Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-03-29
WANTED $4,000 10
HAVE A BILL KILLED
Hot Fire of Questions is Kept Direct
ed at Attorney Buckley-State Gu
perin.endent Shows Lawyer Receiv-
ed Thousands Of Dollars for Service
in Connection With Legislation.

NEW YORK. March 2S.-William
II Buckley had a most uncomfortable
time today in the fire insurance in
quiry.
state Superintendent of Insurance
Hotchkiss kept up mercilessiy his eN-
animation into the lawyers service
in connection with legislation at Al
bsnv for which Buckley received many
thousand dollars from the fire insur-
ance companies and once he ue-
nounced the witness bitterly.
Aside from Bucklev's testimony the
most interesting incident OF the day
WAS the identification by George r.
seward. president of the Fidelity d
casualty Company. of Edward A. +.
Brown. OF MiddIetown. n. Y, as the
man representing state Senator big
Tim" Sullivan in 1892, who asked FOR
$1,000 on behalf of Sullivan. TO nave
bill killed This is alleged TO nave
taken place in Sing Sing prison
Brown later denied that he ever had
such a conversation with Seward or
mad ever seen him before.
Evidence from Letters.
William b. Smith. general counsel
of the Travellers Insurance Company
OF Hartford. testified that his company
paid s21, 400 to Buckley in 1908 TO put
through the liability reserve bill.
Virtually all the evidence today was
dug up by Mr.. Hotchkiss from let
tcrs exchanged between Buckley ana
the late George p Sheldon, who, as
president of the Phoenix Fire lnsur-
ance Company. Of Brooklyn. collected
from various companies the money
which YVES sent to Buckley.
The DAY was taken up chiefly with
Buckley's work. for the companies III
1904. Buckley agreed to do the work
al Albany that year for $4,000. The
Buckley-Sheldon letters told OF the
co -rse Of Insurance legislation and the
triumphs Of Buckley. who did not
even permit Strike bills" to be intro
duced
one letter from Sheldon to Buckley,
dated August %. 1904. referred to the
coming election of state senators and
said:
Il wish YOU would bear in mind the
districts where a little aid might be
rendered in the matter Of election ex-
penses. and thus save our doing any
thing after the legislature comes to-
gether."
Buckley, however. did not approve
alrogcthes Of this method. He wrote
back that AS a rule. 4 Is not alto
gether desirable because our friends
forget that they have been helped
when ths crisis comes. II is better
to be prepared 10 meet the crisis
when II comes"
But the lawyers memory was at
faalt when asked what he meant by
the CRISIS He denied that he had
made any campaign contributions TO
senatorial candidates and retorted
hotly that Mr.. HOtchkiss should not
inject such meaning into the letter
Mr.. Ho,c'ikiss Jumped to his feet.
let the People Judge
j will read the lesson Of this let
ter To the people 81 this state" he
shouted. and Let them judge what
was meant by a letter like that"
RIcklcy. furious. exclaimed: Its
all a grardstsBd play. this invcsiiga-
ton
On October ~. 1904. Buckley wrote
to sheldon: Regarding your suSSes-
tion of doing something to help the
gentleman in the Saratoga district %
will have 10 BE- done next week
Further letters showed that sheldon
had sent check for 500 TO Buckley
for ~our friend from SaratoEa.- and
had attempted 90 induce two other
| companies 20 contribute a Ike
amo1nt. BE failed. and Bucklcy sent
back the 500. saying be- Thought the
Saratoga man should have AZ least
81 600
~ the close 81 1894 session Buckley
| sent In his bill Tor So $40. but h. had
| trouble in getting the money.
Late in the fsn sheldon collected
a fund &c. pay Buckley. and sent The
l 80. - ~