Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-29
Kingsley Says Buckley Offer
ed Them at $500 Each.
WAS TOLD HE NEEDED HELP
President of New York Life Declares
He Wouldn't Buy.
WANTED AMENDMENT PASSED
Favorable Vote, When Telephone
Message Informed Him Fight
Was Not Won.


NEW YORK. March 2s-Darwin P.
Kingsley. president OF. the New York
Life Insurance Company. the first witness
today in the insurance investigation.
swore that in 1906 William H. Buckley.
the Albany legislative agent. offered to
sell him six votes al $500 apiece. and
that he told Buckley:
Il won't give YOU cent
Kingsley said that in 1906. when the
Armstrong life insurance bill was before
the legislature. he went to ALBANY 70
advocate amendment OF the provision
relating to the election of directors. The
bill provided that the companies must
make public the lists OF their policy
holders.
Amendment Voted For.
kingsley got Senator Horace White 70
Introduce an amendment providing that
any committees representing opposition
to the management might take to the
home office circulars or other matter in
envelopes and the company would be
holders. The senate passed the amend
ment by a narrow vote. That night,
Kingsley said. some one called him on
the telephone and told him. though he
had won great victory. he was in dan
ger of losing il and needed help.
Kingsley said the person talking to
him over the telephone told him TO walk
up the street from the Ten Eyck Hotel
he nI
side OF the street that night, and he
would meet some one
Buckley Offers Votes.
Il walked up the street that night"
SAID kingsley, and Buckley stepped out
OIL Vestlbuie and stopped me. He said
Well, you have won notable victory.
but they are going to take it away from
YOU The wheels are busy on that propo-
sition now.
- didn't understand what was going
on, but Buckley insisted that what he
said was true. Then he went on: For
S3.0OO can deliver you six votes in the
senate.
Il said to Buckley: L can't do any
thing of the kind.
HE replied Did you come up here 10
run a Sunday school" This is Albany.
Have you considered the damage which
will be done to your company Il the
names of the policy holders are made
public?
Il said L had. You can stop ii all for
5000 he said.
Says He Wouldn't Buy.
| told Buckley I would do almost any
thing to prevent the defeat of the amend
ment except forfeit my self-respect. You
can't have a cent" | said
Kingsley said Buckley told him he
would deliver the votes at 500 each, and
that he was to pay no money unless the
votes were actually delivered.
Buckley. he said, told him the names
of several senators whose votes he could
buy. but the witness couldn't remember
these names He went on to say that
the amendment was defeated. just as
Buckley said it would be, following
republican caucus, and that the New
York Life Insurance Company had suffered
heavy losses on that account
Buckley Makes Denial.
Buckley was then asked to tell his side
of the story. He said he met Kingsley
in the vestibule Of the building in which
he had his office, and talked with him
about the amendment.
Kingsley. he said, sought the interview.
He told Kingsley. he said, that the vote
on the amendment would be resclnded,
but did not ask him to pay 5000 or any
other sum.
That would have been simply ASST
nine he said.
Mr.. Hotchkiss then took up further
Buckley's connection with the New York
Life Insurance Company. 1t had been
brought out, previously, that he was
under an annual retainer from the oonl-
e
1895. He had an office in the New York
Life building and his telephone was on
the switchboard Of the insurance COM
pany.
Buckley Will Not Remember.
Mr. Hotchkiss presented the checks az
gregating so1 400. which. 1t was shown
yesterday were paid by the Travellers
Insurance Company of Hartford to Buck
ley for the passage of the reserve liabiI-
ity bill in 1903. The $4,000 check Buck
ley cashed in New York.
He said he didn't know what he did
with the cash, or why he got the money
In currency.
Buckley would not admit that he got
5000 in 1899. while connected with the
state insurance department, for assisting
in the passage of a bill to change the
American Bond ard Mortgage Company
Company.
Buckley had 100 shares in this interna-
tional company and insisted he paid for
them This stock he used as collateral for
one of his $13,0 loans from the Phoenix
Fire Insurance Company Of Brooklyn.
Mr. Hotchkiss received a letter today
from Senator Edward T. Bracket re-
questing him to ask Buckley il he had
ever contributed any money to Brackets
camSaign expenses. 1t was testified yes
terday that Buckley had tried to raise
81 800 for the purpose, and failed.
Buckley denied that he had ever con-
tributed a cent to Brackets campaign
fund He wouldn't say whether he had
distributed campaign contributions for the
insurance companies, because, he said
the question wasn't pertinent. and be-
cause the insurance companies had a right
to make such contributions il they
wanted to.
Find Rodv of nrnuned Mon