Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-03-25
RUCKLEY'S MIGHT
ATALBANY Barred
INFLUENCE REVEALED AT IN
SURANCE HEARING
DECLARES HIS POWER EXTEND
ED INTO THE COURTS
Check for $4,000 Among Big compen-
Stations Lobbyist Admits Having
Received for Ability to Gov
ern LaWmaking
Associated Pressl

NEW YORK, March 24.-Bit by bit
there was unfolded at the fire insurance
inquiry today the story of the career of
William H. Buckley, an Albany lawyer
who for years was legislative agent for
the fire insurance companies. on the
face of documentary evidence produced
Buckley was we'll nigh inVincible at
Albany If letters entered on the rec
ords contained statements of fact-and
for the most part they were letters ex-
changed between Buckley and the late
George p. Sheldon, who was president
of the Phenix Fire Insurance company
of Brooklyn-Buckley's power with
the legislature was we'll worth the
money he admits he received.
Buckley's influence at Albany went
even further, according to his own
words He was able to learn in ad-
vance decisions of the court of appeals,
he said, and would keep Sheldon in
formed as to what was coming off In
court.
Miles NJ. Dawson, consulting aetu-
airy of New York, said under oath that
Buckley had informed him he could not
get favorable action on a bill i'll which
he was interested unless he paid some
money to The boys
Got $4,000 Check
When evidence was produced showing
that Z. A. Mccall, now a state supreme
court justice, had written Buckley S
name above his own on a check for
S35 900, which was one of three loans
made by the PheniX Fire Insurance
company of Brooklyn. through Sheldon,
Buckley testified that Mccall knew
nothing at all of the transaction ana
had merely acted in the matter at his
request He had admitted he had not
| Endorsed the check, and Identified the
handwriting In which his name was
written as that of Justice Mccall.
Mr. Hotchkiss said he would be glad
to have the matter cleared up by the
justice, but did not say he would ask
him to appear as witness.
When seen this afternoon Justice Nc
Call said he did not care to discuss the
insurance inquiry, except TO say he
never had any relations or transactions
whatever with sheldon with his com
pany, or with any fire insurance COM
pany except the Munich. He said he
was for three years the retained coun-
sci for the Munich.
The letters relative to the court of
appeals were read later In the after
noon. There were two of them. The
first, dated April %. 1903, was from
Sheldon to Buckley. 1t read In part:
Got Court Tips
II note the court of appeals has de-
cided the franchise tax law Is consti-
tutional l wish | could have got on TO
this early enough, for l am satisfied
this is one of the things which have
been hanging over the market, and If
I could have learned previously what
the decision was likely to be, there
would have been money in this for all
of us Whenever anything like this Is
pending in Albany it will always pay
YOU to advise me, If you can, OF the
probable outcome"
Buckley replied the next day as fol-
lows;
81 am sorry did not know it would
be of any interest to you to have in
formation about the franchise decision
| told some of our friends two weeks
ago what it would be, but | was ad-
yised from very important quarters
that as long as the decision would be
that the law was constitutional 1t
would not have much effect on the
market, and I did not think 1t advis-
able OF say much about 1t. 1t II had
been the other way, you would have
been advised. because I knew of your
interests in big gas In the future |
will keep you advised"
Henry Evans, president of the CONT
mental Fire Insurance company, was on
the stand today long enough to say he
contributed $500 to a fund Sheldon
raised in 1908 to defeat legislation adj
verse to the companies.