New-York tribune., 1906-03-16
Savagely Attacks Accusers to Their Faces Before
Armstrong Committee.
CALLS n Y LIFE TRUSTEES "CURS."
Says yellow Dog Courageous and Loyal Beast by Comparison
Speak For and Against Bills.

that wrong had not been done. but said that
the blame was not his but those whose blddings
he did Then came his parting shot:
I say that the great interest OF two billion dol
lars OF life insurance and four hundred million
dollars OF assets can never be safely tntrustsd
TO the hands and administration Of a lot OF curs-
FOLLOWED PLEAS FOR TRUSTEES.
Judge Hamilton returned from New-York on
Wednesday night and found communication
from the Fowler committee. saying that they
would be glad TO receive any statement that he
might wish to make. and that until they heard
from him the suits for which they had engaged
special counsel would be held in allegiance. HS
conferred on Wednesday evening with several
friends, but he ssid at the hearing. IL was
not until he was at luncheon that he decided
to speak to-day.
R. Burnham MOffat, representing pOhcyhOld-
ers of the New-York Life who believe IN tie
present management, made a long address.
pleading for the official life Of the trustees. He
was followed by James Henry Mcintosh, chief
counsel for the company. who pleaded even
more eloquently for the continuance Of at least
majority of the present board pictured disas-
ter and loss to the poncyholders if there should
be such a sweeping change as the reform law
contemplates and assailed the interests who are
spending large sums gathering proxies.
Then Hamilton strobe down the centre aisle
and took stand Immediately In front OF Sen
ator Armstrong. He Is man of average height
of almost trim figure for one Of fifty years
His close cropped hair is slightly gray, and
small reddish mustache eonceal5 his upper
lip He wore a salt and pepper suit OF fash
ionabIe cut. There was no sign of his recent
Illness. His clear, gray eyes wsre blazing with
excitement. In almost the first sentence he dis
closed the trend of his statement, and in another
minute he had called his former associates ours
and traitors" and demanded that they be swept
out of office.
His lip curled as he spoke of the Sweet prot
estations of Innocence" which had come from
his former associates and how they had tried to
put all the blame a man they had killed and
on the yellow dog There was just a trace Of
sadness at this reference to his old friend Me-
Call, but he took the yellow dog appellation
though he enjoyed it.
He laughed over the idea that the trustees
did not know what was going on, and then came
a bitter attack on an unnamed official Of the
New. York Life. Hamilton called him the Peck
sniff of three administrations. who wanted to
be the Talleyrand of the present one. RE re-
ferred to his connection with ex-President Beers
and wanted to know where he had any right
to sit in Judgment on him or talk about yellow
dogs" He tore the auditing committee TO bits.
making particular point of the fact that It
rotating committee. and that practically al
of the trustees were involved.
His recital of the way the officials would
send for him when there was trouble was dra-
matte and brought out several laughs. He pict-
ured them sitting back in their Offices their
panic over the letter of some general agent
telling of coming legislation, their sending for
him and their applause Os his success.
Then came an ems zinS defence Of insurance
methods of influencing legislation, on the theory
of a higher law" which, he said, the insurance
companies commanded because OF their great
magnitude.
There was not single question. though every
previous speaker at the hearing bad been cross
examined The probe Of the Armstrong COM
mittee was not in commission and the man
they moved heaven and earth to get on the
witness stand left the chamber when he had
had his say. He has declined the committees
offer to examine him, and will not appear again
before that body.