired into
Mr.. Granniss admitted that the genera
solicitor could get $4,000 any time n,
wanted II without disclosing for what pur
pose he wanted 1t and without rendertn,
any account of it, He further said h,
never knew where a cent of the none,
spent by the general solicitor went 1,
taking up detailed list of the company
expenses DIR. Gillette said that the com
pany last year paid S72OOO for luncheons 70
the employees. 1t is custom for the com
pany to furnish its clerks with luncheon
This is at rate of about $3.50 a day.
President McCurdy WAS on the stand al
of the afternoon session, He detailed tn
manner OF his entrance into the insuranc
business He praeticed law for nine year
ana was counsel of the widows an
, Orphans Benefit Life Insurance company
of which c. II. Raymond was the president
, When the company went out OF busines
Mr.. McCurdy went with the Mutual Lif,
Mr.. McCurdy testified that he never kne,
| what Mr.. Thebaud, his son-in-law, wa
, getting out of the business of c. H. RAY
mond & Co and said he did not think
was any OF his business to ask about MI
Thebauds personal affairs He said tn
company paid the commissions to get tn
business and that was all he knew. A
contracts were made without his know
edge. Witness said on the matter {
salaries that he never requested that h
salary be raised and all such increases h
? took as complimentary to his managemer
. of the business. They were always mad
3 by the committee on salaries of its ow
% volition.
Insurance fa PhfIauthronw