The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-28
Former New York Life Man Is
Accused of Grand
Larceny.
INSURANCE MONEYS
WE'RE PAID TO BLISS
Point at Issue Is Legality Of Con-
tributions to Campaign
Funds.

New York, March %. - George W.
Perkins, member of the firm of j. T.
Morgan & Co. and formerly vice presi-
dent of the New York Life Insurance
company, was technically placed under
arrest today in the proceedings which
District Attorney Jerome has begun to
test the legality of political contribu-
lions by insurance companies. The war
rant was issued upon information pre-
the allegation upon which it was based
was the transfer of $4S,7O2 of the funds
of the New York Life to Cornelius n.
Bliss, treasurer of the republican ma
tional committee in 1904, in which it is
charged that Mr.. Perkins received the
money from the insurance company and
paid it over to Mr.. Bliss.
Habeas Corpus Writ.
Immediately after his arrest Mr..
Perkins, thru his counsel, Lewis A.
Delafeld, secured a writ of habeas cor
pus from Justice Greenbaum of the SUI
preme court by which Mr.. Perkins was
released from custody and the case was
taken direct to the supreme court. Ar
gument on this writ was adjourned I'M
til Friday next.
Mr.. Perkins was taken into custody
while in the office of his attorney by a
detective from the office of District At
torney Jerome He did not appear be-
fore Police Magistrate Moss, who had
issued the warrant, but went directly
before Justice Greenbaum. There the
district attorney recited the legal steps
that had been taken, but did not go
into the charges against Mr.. Perkins. &
Authorized by Mccall.
Mr.. Delafield. however, declared that
the offense charged against Mr.. PERKINS
was purely technical and asked for a
postponement of the case. He described
the payment of the $49,702 by Mr.. Per
kins to Mr.. Bliss in 1904 and said that
the payment had been authorized by
John A. Mccall, the former president
of the New York Life.
The arrest Of Mr.. Perkins and the
subsequent issuance of the writ OF
habeas corpus will have the effect OF
having the highest courts of the state
pass upon the legality of campaign con
tributions by insurance companies.
Much attention was directed to this
matter at the recent Legislative lnvesti
cation, and it was shown that severa
of the larger companies on more thar
one occasion had contributed to sucI
funds.
Mr.. Perkins was arrested in connec
ton with the contribution by that com
pany of $4S,700 to the republican ma
tional campaign committee in 1904.
The Perkins Statement.
The contribution of the New York
Life to the republican campaign fund IL
1904 was made in the form of payments
aggregating $4S,7OO from George w
Perkins to Cornelius N. Bliss Mr.. Per
kins, before the Armstrong investigat
ing committee on Sept. IA, last, testified
po1 oh L do of
Dec. 80, 1904, signed by Treasurer Ran
dolph and Assistant Treasurer Shipman
AMI reading "Pay to the order of j. T
Morgan & Co., $4S,7O2.5O.'
s'That was money! said Mr.. Pei
kins, "paid to Cornelius n. Bliss, O.
account of the republican national cam
paign fund of last year. We had agree
to pay him $50,000-as much as that
Mr.. Mccall had-if he wished thai
That was all he finally called for an
it was paid in that way as cash to hin
"Mr Bliss made various calls frol
time to time for amounts which I pal
myself and when the accounts we1
made up toward the end of the year thi
amount was found to be due, and tina
amount was paid back to me. It we
not paid to J. P Morgan & Co., but
me. I had personally advanced tn
money.
Probe in Iowa.
Special to The Journal.
Des Moines, Iowa, March 2S.-Tl
senate today passed a bill providing f
the investigation of all classes of i
surance in Iowa by legislative cor
mission. The commission will hay
powers similar to those Of the Arr
strong committee in New York. TT
vote on the measure was ~ to 2. TT
house is expected to concur in the Sc
ate's action.