The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-10-21
FORGERY UNEAR7HED
District Attorneys Office Called Into
Life Insurance Investigation.
WITNESS DENIES GETTING CASH

Declares He Never Signed Voucher
Fer 1901 For Supplies For Mutual
Llfe-Mccurdy's Counsel In Sharp
Tilt With Committee.
New York. oct. l9.-The district at
torneys Office was called upon by the
legislative insurance investigating
committee because of the testimony
OF one witness, and the question OF an
arrest for perjury is now being con
sidered by Assistant District Attorney
Rand. The witness in question Is
George J. Plunkitt. an 1S-year-old tele-
phone operator in the employ Of the
stationery firm OF l.. w. Lawrence &
Co. from whom the Mutual Life In
surance company purchased a great
deal of its supplies Of this nature. IL
was brought out in the testimony that
among the vouchers for money charged
to legal expenses was one for 1901,
signed by George j. Plunkitt. When
Plunkitt was called he testified as to
his employment, and when shown the
voucher denied that he had ever
signed it. lie further denied that he
had ever received that amount OF
money from the Mutual Life Insur-
ance company or that he had rendered
the company any service.
Mr.. Hughes asked Plunkitt to write
his name in ink on piece Of paper,
which he did. This and the voucher
we're then offered in evidence, and the
similarity of the signatures was called
TO the attention OF the committee.
Shortly after this incident the ser
geant-at-arms was sent to communi-
cate with the district attorneys office,
and soon Mr.. Rand appeared. He was
escorted to a seat beside Chairman
Armstrong. and for time he critically
examined the signatures. All that Mr..
Rand would say was that he had been
summoned By Chairman Armstrong,
and when the chairman was ques-
toned he said the matter was now out
of the hands of the committee and
was ND to the district attorneys Of
fee"
Another feature of the hearing was
the passage at arms between Chair
man Armstrong, Counsel Hughes and
James NJ. Beck, counsel for President
r. A. McCurdy. Mr.. Beck accused
Mr.. Hughes OF misleading the public
by not following out his lines Of inter
rogation to the end. and asserted that
he dropped a subject before the wilt
ness was allowed to explain. Chairman
Armstrong then said that the work Of
the committee must not be INSTRUCTED.
The committee. he said, wanted all
the information II could get that would
be helpful. and the witness had placed
himself in the position he found HIM
self by his continual evasive answers.
Mr.. Hughes then said If he had erred
Il was by showing cOurtesies when
circumstances justified an entirely dif-
fcrent course adding that evasion
would be held up to the contempt 1t
has always received There was a
spontaneous outburst OF applause
when Mr.. Hughes had concluded,
which was stopped only by threat to
clear the room.
William H. Carpenter, a clerk under
A. c. Fields, head.of the supply de-
partment of the Mutual Life. testified
that the Mutual Life Insurance com
pany kept a house in Albany during
the legislative session Of 1903. He tes-
tIfed further that Charles p. McClel-
land. then a senator. and another SEN
ator lived in this house and had their
meals there, being members OF the
household. He could not say whether
they paid anything for the expenses
OF the house. Both senators, he said.
were members Of the insurance COM
mittee
When Mr.. McCurdy was recalled, he
said that he did not know that the
Mutual LIES funds had been main
tanning this house. although he did
know that Mr.. Fields had rented a
house to escape the risk of Illness in
hotels He was assured Mr.. Fields
paid $500 rent. Mr.. Carpenter said
the entire expense Of running the
house had been about $500.