Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-03-30

is to be something doing in connection
with the liberties the officials OF the
big life insurance companies have
been taking with funds belonging to
policy holders with reference to cam
paign contributions. But ii Is evident
that the New York court machinery is
somewhat divided against itself in the
administration of the law. From the
present view of the situation, Ii would
appear that District Attorney Jerome
is on one side and Justice OSullivan
is on the other. 1t will be remembered
that Jerome recently announced the
opinion that the insurance officials had
a perfect right to contribute insurance
funds for campaign purposes. Justice
O'Sullivan announced the opposite
view. He held that the grand jury
should indict officials making such i'm
proper disposition of the insurance
company's funds. On Wednesday, Mr..
Jerome swore out warrant charging
George w. Perkins, a member of the
firm of ]. P. Morgan & Company, and
until recently first vice president OF
the New York Life Insurance company,
with grand larceny in the first degree
i'm having diverted the funds OF the
insurance company to the amount OF
$43,765 for campaign purposes. MI.
Perkins was arrested on the warrant;
but he was prepared for the coming OF
the officer, having already secured a
writ of habeas corpus from Justice
Greenbaum, of the state supreme court.
Immediately after his arrest he was
paroled in the custody of his personal
attorney, and the further hearing OF
the case arranged for next Friday.
This proceeding was looked upon. by
Justice O'Sullivan as an effort on the
part of Mr.. Jerome to forestall the
grand jury, and he advised that body
that it was to continue the even tenor
of it's way regardless of what Mr.. Je-
rome had done. He told the grand jul
rorS that it was their right To demand
that the district attorney summon be-
fore them any witnesses whom they
UllSlll utSllt W SlNN IlllVI VII '''y
Subject about which they might be
seeking more light. Mr.. Perkins.
through his counsel, admitted To JUS
tice Greenbaum that he made the cam
paign contribution us alleged. eXccp'
that he denied any initiative in the
matter According to his statement,
President Mccall had promised Cor
nelius n. Bliss treasurer of the Rcpub-
lican national committee that his COM,
pany would contribute $4,000, or so
much thereof as might be fair pro-
portion for the use of the Republican
party. and that Mr.. Perkins agreed to
advance the cash as required. He, Mr..
Perkins, made various advances OH his
personal account, and then aftcrward
secured reimbursement from the life
insurance cmpany. This reimburse
memt was made with the full knowl-
edge and consent of the trustees and
there seems to be- no denying the prop
oSition that if there is any guilt in con-
nectiOn with the matter, that guilt
falls equally on all the trustees partic-
ipatimg in the transaction. From such
showing as has been made up to this
time, it does not appear that Mr.. Per-
kinS is any more guilty than others;
but at the same time it is evident that
there is to be an effort To so cover up
the real responsibility in such Il way
as to enable all the guilty to escape.
There is strong talk also of arrcSting
Postmaster General COrtclyou and Mr..
Cornelius n. Bliss in connection with the
matter, and while there is no question
of the fact that if they are guilty, il
will have to he admitted that because
of the high position, power and intu-
cmcc of the accused there is really very
little probability of anything drhnit"
being done. There is good reason to
believe that the president himself was
Il party to the entire transaction, AID
his stern Roman justice is not apt To
he applied to himself.