Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-01
Result New York Life
Insurance Company's
Election.
FORGERY IS CHARGED
Issue Statement Saying Names
Were Merely Written On
Outside of Envelopes.

New York. May 1.-When George B.
Scrugham. manager of the information
al policy holders committee, and
Charles A. Darlington and Charles
Stirrup, assistant manager, were ar
rested last night on charges OF forgery
in connection with the recent election
of directors of the New York Life In
surance company. were aTraigned be
fore the police magistrate today, their
cases were continued until Monday.
Released on Bond.
Scrugham ana Stirrup were released
on $25OO bail and Darlington on $4,000.
Before he was arraigned Scrugham is
sued a statement in which he declared
acts of an entirely legal nature had
been misconstrued so as 10 make 1t
appear an attempt had been made to
circumvent the laws governing insur-
ance elections and to procure a count
ing by fraud of ballots not properly eX-
ecuted.
Did Not Affect Ballots.
"As matter of fact said he, these
charges do not have TO do with the
alleged tampering with the ballots at
all. bur refer to the filling in of names
and addresses ON envelopes in which
the ballots are sent to the inspectors
at the New York Life Insurance com
pany's office There has never been
any attempt. at concealment in the
matter"
Events Crowd Each Other.
New York. May sensational re-
suits have quickly followed the in
quiry by the district attorneys office
into the recent election of directors of
the New York Life Insurance company,
George R. Scrugham, manager of the
International policy holders committee
which inspired the present investiga
tion, making grave charges against
those who conducted the election, and
was himself arrested at Albany last
night
Scrugham is charged with conspir
acy. and he was the third man identi
fed with the international policy hold
ers' committee to be taken into custody
since noon yesterday.
Charged with Conspiracy.
The others are Charles Stirrup anC
Charles c. Darlington. Stirrup was {
watcher at the directors election o
the Mutual Life Insurance company
while Darlington acted in a simila
capacity at the New York Life elec
ton. They are specifically Charge
with having "unlawfully conspired tc
gether for perversiOn and obstruction
of the due administration of the law
of New York with relation to the eleC
ton of directors of the New York Lif
company"
Earlier in the day Jacob Frank,
New York Life Insurance cOmpan
agent, was arrested, charged with fo
gerry in the third degree.
Fought Administration.
The policy holders committee, hea'
ed by Scrugham as manager and San
uel Untermyer as counsel. and wit
membership of many distinguishe
persons in this country and EurOp
fought the administration tickets"
the recent elections of the directors
the two companies. Scrugham was a
rested while in Albany in connectiC
with insurance legislation looking
reform of insurance company election
In the complaint it was declared Il
alleged conspirators had in their pc
session Dec Is, 1906 a large numb
of ballots for the policy holders COZ
mittee's ticket which were not at tn
time. according to the complaint,
proper form to be counted. The COZ
plant further asserts that the prise
ers "did conspire together to tamp
with the said defective ballots and
altered and changed them without t
consent of the policy holders who h