The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-04-08
INQUIRY IS VOTED
New York Legislature After
Reinsurance Companies.
NO BRIBERY INVESTIGATION.
Resolution For Wider Probe Sup
ported by Only 16 Votes-Supt.
Hotchkiss on the Trail of
$4,000 Check.
NO BRIBERY INVESTIGATION.

Albany, n. v, April 5.-After a three
hours wrangling, during which prop
ositions for general investigation of
alleged legislative corruption were de-
feated, the assembly adopted the Nc
Inerney resolution calling for the APP
pointment of a legislative committee
TO inquire into the affairs of all insur-
ance companies doing business in the
state, with the exception of life insur-
ance companies.
The committee is to sit during the
summer and report its finding, with
recommendations for remedial legisla-
ton, to the legislature of 1911.
The assembly also adopted a resolu-
tion requesting the attorney general to
enforce the law for the punishment Of
fire insurance officials who may be
found guilty of violations of the stat
utes of the state.
Both these resolutions were sent to
the senate today for concurrence. The
program of the senate leaders is to act
delay.
Only Ii of the 132 assemblymen
present voted in favor of general
legislative inquiry. These sixteen were
Bates, Bennett. Clark, Dana, Lupton,
Perkins, Lee. Gray, Green, Higgins.
Weinert, Cross and Thompson, Repub-
licans, and Garfein and Short, Demo-
Gratis.
New York. April 5.-An effort to find
out just where IA payment of $1,000
made by the New York board of fire
underwriters after the legislative ses-
sion of 1909 went occupied the time of
Superintendent Hotchbiss at the insur-
ance hearing.
Although William II. Buckley in his
testimony declared that he had not re-
ceived any money from George b.
Sheldon since 1903 nor had done any
active work at Albany for the insur-
ance interests, correspondence that
has been read shows that Mr.. Buckley
after quieScent period of several
years suddenly did become somewhat
active in that session.
There We're two bills introduced that
year which interested the fire under
writer's here very much. One was the
so called Grattan-Hamm liquidation
bill, a measure promoted by the insur-
ance department under Superintendent
Hotchliiss giving the superintendent
power to wind up the affairs of insur-
ance companies which did not show Il
standing conforming with legal re
quirements. The other was the regu-
lar yearly anticOmpact bill, which was
put in by Senator Grady.
Vice President T.. H. 4. Correa of
the Home Insurance company and vice
chairman of the New York board of
fire underwriters legislative commit
tee identified check for $1,000 which
the committee paid To sheldon on
Sept. l.
Sheldon deposited the $1,000 check
Sept. in the Liberty National bank
IL. :. BartO. the assistant cashier. tes-
titled that on the same day he came in
after hours and asked if it was too
late to get a check caShed. He wrote
out check for 81 800 and asked for
the money in bills of large denomina-
tion. Mr. Barto gave Sheldon, he said,
three $500 bills.
Superintendent Hotchkiss drew the
inference from this that three senators
got $500 each.
Frederick &. Case, Sheldon's seere-
tary, identified "A letter written to Mr..
Sheldon on April 20, 1909, in which he
said:
After telephoning to you this morning
j went out at once to find Mr.. Buckley.
He said it was no use TO see assembly
men about the bill as there would be
no quorum in the committee. / shall see
Senator Grattan tonight and Senator Gra-
dy in the morning. ] shall be at the Ten
Eyck tomorrow until 1890. ] have an ap-
pointment 10 meet Mr.. Buckley in the
senate chamber at 10:4S.
Case said that he was acting then
under instructions from Sheldon, that
he had seen Senator Grady after writ
ing this letter, but only for a moment,
and then had seen Senator Grattan.
The latter told him that ii was not
too late in the session TO grant any
adjournment on his bill, but that he
would be glad 10 hear if the insurance
interests had any amendments that
would make the bill acceptable. The
Grady bill was afterward killed.