The Cairo bulletin., 1905-10-19
PLUNK|TT DENIED
SIGNING VOUCHER
And VIII be Arrested for Perjur.
ing Himself
MORE OF MUTUAL LIFE
LIVELY TILT BETWEEN COUNSEL
HUGHES, ATTORNEY BECK
AND CHAIRMAN s
ARMSTRONG.

/
/ New York, Oct 1S-The district
attorneys office was called upon today
BY the insurance investigating commit
| tee because OF the testimony Of one
witness, and the question OF an arr
rest for perjury Is now being con-
sidered BY ASS stant District Altor-
ney Rand The witness in question
/ is George J. Piun:;itt, an 1S-year-old
/ telephone operator in the employ of
| the stationery firm of Il. W. Lawrence
& 90, from whom the Mutual Life
Insurance company purchased great
deal Of its supplies of this nature.
II was brought out in yesterday IS
| testimony that among the vouchers
for money charged to legal expenses"
was one for 1901 signed by George u
Pluuk'tt, but his identity was not dis
closed until today. when Plunkltt was
called TO the stand
When shown the voucher he denied
he Lad ever signed. He further de
MED that he had ever received that
amount OF money from the Mutual
Life or that he had rendered the com
pany any service Attorney Hughes
az sked Piunkitt to write his name in
ink Oh piece OF paper, which he did.
This and The voucher were then
Offered II evidence and the similarity
Of the signatures was called to the
attention of the committee. District
Attorney. Rand was sent for and the
matter placed in his hands.
Another feature OF the day was the
passage at arms between Chairman
Armstrong, Counsel Hughes and
James M. Beck, counsel for President
McCurdy. Beck accused Hughes of
misleading the public by not follow
ms cut his lines Of interrogation to the
end. and asserted that he dropped a
subject before a witness was allowed
to explain Armstrong said the work
of the comm ttee must not be oh
stnlcted Pie committee he said
wanted all the information Il ouli get
that would be helpful ana the wit.
ness had placed himself in the posi-
tion ne found himself by his continaed
egasive answers Armstrong said
further, that every witness will be
treated with all possible courtesy.
Hughes said if he had erred, 1t was
by showing courCesies when crcum-
stances justified an entirely different
course, adding that evasion would be
held mp to The contempt ii has always
received, That was the signal for
the spontaneous outburst of applause
when Hughes mad concluded, which
was stopped only by a threat to clear
the room.
William NJ Carpenter. clerk in the
supply room OF the Mutual Life who
was under the direction of A, c.
Fields, super ntendent Of this depart
ment and was very close to Fields
in mis- Legislative supervision" at Al
bany, told how a house had been
maintained In Albany for several
years AZ expense of the Mutual Life
Fields occupied it only during the
legislative session. and on several oc-
easions two members of the leg sla-
ture lived in the house with Fields
Carpenter leased the house and paid
for the servants and supplies with
money furnished by The Mutual Life.
Attempt was made by Hughes today
TO get traces of Thomss ID. Jordan,
former comptroller of the Equitable
Life. Frank b. Jordan was called
under a subpoena and said he saw his
father last Labor Day He did not
know then that he was going away
and did not know where he was now
Edgar W. Rogers. clerk for l. W
Lawrence & Co. was called. Rogers Is
also president of the Globe Print ng
Co Het was shown the Plunkitt
voucher and aid he was OF the opinion
he signature on the voucher and that
written by Plunktt on the stand were
IDENTICAL
He could not recognize either Of
hem definitely "a the signature OF
olunkitt. The voucher was drawn in
December. 1902. for slGG750. signed
~ Rogers snd was charged TO the
egaI services of the Mutual Life. but
Rogers could not remember the cr-
OF a transaction 50 far
.ack
He Acknowledged that it bore his
ignature and that he must have -
eived the money. but for What Il was
isbuIsed b. could not remember