Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-11-18
Mccall Is Asked to Produce Him
Before the New York In.
surance Inquisitors.
WILL INFORM THE ABSENT MAN
But Says He Does Not Control Ham
ilton's Movements.
is Anxious for Him to Re urn-Testi-
mOny Relating to a Legislative
LObby-As to Favorite-
ism in Loans.

New York, Nov. 14.-JOhn A. Nc
Call, president of the New York Life
Insurance company, was called before
the Armstrong committee of insurance
investigation and asked by the commit
tee to order the return from Europe
to this country of Andrew Hamilton,
the lawyer who has had charge of leg
islative matters for the New York
Life. Mccall was further asked to call
FOR an accounting from Hamilton of
the moneys expended by him and Of
the balance which he owes the New
York Life. Mccall said he could not
control HamiltonS movements, but
would inform him of the committees
desire. He also denied that it was the
policy of his company to have Hamil-
ton remain abroad until after this in
vestigation had been concluded, and
said that on the contrary he would
very much like to have Hamilton re-
turn.
Mccall Security for Hamilton.
Mccall, replying to Hughes, said he
had called the attention of the board
of trustees of the company to his testi-
mOny before the committee relative to
Hamilton and gave Hughes a copy of
his statement, which said that if Ham
ilton did not return to the New York
Life the sum of $235,OO0 by Dec. 81
he would himself pay it to the COM
pany. Mccall said Hamilton was eth
er in Paris or Nauheim.
Work with the Legislature.
An interesting line of examination
was opened up just before the adj
journment for the day when John Nc
Guinness, an employee Of the Equitable
Life, was called. He produced let
ter books and memoranda which
Hughes read and was in the midst of
reading when adjournment was taken.
These were instructions from eX-Comp-
troller Thomas ID. Jordan, of the
Equitable Life, to A. G. Fields, rela-
tive to the killing or assisting the pas
sage of every bill introduced into the
legislature that would affect or help
, the interests of the insurance company
or any of it's officers.
Hegeman on the Stand Again.
Other witnesses were John r. Hege-
man, president Of the Metropolitan
Life and Vice President Fiske, who
were Intercepted along the line of
agents salaries. legal expenses of the
company, real estate holdings and the
methods of acquiring properties, and
the fact was brought out that the fire
insurance firm that places all the risks
on the properties of the Metropolitan
is composed of w. d. Edmister and
Silas B. butcher, the latter a director
of the Metropolitan Life.
Why Ee Was Favored in Loans.
The low rite Of interest at which
Hegeman secured loans, and the reason
of the rebates of this interest that
Hegeman received from the old firm of
Vermilye & Co.. was testified to by
several members Of that firm, which
has since gone out of business. This
firm was the banker Of the Metropoli-
tan Life, but since last March the
business has been taken over by Will
liam A. Reade & Co. Reade was
witness, and said that Hegeman got
these loans at a rate below the mar
ket rate because Hegeman had been
a client for number of years. and
because Of the volume of business he
transacted with the firm of Vermilye &
10