The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-16
Andrew Hamilton Speaks His
Mind at Albany.
Declares His Former Chief Was
HOunded to Death.
WAS MADE SCAPEGOAT
By Those Responsible for In
surance Irregularities.
Company Officials Gaye APP
prOVaI to Every Act.

Albany, N. 7. March 16.=Andrew /
Hamilton appeared before the insur- |
ance committee and broke the silence |
which he has maintained, except for |
his statement brought from Paris by !
John c. Mccall. ever since his name |
was first mentioned in the investigation |
in connection with the great sums of |
money shown to have been paid to him |
during the past ten years on account |
Of his legal and legislative work for !
the New York Life and other insurance
companies.
1t would be difficult to exaggerate |
the sensation produced by his unex-
pected appearance, and by the speech |
which he made, or the intensely dra-
matte character of the whole episode. /
His face flushed and his voice trem-
bling with passion. his arms appraised
and his fists clenched, Judge Hamilton
poured forth a flood of denunciations
and invective upon the members Of the
board Of trustees of the New York Life
Insurance company, several of whom
were present, designating them ''curs
and traitors" and paying especial at
tention to one unnamed. whom he de-
scribed as "the Pecksniff of three ad-
ministrations, the confidant OF the
Beers scandal and author of the Beers
/ pensiOn-who rotates through one ad-
ninistration and another and thinks
that he is going to be an indispensab bic
member of yet another
And do you think" he demanded,
that the man who held the same rela-
ton to Mr.. Beers that I did to Mr. Nc
Call could sit for the thirteen years
since and not know how the ex-
I n ~.
and were disbursed? Yet he and such
like him sit, not judging me as peers.
but judging me as cOnQuerOrs, talking
about yellow dogs
The only name he mentioned was
that of the late President Mccall in
/ the reference to whom and to whose
death he displayed marked emotion.
He spoke of Mr.. Mccall as a victim, as
having been shouldered with the
blame-s'the only one the dead man.
killed, that they drove to his grave and
deserted and declared that the
memory of this man had appealed to
/ him ito come down here and say
something for him and just word for
myself"
He declared unequivocaIly that every
payment to himself by the New York
Life was made with the knowledge and
approval of the trustees, especially of
/ the finance and auditing committees
He pointed out that If there had been
anything the matter with his vouchers
i for these payments, it was their duty
to bring him to book for it-yet he
after year, for ten years they had
passed them, land then, when the cry
at last comes out, they say, Well, we
did not know anything about it; this is
the fellow; this is the man that has
done it all. When they say they did
not know what was going on, it excites
my laughter and derision.' -
He declared again and again that the
"a
| and that he had no apology to make for
himself or for President Mccall.
/ was that in spite of reports to the con
trary, the so-caled Paris account was
actually reported and approved by the
The first applause from the big crowd
that quickly filled the great assembly
cnanaDer as soon as the fact OF Judge
Hamilton's presence became known
about the building, broke out with a
roar OF laughter after his reference to
| the enthusiasm with which he said his
| victories for the New York Life were
received by the officials of the company
They would come and pat me on the
back" he said with a bitter sneer-''these
men who would not know me now-they
would come and pat me on the back and
say: You did it
A storm of applause followed his scath-
ing reference to the yellow dog as a dog
of courage and loyalty.
funeral that has occurred, the ours who
knew OF these transactions and shrunk in
to their shoes-they are the curs-and that
is the reason that come before you and
say that the great interest Of 8. 900 900
Of life Insurance and 800. 00O. 600 Of assets
can never be safely intrusted to the hands
| and administration of lot of ours.
This was the ostensible purpose of Judge
Hamilton appearance before the COM
mittee-to advocate the pending bill Of the
committee which would legislate the pres
ent boards Of direction out of office and
provide a complete reorganization in No
vember next.
Judge Hamilton's appearance was total
" unexpected by the committee and he
declared both in his speech and to friends
before and after it that 1t was almost as
much so to himself-that it was only at
luncheon that the impulse seized him to
come before the committee and have his
say in favor of the bill referred to with
word for President Mccall and for him
self He arrived unanuounced. sat back
IN the room, and for q time was unrec-
lognized except by one or two newspaper
men The interest was intense as he
passed down to the well amid silence.
Among those who sat near as he began
his bitter arraignnent Of the New York
Life trustees were the following members
lof the board: Rufus s. Weeks, vice pres
ident and actuary; T. A. Buckner. vice
president; D. P. Kingsley. vice president;
John c. Mccall, secretary, and J. H Nc
Intosh.