Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-01-26
The MASTER PRoRER.
Methods of chas. E. Hughes Who Is
investigating Insurance Graft.

investigating Insurance Graft.
Says Ralph H. Graves in the Amer
lean Illustrated Magazine: In the al
dermanic chamber of the New York
city hall, one afternoon late in Septem-
Der, two men stood facing each other
defiiantly before a silent audience that
listened to their every word and
watched their every gesture With
GREATNESS interest.
Il cannot do it," cried one of them,
! swapping his fingers nervously.
The speaker, a witness before the
state legislatures insurance investi-
eating committee, was George w. Per-
kins, partner in the firm of J. P. Nor
| gan & Co., the richest private bank
ing house in the world and the most
powerful influence in Wall street.
But | want those books, and
must require you to produce them"
said the other emphatically.
AS he uttered the last two words
In tone that gave small encourage
ment for contradiction, Charles E.
Hughes, the inquisitor for the COM
mittee, displayed an expanse of large
teeth that reminded the onlookers of
another strenuous American But
with the teeth the likeness ended. A
square, reddish beard, which seemed
fairly to bristle with energy, almost
concealed the lawyers collar. His
deep-set, honest eyes, although aided
by nose glasses, betrayed no sign of
weakness as they remained fixed I'M
compromisingly upon the witness,
without wrinkle to tell the story of
months continuous labor by day
and night, gave an impression Of in
plexion and erect figure indicated
physical strength equal to the most
exacting demands of mental activity.
We'll, Mr.. Hughes, we can see
about that later" responded the bank
er hesitatingly, after pause.
The rebellion of Perkins was ended.
Though he did not promise definitely
to give up the books of the Morgan
firm, there was not one among his
hearers who doubted that he would
obey. And obey he did; he had met
lis match in the man with the red
dish beard, and within a week the re-
cords in question, dealing with trans
action of the New York Life Insurance
company. were in the possession of
the investigators.
That was the way Hughes overcame
every objection raised by witness.
The millionaire director, the crafty
Spectator, the salaried corporation Of
fcer and the methodical clerk alike
yielded to the quiet authority of this
young fighter, who was comparative
ly unknown outside of his own profess
sion and his own city a year ago.
There was in his method none of
the browbeating, none of the con-
temptuous insult too prevalent among
the leaders of the New York bar
There was none of the flowing rhetor-
ic of the jury orator. But politeness
proved a better weapon of offense
than clustering, persistency better
than sarcasm, and conciseness better
than oratory
Before the investigation of the in
surance companies, ordered by the
governor of New York, had been in
progress a month it was apparent to
every spectator that Hughes intended
to conduct it without fear or favor.
With relentless thoroughness he ex-
posed the pervasive system of ''syndi-
cate transactions" whereby directors
grew wealthy through opportunities
hot RI
trolled the enormous investments of
the insurance companies He proved
that laxness of management and in
dividual misconduct had characterized
most of the larger mutual corpora
TONS He disclosed the extravagances
for which the policyholders had been
forced to pay, traced the salaries of
pampered officers and the perquisites
of favorites, and uncovered the secrets
of accounts made complex for the
purpose of deceiving governing au-
thorities. He compelled directors and
officers, one after another, to admit
under oath the charge that the coun-
trys corporate interests were Gin pol
itics,' not only contributing to cam
paign funds, but also appropriating
vast sums to influence legislation at
the various state capitals.
In doing all this he set a standard
of methods as well as of results.
1t was like watching spider weave
its web, some one remarked, to follow
Hughes as he enmeshed his witness
in trap that had no exit but candor
He gave them no chance to evade,
little to lie. He did not even attempt
to catch them in falsehood, choosing
rather to lead them so gently toward
the crucial point that they would see
at once the futility of avoiding the
issue when they came face to face
with it.