The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1910-03-30
BRACKETT MENTIONED
Frequently In Some Of William
NJ. BuckIey's Letters.

Had Not Even Permitted Strike Bills
to Be Introduced, Buckley Wrote
Sheldon In Explaining His BilI-In
One Letter Suggested the Prussian
Life Give Him Annual Retainer,
Saying the Work Would Not Be Un-
dertaken by Reputable Lawyer.
New York, March 29.-The name OF
state Senator Edward T. Bracket
was mentioned with great frequency
at the fire insurance investigation
when Superintendent Hotchkiss tried
to find out from William NJ. Buckley,
the legislative agent for some of the
insurance companies at Albany in
1903 and 1904, if Senator Bracket was
not the person referred to in some
correspondence that was read as "our
friend Senator b." the Saratoga
party" and "our Saratoga friend"
To Help Friends Campaign FuaI.
Buckley had little trouble beating
Senator Brackets resolution intro
duced in the session of 1903 directing
the investigation of fire insurance
rates in this state. The letters read
covered the session of 1904. That
year Mr.. Buckley wanted 81 500 from
George r. Sheldon, president of the
Phentx and the chairman of the law
and legislative committee of the New
York board OF underwriters, to help
the campaign fund of "our friend in
the Saratoga district"
Mr.. Sheldon had suggested after the
1904 session was out of the way, that
instead of going on as they had and
waiting for the legislators to get to-
gether, 1t would be good plan to aid
things little in the fall election of
that year in some of the senatorial
districts.
Buckley did not approve of this
plan very much because, he said,
our friends forget they had been
helped when the crisis comes" He
said he thought it was better to with
hold and later 1t seems he thought
it advisable to do something for "our
friend in the Saratoga district" Shell
don was only able to send up $500,
and Buckley sent this back because
he said It would not he appreciated.
Buckley would not admit that "our
friend Senator B." was Senator
Bracket.
The letters read seemed TO show
that while Buckley was not kept quite
as busy fixing things for his insur.
ance clients up at Albany in 1904 as
he was the previous year, he never
theless sent in much bigger bill,
charging Mr.. Sheldon and the people
associated with him $4,000. The bill
was so big that it kicked up quite
row. He had not even permitted
strike bills to be introduced, Buckley
said, in one letter explaining his bill.
One of the bills which Buckley at.
tended to that session was introduced
by Louis Bedell. Odells assemblyman
from Orange. 1t was adverse to the in
terests of some of the foreign COM
lanies and Buckley reported he had it
defeated in the senate. An anti-com.
pact bill of Assemblyman Nye was
also put to sleep.
Travellers Paid $21,4oo In 1908.
Sheldon apparently helped Buckley
to put through the Grady reinsurance
bill, which the other companies rep
resented on Sheldon's own committee
opposed, Sheldon even going to far
as to write to Odell in favor of it.
William Grossmith, general coun-
sci of the Travellers Insurance com.
pany of Hartford, testified that his
company had paid Buckley total of
SCI 400 In 1908, to put through a bill
to which nearly all the other accident
companies were bitterly opposed.
Buckley in one letter suggested 1t
would be a good thing for the Prus-
sian Life Insurance company to give
him an annual retainer
In this letter he said 81 think that
1t is only fair that the admission of
the company should be at least $1,oT0
and thereafter a permanent retainer
of $1,000 year. OF course this is
not half what 1t would cost any one
else, and as YOU know 1t would not
under the circumstances be taken up
by any reputable lawyer"
Mr.. Buckley admitted that he had
received $4,000 from the Prussian
Life from the time 1t sought admis-
sion until 1907 In reference to the
s21 400 from the Travellers, Buckley
said he was rot sure that he got II
despite testimony to that effect.
Buckley said that he had kept no
books of any kind and had thrown
away all his old check books.