West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-04-05
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION
To the Republican Party Is Getting
the Mutual Life Insurance Com
pany into Serious Trouble.

blows today at the hands OF justice.
In the court Of general sessions |
today, Judge Thomas c. O'Sullivan
decided that those insurance Off
Gals VINO are guilty of diverting |
trust funds to corrupt political uses
must answer at the bar of justice, |
despite the opinion handed down by |
District Attorney Jerome. The d.
rect effect of this decision will be
to bring George w. Perkins, Geo.
B. Cortelyou and Cornelius N.
Bliss into court for a judicial re-
view of their acts. Justice O'Sul-
livan says grand larceny has been
committed. Jerome admits that
uder the ruling of the court, Cor
telyod and Bliss maybe charged
with having received stolen goods.
limitations of forgery and falsifica-
ton of accounts we're also made by
the justice to the grand jury.
While these sensational scenes
were enacted in the criminal court,
counsel for the Mutual Life Insur-
ance Company were filing in the
Supreme Court the initial papers in
an action against former President
Richard A McCurdy and his son,
Robert H., to recover S3.37o,34I,
for alleged improvidence and neg
lect in the management of the CON-
pany's affairs.
BY the serving late this afternoon
OF the complaint in suit brought
by the Mutual Life Insurance Com
pany against Richard A. McCurdy,
its former President, it was learned
that the company seeks to recover
$3,37o,34I.66, which, it is alleged,
the former President paid out waste
fully and without reason various
objects, including Sa9a.ooo for
campaign purposes.
Startling facts, hitherto never for
mally set forth, are brought to light
in the complaint. The service was
made by Frederick l.. Allen, of the
law department of the company, on
Delaney Nicholl, Mr.. McCurdy's
counsel. The summons in the suit
was served on McCurdy before he
sailed for Europe, but no inkling of
its nature came out.
The complaint consists OF nine
causes of action, the first five of
which charge Richard A. McCurdy
with the waste of large sums of
money belonging to the company
through alleged unfaithfulness and
neglect in discharge of his duties as
the company's President. Each of
the first FIVE clauses charges waste
and neglect. They seek to recover
campaign contributions as follows:
To the Republican National Cam
paign Committee in 1896, Srso, 900;
in 1900 $4,000 and in 1905 $4o.-
900. t h Republican Congress
sional Committee In 1904 received
S25, 900 and this, with $soo. 600
given at various times since January
I, 1885 10 the Republican State
Committee, the company seeks to
recover.
Disregarding the recent opinion
of Jerome as to the immunity of the
accused grafters under The law, JUS
tlce O'Sullivan charged the grand
jury that, on the questions which
Jerome assumed to answer, larceny
has been committed, the criminal
intent of which he observed, is a
matter for the determination of a
jury.
Under this ruling, it is practically
assured that George w. Perkins, of
the firm of j. Pierpont Morgan &
Company, and George B. Cortelyou
and Cornelius N. Bliss, respectively
chairman and treasurer of the Re-
publican National Committee will
be brought before the court-Per-
kins facing a charge of larceny, and
Cortelyou and and Bliss confront.
ing a possible charge of receiving
stolen goods.
Other eminent financiers and poll
ticians may also be forced into the
limelight of justice.
"The law says that one who falsi-
fees the accounts of a corporation is
guilty Of forgery" said Justice
O'Sullivan eff you find such evil
denee in this case you may take this
as an evidence Of intent"
The evidence adduced by the
Armstrong investigating committee
contains positive proof of such mis-
conduct.
The Senator from South Carolina
has developed into a poet. He was
asked when he would write his book
in response to the criticisms of the
Senate
0I have ne;tho. 81 .1.:t;,., -