The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-13
JEROME mas ONLY BEGUN
fiLhs ~ W0SfHS WORF ~ ~.
WRtV(E ISIFsfU tftON
WbeW Ige's thswsH viii n t,w,Wsl tse'n
faehle me sew vera en-, taWitat,te
aaa theW me Swauer Z WmWaW'es- eve.
laas ~ ltate sI,s Cass, s,aaa tppeai,

i@ts " tis,e s,s Cass, s,sad tpweai,
fHstfle, Attorney Jsrume made N plain
Yesterday that Tho Insllct ment NJ IN Waiter
" thllrtte and Rol~ft A urannlas, tofinet
virr.ptesidenta " the Mutual tdfe tnaurs
ancr tompahv. did net inran iie terminus
tloh ~ tho HE ins,ifancr caeaa. IN fact
Mr. Jerome aid the Investigation had only
started
No, only wlll the New York tJfe aud the
fuuiable companies be Investigated hnt
the smaller companies will I've looked into
very carefully Tbs investigation will take
many months and maybe years Every
phase ~ tho insurance busineHs Ne con-
Quoted by the various companies will he
the subject Of a Grand Jury inquiry.
just what particular branch 81 the insir-
ance inquiry will ie taken up NEXT Mr..
Jerome will not say, hut II II known that the
operations ~ the finance committee 81 the
Mutual will be gone into. Mr., Jerome does
not intend that the investigation shall be a
haphazard one and action win he taken
only In cases where. In the opinion Of the
Dist rict Attorney, there II sufficient evi-
dence to warrant a conviction by a trial
Jury.
Among lawyers and insurance men there
was some speculation yesterday az To Just
where Richard A. McCurdy, former presi-
dent Of the Mutual Iife Insurance Com
rany. stood in the investigation. Il was
hard Tor some persons to understand how
MoCurdy had escaped when Granniss and
Gillette had been charged with crimes by
the Grand Jury. It is said that nothing
nr,J,,naI Lafnra Tho Hra nd Hurry avnanf
perhaps the details of one transaction,
involved Mr.. McCurdy in any way. That
concerned the marking down Of real estate
holdings Of the Mutual in the 1901 report to
the State Insurance Department. Mr..
Jerome said there was no Significance in
the absence Of Mr.. McCurdy.
In view OF the fac that Andrew G. Fields.
the legislative agent Of the Mutual, testi-
fled before the special Grand Jury under
promise of immunity there has been a
good deal Of guessing as to whether the
names OF Legislators who have oooperated
in his legislative work would be brought
out. It il almost a f~oregone conclusion
that the names Of few, il any. legislators
will come within the scope OF the inquiry.
From what has been learned to date it would
he next to impossible to get evidence that
would stand in q court against any legis-
lators.
1t is evident that Fields and his friends
are aiding the District Attorneys Office
in every way. 1t became known yester-
day that Louis Murray, who was wanted
so badly by the Armstrong committee to
explain vouchers that he had signed and
which were supposed to represent money
paid to Fields by the Mutual, has been
talking to Mr.. Jerome.
This investigation" said Mr.. Jerome
yesterday, will certainly be a matter OF
months, and maybe of years. My policy has
been to secure indictments which in my judg-
ment as a lawyer would not only hold in the
lower courts, but would stand In the Appel
late Division. Necessarily, this means long,
careful and arduous work. II necessary
the rest Of my term will be taken up with
the investigation.
Il have been told by lawyers, men eminent
in their profession and men whose usual
conservatism made their statements all the
more surprising: 'Indict them all, Jerome;
all of them, and clear the atmosphere
"That view didn't appeal to me. | con-
slider it an improper one and not the position
for a conscientious public officer TO take.
al am familiar with other Investigations,
the Lexow investigation and the
bribery investigation in Miss What
happened2 We all know what happened
a result OF the Lexow investigation. Take
the case Of Folk. There were q lot of in
dictments and some convictions in the
lower courts, but they were thrown out one
after the other by the higher oourt5.
"The reason for all that is very simple-
the evidence was not there. II 1t had been
the convictions would have been sustained
by the higher court.
an this insurance investigation only
one branch Of the Mutual has been gone
into. There are other bra inches yet to be
covered, and such Investigations take a
matter Of months. 1t Is not the simple
matter it seems, l mean TO get the evil
denoe and connect 1t 30 that 1t points be-
yond a reasonable doubt to the guilt Of one
man or O set OF men.
at didn't take the Grand Jury long to
and plenty Of it. There was no doubt In
my mind and in the minds Of the members
Of the Grand Jury that there had been
crooked work, but the thing was to get
the evidence in such shape that 1t would
stand In a court Of law. Often we got
Just 30 far where only some little thing
remained to make the missing link In the
chain, but that was missing. p,
so far Ak the Grand Jury was concerned
Fields was only needed for a minute and a
half. First we had to get him. He fihahy
Without his testimony we might
lave been blocked In certain respects. He
was needed to point but certain things"
Mr.. Jerome is going away for six weeks
vacation tomorrow. He is going to the
Maine woods for about two weeks to fish
for salmon. He will be accompanied by
William Rand, Jr., who was his chief Of staff.
Mr.. Jerome has been joshed a good deal on
this, as Mr.. Rand, besides being counsel for
the Burnhams and other insurance men, Is
counsel for Robert Olyphant, the chairman
Of the expenditure committee of the Mutual,
who is said to have cleared himself before
the Grand Jury.
When Mr.. Jerome returns from the Maine
woods he is going to his country home at
Lakeville. He will stay there for a few days
and then go on a Southern trip which nay
in several States. He is TO make some
speeches which may be red hot.
one OF Kaiser's Propellers Disabled.
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