The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-17
Ours, TRAITORS,
SAYS HAMILTON
Big Guns in Insurance World
Lashed in the Halls of
Legislation.
RAKES NEW YORK LIFE
TRUSTEES FORE AND AFT
Former Legislative Agent Gre
ates Sensation in Albany in
Denouncing officials.

ALBANY, n. Y. March 16-Andrew
Hamilton appeared before the insurance
investigating committee Thursday after
noon and broke the silence which he has
maintained, except for his statement
brought from Paris by John c. Mccall,
ever since his name was first mentioned in
connection with the great sums of money
shown to have been paid to him during
the past ten years, on account OF his
legal and legislative work for the New
York Life and other insurance compa-
nics.
1t would be dGlcult to exaggerate the
sensation produced by his unexpected mp
pearance and by the speech which no
made. or the intensely dramatic charac-
ter OF the whole episode. His face flushed
und mis- voice trembling with passion. mis-
arms upraised and his fists Clenched,
Judge Hamilton poured forth n flood OF
denunciation and invcctive upon the
members or the board of trustees OF tho
New York Life Insurance company. sew
eral OF whom were present, designating
them ours and traitors and paying
special attention to one unnamed, who
he described as the Pecksniff OF three
administrations. tho Conndant of the
Beers scandal and author Of the Beers
pension-who rototes through one admin
istration and another and thinks that he
ls going to be an Indispensable member
Of yet another"
Judged as Yellow Dogs.
And DO you think" he demanded,
that the man who held the snme re
lation TO Mr.. Beers that l did to Mr..
since and not know how the cXpendi-
lures that were made were to be and
were dlsburscd2 Yet he and such like
MIN sit. not judging me as Beers, but
81
yellow dogs
Judge Hamilton's attack upon the
trustees of the New York Life was made
Only the more dramatic by the fact that
he Immediately followed j. II. Mcintosh,
general solicitor Of that company, who
lad been eulogiziag the members of that
heard and challenging any man to give
ieasons why they should be removed from
Cfficc. us contemplated by the pending
legislation,
The only name he mentioned was that
OF the late President Mccall, In the ref
erence TO whom and TO whose death ne
displayed marked emotion. He spoke of
shouldered with the blame-'the only
one. the dead man. Killed, that they drove
to his grave and deserted and declared
that the memory OF this man had ap-
pealcd to him ITO come down here and
say something for him, and just word
for myself
Derides His Accusers.
He declared unequlvocaly that every
payment TO himself by the New York
Life was made with the knowledge and
approval OF the trustees. especially OF
the finance and auditing committees He
pointed out that II there had been any
thing the matter with his vouchers for
these payments, IT was their duty TO
bring him To book for it-yet, he said,
month after month and year after year,
for ten years, they passed them, 'nnd
then. when the cry at last comes out.
they say: Well. we did not know any
4 hlnay Oh, 40 10 f.nn -
is the man that has done 1t all When
they say they did not know what was
going on. It excites my laughter and de
rislon."
He declared again and again that the
payments were proper and legitimate
and that he had no apology TO make for
himself or for President Mccall.
His Accounts Approved.
One OF his most interesting statements
was that In spite OF reports TO the con-
trnry. the so-cnlled Paris accounts wns
actually reported and approved by the
auditing committee
The first applause from the big crowd
that quickly filled tho great assembly
chamber as soon as the fact OF Judge
Humiltons presence became known, broke
out with roar of laughter after his ref
said his victories for the New York Life
were received by the officials OF the com
pany.
They would come and pat me on the
back he said, with bitter sneer; these
men who would not know me now, they
would come In and pat me on the back
A storm OF applause followed his scath-
Ing reference to the yellow dog as a
dog Of courage and loyalty.
The Real" Ours.
But the ours who stood around this
funeral that has occurred the ours who
knew Of these transaction and shrunk into
their shoes-they are the curs-and that
Is the reason that | come before you and
say that the great interest Of two billion
dollars of life insurance and four hun
dred million dollars of assets can never
be safely entrusted 10 the hands and ad-
ministrntion OF a lot OF ours"
This was the ostcnsIble purpose OF Judge
Hamiltons appearance before the com
mittce-to advocate the pending bill OF the
committee which would legsate the pres
ent boards Of directors out OF office and
November next.
Judge Hamilton's appearance was total
ly unexpected by the committed and he
declared before his speech and TO friends
before and after that II was almost so to
himself-that IT was only at luncheon to-
day that the impulse seized him to come
before the committee and have his say
In favor Of the bill referred to-with a
word for President Mccall and for him
self
Arrives Unnnnounced.
He arrived unannounced not long after
4 o'clock sat back in the room and for q
time was recognized only by one or two
Newspaper men The interest was intense
as he passed down to the we'll amid
silence.
Among those VINO sat near as he began
his bitter arralgnmcnt OF the New York
Life trustees were the following members
Of the board
Rufus s Weeks. vice. president and ac-
tuary; T A Ruckner. vIce-president; D.
p Kingsley. vice-president. John c. Nc
Call. secretary, and J; II Mcintosh.
IT wish TO state" began Judge HamIl-
ton, that my remarks hero VIII be con