The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-11-24
supposed" It Was Given
by Insurance Cempan-
les for Friendship and
to Prevent Undesir-
able Legislation.
Says He Had Received
Political Contributions
n Which We're Turned
Over to Gov. OdeII
for Distribution.

tor Distribution.
New York. Nov. Ex-senator Thorn
as G. Platt was the principal and SEN
sational witness before the legislative
insurance investigating committee to.
day. Aged and infirm, re was assist
ed to the witness chair where. under
the examination of Inquls.sLr Hughes
he admitted having In his official ca
pacity. received political contribu-
tions, including $4,000 year from
both the Equitable and Mutual Life
Insurance companies. He explained
that he had always turned the money
over to the state committee. of which
former Governor Odell was chairman.
for distribution, This money Senator
Plat said he Supposed" was given
by the insurance companies to assure
the friendship Of the legislators and
prevent the passage of legislation not
desired by the insurance corpora
tions.
The contributions, Senator Platt
said, had been made each year with
cut any particular reference to amy
candidate or candidates. The meth
messenger.
1t was developed by today's investi-
cation that the mysterious and ran
tankerous friend up the river" who
was mentioned in a letter while SEN
ntor Depew was on the stand last
week, was W. 8. Manning. travel.
Ing salesman, who was formerly an ac-
tuary.
An additional sensation Of the day
was the calling to the stand of AS
iemblyman James X. Apgar. of West
chester county, late in the afternoon.
fnquisitor Hughes made q strong ef-
fort to clear up the mystery sur.
rounding the card found attached to
Bome papers of the Equitable Life
Assurance society, which bore his
name and had written on the back
"Mr. Hyde says pay this man $1,000.
81. w. A."
Following the lead of more prom
inent witnesses who have preceded
him, MT, Apgar's forgetfulness
brought Mr. Hughes efforts 10 naught.
He swore that he could not remem-
ber the card. neither could be remem-
ber what the money was for, nor
whether he had ever received 1t or
not.
Mr.. Hughes gained point in fore.
Ing an admission from the counsel for
James w. Alexander that initials at
tached to the sentence on the back
Of the card were in the handwriting
Of Mr.. Alexander.
The first witness of the day was
John A. Nichols, the writer of the
letters shown to Senator Depew last
week. In which mention was made
; Of "our friend up the river" and "our
friend who usually comes around at
this time of the year." Senator De-
pew said he could not remember who
this man was or why he was demand,
Ing money from the Equitable.
Mr.. Nichols swore that for fifteen
years he had been receiving a retain
or from the Equitable of $1,000 a
year performing legal services
delegated to him. He declared that
his services were not In any sense
connected with the LEGISLATURES.
One of the men with whom; he had
to deal was w. s. Manning. an ac-
tuary. Explaining an 'actuary" Mich
OILS said that Manning used "to be
employed In matters inimical to the
company" Defining 'inimical" he ex-
planned that the man looked into ques.
tions OF premiums and reserves. Hs
sometimes urged, too. that dividends
were less than they ought to be. Mr..
Nichols said these duties we're per-
formed in behalf of the people en-
ploying him but he could not remem-
ber Manning's employers, nor Man.
ning's present whereabouts. He adj
mitted having made payments of $45O
TO Manning In 1894 and 1895. He also
explained that the man referred toAn
the letter shown to Depew was Man
ming. Pressed as to why he wrote to
Depew about Manning he said the
senator was on the finance commit
tee. Asked about the word "rantank
erous" he said that Manning "dld
become rantankerous."
"Is It not fact" asked Mr.. Hughes
"that Manning threatened to publish
a report showing that the testimony
of Henry b. Hyde and others had been
suppressed from the official report?'
Mr.. Nichols declared that ne never
heard of such thing.
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