The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-12
BILLS 0FEQUITABLE LAWYERS.
r ". MORSE OBJECTS TO SOCIETY
FOOTING THEM IN LORD SUIT.
Services in This Matter Included in others
which Are Being ArbitFated-N. ".
Life Directors won't Refund Campaign
PAYMENTS Unless McCalrs Estate Is Sued

life DIRECTORS WOht Netuuu Campaign
a ments Unless McCalls Estate Is Sued
George Zabriskie, counsel for Charles
" Morse, the former "ioe king" and a
rinority stockholder in the Equitable
life Assurance Society, has sent to Presi-
dent Paul Morton and each Of the Equi-
table's directors a letter Of protest against
tbe society paying the bills Of lawyers
Who were retained by James w. Alexander
"a oppoA, tho Franklin B. Lord suit.
That suit, in which Mr.. Morse was actively
,,terested as one Of the minority stock
holders, was to obtain an injunction re-
straining the society from carrying out
the proposed plan of naturalization as
odonted by the board Of directors. The
minority stockholders were successful in
the action. James Hazen Hyde had inter-
yened in the action and the decision re-
suited in strengthening his position as the
majority stockholder,
The LAWYERS who represented Mr.. Alex
snder and the Equitable in opposing the
spit were William B, Hornblower, Villain
\, Cohen and Adrian H. Joline. Mr.. Cohen's
nil for his services in the Equitable con-
,roversv was $50, 900; Mr.. Hornblower's
as oNO, and Mr.. Joline's 325, 900.
These bills covered the entire services
NJ the lawyers in the Hyde-Alexander
e1ht. What their fees were In the Lord
silt alone has not been learned. The bills
AZ presented were held up by the Equitable
hoard of directors and have now been re-
ferred TO an outside committee for arbi-
tration. Although the letter sent out by
Mr.. Morse's counsel doesn't say that Presi-
" Nt..zz ,y;l Ia hn1l raoNAnathlA 10
the society pays for the legal services in
the Lord suit, it conveys hat idea.
The New York Life's board Of trus tees
held its regular monthly meeting yester-
dav. Only routine business was transacted,
The members Of the boards finance COM
mittee. which passed on the campaign
contributions made by John A. Mccall on
behalf of the company, don't intend to
make good The sl6O, 900 paid out in this way
except in the event Of a suit being brought
for the amount against Mr.. MoCalls es-
tate.
Several members OF the committee feel
Il is said. that to restore the money under
any other circumstances would amount
to an acknowledgement OF guilt. As II is,
some Of the committeeman do not believe
that the members OF the finance committee
ere liable in the matter.
One member said yesterday that when
the committee authorized the reimburse
ment Of George w. Perkins for the con-
tribution made in the 1904 campaign it
had no idea for what purpose the money
according to this man, merely. notified the
committee after one of its regular meetings
that the company was indebted to j. P:
Morgan & Co. to the amount OF $4s, 900 and
asked that the payment Of hat amount be
authorized.
According to this committeeman, there
isn't a single member who will stand out
against paying If the company attempts
10 sue the Mccall estate, because the MEM
hers do not believe that Mr.. McCalls heirs
ought to be made to bear this burden: but
II an action Is brought by the company
against the members Of the finance COM
mittee, the matter will be defended by
some members OF the committee who want
9 judicial ruling as to whether they did
wrong or not.
began a second suit against Andrew c.
Fields, its former legislative agent, yester-
day. Henry p. Vote, Mr.. Fields's counsel,
put in an appearance for him, accepting
the summons. The first suit was begun
on Tuesday, :
One is an action in equity and the other
an action in law. The latter seeks to re-
cover a definite sum Of ~money-how much
the Mutual authorities don't know yet
and the former Ia to compel an accounting
al moneys which were paid out on Flelds'S
o h" but which were never used for the
purposes indicated by the entries in the COM
pany's books. Mr.. Velte gave out this
statement:
No statement regarding A.. c. Fields's con-
nection with the Mutual Life will be made
At the present time. When the time comes
for him 10 serve his answer TO the action
which has been brought by the company a
statement will be given to the press by me as
hs attorney. Until then Mr.. Fields will have
absolutely nothing to say for publication.
Samuel untermyer. counsel to the inter-
national p~olicyholders' committee, has
written a letter to Chairman Armstrong
# the State investigating committee CALI
tg his attention to two features in the pro-
posed laws that he would like to have
amended, The Mutual Life, Mr.. Inter
myer says, is already beginning to enlist
It's agents in a proxy campaign for the big
election to be held on November Is. Mr..
tntermyer asks that the committee intro
duce one amendment which shall prohibit
the agency force of a mutual company
from being employed in a proxy campaign
~ any way and another which shall provide
that a mutual company shall be obliged to
furnish the lists of its ~policyholders to regu-
larly organized polioyholders' associations
at the same time that they file them with
the State SUPERINTENDENT of Insurance,