The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-30
NEW YORK LAWYER
MAY Be D|SBARRED
William H. Buckley's Testi-
mony Fatal to Himself
KINGSLEY ON THE STAND
President of New York Life Insurance
Company Tells of Buckley's Offer
to Sell Him Six Votes of Leg
islative Members

New York. March 2s-When William H
Buckley. for years the handy man at
Albany of the fire insurance companies,
stepped down from the witness stand to-
day, after four days of grilling, Super
intendent Hotchkiss of the state insur-
ance department announced that he was
through with him as a witness. and the
next effort will be to bring about his
disbarment as lawyer, through the evil
dence brought out at the hearing. it is
stated
Just before the session adjourned Mr..
Hotchkiss demanded that the witness tell
him how much he got from the insurance
companies. Buckley was silent, as usual.
1.-THE record shows" said Mr.. Hotch-
kiss. answering the question himself,
that you received about 100000 from
the insurance companies in the years you
represented them
More of the letters exchanged between
Buckley and the late George 2. SHIELD
don, president of the Phenix Fire Insur-
ance company of Brooklyn, were intro
duced in evidence. One of them, dated
February 7. 1909, was written by Buckley
to Sheldon just after Hotchkiss had been
appointed, and referred to him In a way
which brought out burst of laughter.
1.-The new man named Buckley wrote,
lis absolutely all right, and his appoint
ment will mean the retention of all our
friends at both ends. I tell you this SO
a.. tA,+ H.
any new head coming in who might
cause you any trouble, directly or indi-
directly"
Hotchkiss Turns Joke
Mr.. Hotchldss seemed to enjoy the joke,
but in moment the smile left his face
and he turned on the witness sternly
and said:
you knew that Sheldon's company had
not been examined for 20 years?'
You knew. did you not, that an ex-
animation had been ordered. and that
Sheldon would have reason for taking
great interest in the new superntend-
ent?" he continued.
The witness replied simply that he had
not meant to reflect upon the character
of Mr.. Hotchl1iss by the letter.
Mr.. Hotchkiss explained that, in April,
1908, an examination of the Phenix had
been ordered, but the order lay inactive
in the office at New York, and was
finally Cancelled in January, 1900, short
time. before Hotchkiss assumed office.
No man in the department except Its
heads, he said, had the power to do such
a thing.
Otto Kelsey was his predecessor.
February %. with Hotchkiss in office
Buckley wrote to Sheldon that a clerk
in the department had told him that the
Phenix was to be examined soon, and
that it would be we'll to look up the
man at the New York end
who was the man at the New York
end?' Mr.. Hotchkiss asked.
Buckley refused to tell.
The letters from 1905 to date were COM
paratively few.
Buying Up Votes
Darwin P. Kingsley, president of the
New York Life Insurance company when
first put on the witness stand today.
swore that in 1906 William H. Buckley,
the Albany legislative agent, offered to
sell him six votes at $500 apiece. and that
he told Buckley, II won't give you a
cent"
This happened, said Mr.. Kingsley. in
1906, just after the senate had passed,
by a narrow vote, an important amend
ment to pending bill. Someone called
Mr.. Kingsley on the telephone Immediate
ly afterward and said that Kingsley had
won a great victory but was in danger
of losing it and needed help. The voice
asked Mr. Kingsley to walk up the right
hand side of certain street that night.
where he would meet some one"
Mr.. Kingsley did as directed and testi-
fed that he met Buckley. The latter came
out of a vestibule and said: well you
have won a, notable victory, but they are
going to take 1t away from you. The
wheels are busy on that proposition now
Buckley went on: For $1,000 / can de-
liver you six votes in the senate
II said to Buckley, l can't do anything
of the kind
He replied, Did you come up here to
run Sunday school? This is Albany"
Buckley repeated the proposition and Mr..
Kingsley testified that he Indignantly
spurned it.
The amendment was to the bill provid-
ing that life insurance companies must
make public the lists of their policyhold-
ers and allow committees opposing the
matters to the home office IN envelopes
and the company would be compelled 10
mail them to policyholders
Cash or No Votes
Mr.. Kingsley said Buckley told him he
would deliver the votes at $500 each and
would take no money unless the votes
were actually delivered.
Buckley told him the names of several
senators whose votes were to be bought,
but the witness could not remember the
names The amendment was defeated just
as Buckley predicted.
Mr. Buckley then told his side of the
story. He said he met Mr.. Kingsley In
the vestibule of the building in which
witness had his office. Mr.. Kingsley
he said. sought the interview. Buckley
stated that he told Mr. Kingsley the
vote on the amendment would be rescind-
ed, but did not ask him to pay $1,000 OF
any other sum.
That would have been simply asinine
the witness testified. Mr.. Hotchkiss ther
| took up Buckley's connection with the
| New York Life Insurance company Il
| had been brought out previously that hs
| was under a retainer from the company
of about $500 from 1901 TO 1905. He hac
an office in the New York Life building
and his telephone was on the switchboard
of the insurance company.
Buckley Denies Charge
| Mr.. Hotchkiss tried to have the witness
admit that he got 5000 IN 1899, while HI
was connected with the state insurance
department. for assisting in the passage
of bill TO change the American Bont
and Mortgage company into the lnterna
tional Banking and Trust company. Buck
ley would not so admit
| 1t was shown that Buckley had 10
shares In this company. He insisted HI
paid for it. This stock he used as col
lateral for one Of his $1,000 loans Of tn