Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-16
Says He Defended the Young Man and Advised
Him to DO Better and Retrieve
Himself


him to use his influence to have him
appointed as ambassador to France
and that he (Mr. Harriman) promised
when he saw the president to speak to
him about it. He said that he did so,
but did not recommend Mr.. Hydes ap-
pointment.
Mr.. Hartman said he did not know
whether Governor Odell did anything
about the appointment. There was no
connection, Mr.. Hartman said, between
Governor Odelfs claim and his own
action on the ambassadorship. Mr..
Hartman said he mentioned the sub
ject of the Odell suit to President
Roosevelt but did not remember
whether the president was consulted
about 1t.
Had Defended Hyde
Mr.. Hartman said that early in the
Equitable troubles he had defended Mr..
Hyde from the attacks on him but had
advised him to favor the adoption of
the Frick report and told him that if
he would he (Mr. Harriman) would
stand by Mr. Hyde through thick and
thin. He also advised Mr. Hyde, he
said, to state that the methods he had
pursued were in use when he went into
the society, and that he was young
and inexperienced, that he was sorry
were given an opportunity. Mr.. Hyde,
the witness said objected to doing
that.
Mr.. Hartman said he might have
told Mr.. Hyde that it would be a good
thing to have such a committee an
pointed as the one headed by Mr.. Frick.
He declared that he had never said
that the report of the Frick committee
would be favorable to Mr. Hyde and
hn
offer to buy the Hyde stock and had
told Mr.. Hyde and Mr.. Frick that Mr..
Hyde ought not to sell it.
On the day before the report of the
Frick committee was presented. Mr..
Hartman said, he told Mr.. Hyde that
he did not think anybody but the
Equitable society or Mr.. Hyde should
own the Hyde shares of Equitable.
stock, and that if Mr.. Hyde had any
fears on that subject he (Mr. Harri-
mani would subscribe 100000 to a fund
to help him hold it. that if he thought
1t desirable to turn it over to the
Equitable without any pay for it, Mr..
Hartman thought others could be in
duced to do the same thing.
Mr.. Hartman did not recall that Mr.
Hyde made any answer to that sugges-
ton. Mr. Hartman did not repeat this
talk to the F'rick committee, and he did
not think that committee had anv
specific information about the relations
OF the Equitable to the Union Paclfic
preferred stock other than the charges
made to the committee by James w.
Alexander The committee did not ask
nm about the facts. In the findings OF
the Frlck committee Mr.. Hartman said
he understood that Mr.. Hydes mem-
bership in the syndicate was criticised
on the score that he had committed the
Equitable society to transactions With
out the knowledge of the executive
committee.
Hyde's Diplomatic Aspirations
do you know whether or not Gov
ernor Odell wrote a letter either to the
president or secretary of state advo-
eating the appointment of Mr. Hyde
as French ambassador shortly or i'm
mediately after the settlement of the
suit against the Mercantile Trust COM
pany" asked Mr.. Hughes.
Il am not sure about that Mr..
Hughes; when you speak of 1t | believe
there was some conversation" replied
Mr.. Hartman. Mr.. Hartman said he
never heard Of any arrangement by
which such letter should be written
by Governor Odell If the suit was set
tied.
Mr.. Hartman said he had told Mr..
Hyde when he asked him to become
director of the Equitable that he (Mr,
Harrlman) did not think the method
OF the agreement of the society was
the right one, and that Mr.. Hyde said
that he intended to change II.
Mr.. Hartman suggested that James
j. Hill be made a director of the so
ciety. Describing his duties as a dl-
rector, Mr. Hartman said he attended
the quarterly meetings and heard the
statements of the officers in which
they extolled the conduct of the officers
and congratulated them ON the pros
perity of the society. He had nothing
directly to do with the management
OF the Equitable. He never looked into
the expenses of the society until he be-
came a member of the Frick commit
tee.
Mr.. Hartman said he did not have
any interview with either Mr., Hyda or
SContinuea On PAGE Two.A