Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-25
Action Taken by Equitable's
Former President.
BIG RESTITU TON
REGARDED AS VICTORY FOR
STATE OFFICIALS.
Letter Addressed to Paul Morton by
the Son of James w. Alexander
Denial by James n. Hyde.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK. June 2i-Attorney General
Mayer tonight gives out the text of a letter
addressed to Paul Morton by II. NJ. Alex
ander. showing that the latter's father.
James w. Alexander. former president of
the Equitable Life Assurance Society had
made restitution of $25. O53 received by him
as his share of the profits in various under
writing transactions by which securities
were sold to the society.
The transmission of the letter on behalf
of President Alexander to the attorney gen.
eral followed a conference today between
some of Mr.. Alexanders counsel and ex-
Judge Mayer. The letter read. in part:
Il beg leave to inclose to you check for
S2o.ooa.22 to the order of the Equitable Life
Assurance Society. being the amount of
seven checks received by James W. Alex
ander upon the dates given below together
with intrest thereon at per cent, to date
These are the amounts referred 10 in the
preliminary report of Superintendent Hen
bricks.
II am writing this letter owing to the ILL.,
ness of my father. Mr.. James w. Aiexan-
der. but in doing so 1 am carrying out his
views. expressed In January last and since
maintained.
yours truly. H. M. ALEXANDER'
The letter gives in detail the profits made
by Mr.. Alexander in various transactions
Several weeks ago James II. Hyde restored
to the society $4,000 that he had received
from similar transactions
Victory for State omcials.
The restitution is considered the most
important victory won by the state officials
who were moving to compel the restoration
of money alleged to have been obtained i'm
properly by officers and directors of the
Equitable by virtue of their connection with
the society. Moreover, the statement is
made in authoritative quarters that Attor-
ney General Mayer and his advisers would
not be largely surprised if the restitution
OF other sums should follow within the next
few days or weeks.
Ex-President Alexander's condition. 1t
was learned tonight, is most serious, and
grave doubts are entertained for him by
few of his friends who aware of the
facts He has long been sufferer from Il
chronic disorder, and ten days ago gave
way to the intense strain under which he
has been since the controversy in the
Equitable began.
Denial by Hyde.
James H. Hyde yesterday denied story
published in a morning paper to the effect
that his father. the late Henry. Il, Hyde.
had enjoined a commission of per cent on
the premiums of all Equitable policies dur
ing certain part of his life, and that
after the death of the elder Hyde in settle
ment of this claim. = i s.
Mr.. Hyde declared that the stopy-was a
myth Ton a par. with many other tales
that have been told to the public" He
continued: ~ --=3st ss-s
I'm this connection I may also say in
passing that if the superintendent of in
surance had taken the precaution to make
full inquiries into the history of the safe
deposit leases. which has passed the scru-
tiny of various superintendent for twenty
five years and more. before assailing the
memory of a dead man. he would have
learned that the society had made vast
sums of money out of these leases, and
many other things that would have mate
rally changed his point of view He would
have learned. among other things, for in
stance, that the Mercantile Safe Deposit
vaults originally belonged to the Mercan-
tile Trust Company; that my father took
over these vaults In 1876 when they were
earning nothing; that he paid 5000, 900 in
cash to the Mercantile Trust Company for
the good will as matter of personal pride
and sacrifice to save the Mercantile Trust
Company from insolvency"