Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-17
|NSU RANCE INQUIRY
One of the McCurdy Family
on the Stand Today.
VOUCHERS EXPLAINED
D. B. HILLS CONNECTION WITH
EQUITABLE SHOWN UP.
Large Amount of Money Paid for
Legal and Legislative Services
During Ten Years.
VOUCHERS EXPLAINED


the Equitable Life Assurance Society, was
the first witness called before the iegisla-
tive insurance investigation committee to-
day.
He had testified at previous session that
he did not know the whereabouts of his
father or mother and that he Old nor
know whether they were living or dead
To-day he said he had not since learned OF
his fathers whereabouts. He had received
a letter from his mother. who is In Canada
She said nothing about his father
As to his profits from fire insurance writ
ten on properties mortgaged to the Equt-
able he said his father received none Of
them. He had no idea what proportion OF
his business the Equitable furnished him
Samuel S. McCurdy. assistant registrar
of the Equitable Society, was next called.
He had formerly been secretary TO Secre-
tary William Alexander of the society. AS
assistant registrar he had custody OF
vouchers for moneys paid out for legal ex-
perses He produced the vouchers for such
expenses for the last ten years.
In the vouchers for 1895 was letter TO
James w Alexander from Robert n. Nc
Curdy of the Mutual Life Insurance COM
pany which accompanied bill for the
Eauitable's share OF salary and expenses
of George S. Batcheller az plenary legal
representative" of the Equitable society,
New York Life Insurance Company ana
Mutual Life Insurance Company. The sal
airy of Mr. Batcheller from this commission
was given in statement as S7,IO. IL
was brought out that Mr.. BatcheAel
duties were abroad.
D. B. Hills Retainer.
Mr.. McCudry said he did not know when
David b HIS retainer as counsel to the
Equitable Society began. The first voucher
from Mr. Hin, the witness had was dated
March ~, 1895. Mr.. Hiis letter to b. w.
Alexander accompanying this voucher and
acknowledging the receipt of the retainer,
created much laughter. In note at tne
end of the letter Mr.. Hill wrote: Il am feel-
ing pretty well, now that Congress has ad-
Journed, and the country is safe When
safe.
The packages of vouchers were gone
through by Mr. Hughes, who asked as to
the legal services rendered by the s.gners
of the various vouchers Vouchers for
5000 and $4,000, in 1895, signed by Tracy,
Boardman and Platt, were found. The wit
ness said this firm was not regularly re-
tanned, and he did not know what legal
services they performed.
A voucher from James NJ Lewis. dated
January q, 1850, was for 81 0O0 IN full
for services rendered during the coming
session of the general assembly In Mis-
souri," Witness did not know Lewis nor
the services he performed
Another voucher dated Milwaukee in 1899
from r. Luscombe was for S3,544. covering
legal services and expenses. This voucher
was indorsed by "A. Hamill on Witness
there was no litigation in Wisconsin at that
time
Odd Amount of Fee.
s. s. Olds of Lansing. Mich, was also
paid 81 600 in 1899, In connection with tax
suits in that state. James NJ Lewis was
also paid S3,S33 on June 8. 1899, for CON
sultation fees and services in Missouri.
Witness could not explain the odd amount,
but answering MIR Hughes said It looked
Ea = Of II
out that David B. Hills retainer In 1900
WAS fixed at $500.
Mr.. McCurdy was asked about a voucher
for 81 ,6066 60 for payment 10 Edward F.
o. Brien of Chicago on June ]. 1903 but he
said he did not know whether 1t indicate
division of $1,000 among three companies.
Mr.. McCurdy was asked II he was familiar
with moneys paid to state insurance de-
partments by the Equitable Society more
especially in California. He replied that he
was and on this matter said that the
trouble in California began in 1897 when
Andrew j. Clune. who was then insurance
commissioner of California, complained to
the attorney general OF that state that the
Equitable Society was not entitled to do
business in that state because its capital
stock too small.
The attorney general did not sustain him
Mr.. McCurdy said that the commissioner
then requested the company to furnish him
with a statement of the list of policies 1t
had issued in California from 1880 to 1897
and much information concerning them.
Inc Canfornla Trouble.
1t was Mr. McCurdy's recollection that
the commissioner wanted the society to re-
view all the lapsed policies and death claims
for seventeen years to If a larger
amount could not have been paid on each
claim.
The Equitable society engaged counsel to
represent It at a hearing in San Francisco
and the subject dragged along for three
years
In 1900 Commissioner Clune demanded
that the society make list of all its out
standing policies. so that he could estimate
the value of those held in California. The
commissioners fees for this, Mr.. McCurdy
said, would have been $4,000, and it would
nave cost the Equitable society $4,000 to
get the information together. Finally the
commissioner became satisfied by sending
former Governor Budd OF California to
make an examination, and the society got
a renewal OF its license Mr.. Budd visited
the New York Life Insurance Company and
also the Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Mr.. McCurdy said that $3.50 month had
been paid to special counsel to represent
the Equitable society before the commits
sion at the suggestion of f. S. Pillsbury,
the socletys regular attorney, who had
told the witness II was paid TO a brother
of the insurance commissioner The total
amount paid in that way was $1,000. The
witness said also that approximately ST. 800
was paid to w. II. Chickering of California.
counsel for the Mutual Life Insurance Com
pany.
Asked Impossible Questions.
At the close of 1899. when the Equitable
Society filed its annual statement with rhe
California insurance department the com
missioner asked forty additional questions
the witness said, which the commissioner
knew it was practically impossible for the
society 10 answer. because its books We're
not kept so as to do this. This. the witness
said, practically rehash of the de-
mands the commissioner had made prevI-
ously.
Witness said the company had had no like
experience with the insurance department
OF any other state to his personal knowl-
edge, and that like proceedings against the
New York Life and the Mutual Life wero
terminated about the same time thoze
against the Equitable Society. There were
n dozen hearings on the INTERPRETATION of