The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-05-12
MUTUAL COMPANY
CAVE FIELDS A
BIG CRAFT FUND

New York, May 12-Much evidence con-
cerning the relations between Andrew u
Eelds az head OF the purchase and sup
ply department OF the Mutual Life IN
surance company, ard Lawrence q Coz
the stationers who got special favors from
the Mutual was produced yesterday be-
fore the special grand jury that Is investi-
eating insurance cases
The Lawrence firm occupies the ground
floor OF the Mutual budding
The witnesses were Walter II. Gillette,
who was vice president OF the Mutual
under the Fields regime. and julius j.
Heye. who was a bookkeeper In the sup
ply department Up 10 date the grand
Jury has learned just how Fields worked
with Lawrence a. Co. 1t Is supposed that
much OF its information was furnished
by EDGAR w. Rogers. who is a member
OF Lawrence a. Co. A good deal of It
has also come from the books OF the
Mutual The method employed by Fields
wis quite simple.
When ne wanted money he would go
10 Lawrence and put in a cash slip No
record was ever kept on the books OF the
statloner But the supply department OF
the Mutual would order say. 1900 en-
velopes Instead $4,000 envelopes, or
enough u make difference TO cover.the
money that Fields had obtained from
stationers, would be delivered TO the Mu-
tual. on the books OF the Mutual and the
stat ioners there would he nothing TO show
that the transaction was not perfectly
legitimate
The bnhs submitted by the stationers
would be so padded that money paid to
Fields would be included I'm many bills.
small amounts added TO each bill, in order
TO make up the total.
In most instances the bill would go TO
Waiter II. Gillette, who would 20. X II.
Then NJ would go 10 the expenditures
chairman. AS the voucher had been 30.
Kd'' IL would be passed by the commii-
tee and sent to the cashier In that way
the money advanced to Fields would be
paid back 10 Lawrence a. co
The books examined by the grand jury
and District Attorney Jerome show that
about so per cent OF the bills rendered
TO the Mutual by Lawrence & Co. were
legitimate. The rest and this made up
about n sum of 100000 annually went 10
Fields. This sort OF thing ig said to have
gone on for is years. although Fields was
at the head OF the Mutual supply depart
ment for only about ten years
IL was said today that the books OF the
Mutual did not show any Justification of
records because the transactions were en-
tered TO follow out the bills paid by Law
renee a. Co.
1t Is perfectly plain TO the investigators
that the employees OF the supply depart
nent or Une MUTUAL, from Fields down,
and several Lawrence employees must have
known what was going on. In order 10
get at the Officers OF the Mutual Il will
he necessary 10 determine whether they
had guilty knowledge OF the operations OF
Fields
II they consented to the padding of
bills and sanctioned the payment OF the
bills IL Is possible that charges OF for
gerry and larceny may be brought against
them IT is not expected that Fields will
shoulder the entire blame and II was said
today that II he was ever well enough TO
appear before the grand jury Che is very
ill he may explain what the understand
ing was I'm the Mutual about the paw
iment OF these bills.
IL was learned on good authority today
that all OF tho present trustees OF the Mu-
tuan Life Insurance company will stand
for Reelection next December Mutual
Life officers said they knew nothing about
the missing books in the supply depart
ment which District Attorney Jerome IN
supposed 10 have recovered. They had
been unable to get any trace of the books
and II Mr. Jerome had them they knew
nothing authoritative about II.