Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-29
VIII Determine Legal Status of Insurance
CAMPAIGN Subscriptions.
WRIT OF HABEAs CORPUS ASKED FOL
Continuance Granted Until Friday al
Request Of Defendant.
COUNSEL ADMITS TECHNICAL OFFENsE
VIZ. Perkins Advanced as, s,TO2.5O 20
COrneIiu- Z. Bliss at Request of
JOh- ali and Money Was
ReA ~ New York Life.

NEW YOR. m. 8.-On charge
that his come, = the contribution
of t4s. 70250 from ~. ds OF the New
York Life Insura e. = Dany TO Cor
nellus N. Bliss, treR. =. he republican
national committee =; smpaign of
1904 constituted grand In the first
degree. George w Perk I, a member of
the firm OF J. P. Morgan & Co.. and until
recently first vice president of the New
York Life insurance company, was today
arrested on a warrant issued by City
Magistrate Moss. When a detective went
to serve the warrant upon Mr.. Perkins
he found that a writ OF habeas corpus had
already been obtained from Justice Green
baum Of tho state supreme court and the
matter was Immediately taken out OF the
magistrates hands. Mr.. Perkins appeared
before Justice Greenbaum and at the re-
quest Of his counsel the hearing in the
case was adjourned until Friday. Mr..
Perkins was paroled in the custody of his
personal attorney. Lewis A. Delaheid.
The warrant for Mr.. Perkins arrest was
applied for yesterday by District Attorney
Jerome Magistrate Moss would not act,
however. until afidavits were filed. These
were presented to him today They were
sigued by Darwin P. Kingsley, vice presi-
don't of the New York Life; Edmund D.
by Thomas A. Buckner. also a vice presi-
dent.
Admissions by Mr.. Perkins.
Mr.. Perkins counsel admitted to Justice
Greenbaum that Mr.. Perkins had advanced
the sum named to Mr.. Bliss upon the re-
quest Of the late John A. Mccall, president
of the New York Life. He was afterward
reimbursed through the action Of the COM
!. pany's finance committee. 1t was con-
tended that Mr.. Mccall had executive au-
thority to order the payment and that II
any crime was committed It was partici-
pated In by every member of the finance
committee present when the matter was
acted upon. In response to questions from
tho magistrate Mr. DelaGeld said that the
payment was entered on the ledger Of the
New York Life Insurance company, but
that the record did not show the nature
of the transaction.
Despite the action OF Mr.. Jerome in
applying for a warrant for Mr.. Perkins
and thus taking the matter to the higher
courts Of the state, Judge O'Sullivan in the
court OF special sessions today again ad-
dressed the grand jury which is consider
ing life insurance matters and instructed
them that It was their duty to continus
the investigation to the end He told the
grand Jurors It was their right to demand
that the district attorney subpoena wit
nesses to be examined before them In any
matter they may have under consideration.
Robert A. Granniss and Walter A. Gill
lette. as vice presidents and trustees, and
Elbridge 4. Gerry, as trustee OF the Mu-
tual Life Insurance company. today ten
dered their designations at a meeting Of
the board of trustees of that company.
They were accepted. report OF the Trues-
dale investgtins committee was received
and ordered printed but no other action
was taken upon it.
Question Before Supreme Court.
The afiidavits on which Magistrate Moss
acted In issuing the warrant for Mr.. Per-
kins' arrest was forwarded TO the supreme
court tonight on writ OF certiorari. The
statement sworn 10 by Vice President
Kingsley gives some of the details of the
meeting of the New York Lifes finance
committee IN December, 1904. when Presi-
dent Mccall appeared and stated that Mr.
Perkins had advanced certain large sums
OF money to Cornelius n. Bliss, treasurer
OF the republican national committee pur.
suant to Mr.. McCall's agreement to con.
tribute S50000 for use in the presidential
campaign of 1904
District Attorney Jerome tonight made
public correspondence between himself anC
Mr.. Perkins which showed that upon IN,
district attorneys request for information
and without promise of any immunity
whatsoever. Mr.. Perkins had supplied Mr.
Jerome with all the facts connected Will
the 1904 campaign contributions. In con
Guiding his letter on the subject Mr. Per
Rims wrote;
When I made the advances mentioned
and when ] was reimbursed therefor, 4
never occurred 10 me that there could b,
any question as TO the propriety Of sucl
expenditure. which believed TO be for IN,
benefit OF the company. II has come L
me as a total surprise that the legality o
such payments should be questioned
While 50 asserting. II is not my intention
10 dispute or 10 deny civil liability [,
! nccount 70 The COMPANY for these Inonevs