New-York tribune., 1906-03-16
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Albany, March 15.-Defiant to point where
he even found words of praise for the yellow
dog. accusing under a blanket Indictment all
the trustees of the New-York Life Insurance
Company, Andrew Hamilton, the former leg
islative agent, through whose hands over a
million of insurance money passed, to-day at
last broke from the cover of silence which has
enveloped him since the insurance inquiry
began. Utterly Unexpectedly Hamilton came
before the Armstrong committee late this after
noon and for twenty minutes defended. defed
and arraigned in a speech filed with bitter sar-
casin and fierce invective.
1t seemed a tremendous effort of a man
pressed TO the last ditch to throw from his
shoulders the load placed there by Others which
included practically every sin in the insurance
category. He did not tell what he had done
with the insurance money, he gave no list Of
legislators who took the money, although he ad
mitted frankly that it had been taken, nor was
his speech in any sense an accounting. He de-
clared that the blame was not his, and he did
not hesitate to place it where he thought it be-
longed-On the trustees Of the New-YOrk Life
every one of whom, he asserted most positively,
knew of his acts, their object and the expense
of them The only one of his recent associates
who was spared in the slightest was John A
Mccall to whose death there were several refer
ences.
Judge" Hamilton declared that he was there
to speak in favor of just one of the reform
measures of the Armstrong Committee, that
which provides a clean sweep of trustees next
November. The Insurance Committee and au-
dience had just listened for an hour and half
to friends and officials of the company pleading
against this legislation. They had found many
words of praise for the trustees now in Office
and advanced many arguments in favor of their
retention. Then came Hamilton with defiance
in every move. Like a splash of cold water on
the feeling Of warmth which the other speakers
had thrown about the trustees came his.
1t is your duty to report in favor of the meas
ure that will remove the trustees of the New
York Life Insurance Company upon November
p next. arbitrarily
THE EXCITEMENT INTENSE
There have been SENSATIONAL moments in the
long hearing on insurance. but nothing ap-
prO6ching this In the circle before him were
a number of high officials of the company he
accused He was addressing committee whose
pleadlngs for testimony during the hearing he
had ignored. Back of him were the representa-
tives of a press which has long echoed the pub
lie belief caused by life insurance officials that
he was the man responsible for many of the
most grievous erros OF life insurance He had
absolute attention from his first word. The in
surance officials not knowing what was coming
but from the look OF the man rearing the worst
gathered themselves together in their seats
The spectators leaned forward as do playgOers
at the time of an exciting climax, and their
number added TO with rush as the news
spread through the Capitol that Hamilton was
speaking The other developments OF the hear
ing were forgotten, for the time Utterly blOtted
out.
Hamilton spoke in voice which reached the
furthest corner of the chamber and there was
gesture to drive home each successive attack
He took on himself the title of yellow dog
which has been coupled with his name for
months. and declared that he a courageous
and loyal beast" compared to the ours" who
had tried to put the blame on him. This was
followed by an even more daring defence of his
profession of manipulating legislation, in which
he pleaded that he was acting in accordance
with the higher law" governing vast tnstltu-
tions. He did not, however, attempt to prove