The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-20
money NO OBJECT
IN KILLING BILLS.
Fire Insurance Compa-
mics Lavish in Fight
ing [ Legislation.
OF
GRAFT GROWING
Startling Revelations Made at
Hearing Under Merciless Ques-
tioning Of State Supcrinten-
dent George w. Al
bridge Received Pres
!. cnt' Of $1,000.
f

: =
Ne sDef York k tn Ms Ttmes
hurting question after question at ro-
luctant witnesses, and reading to them
In rapid succession letters and tcle-
grams that told in unmistakable terms
OF the activity OF fire insurance com
panies in influencing legislation at AL
bany. William II. Hotchkiss. State SUI
perintendent OF insurance. and his at
torney. Alfred Hurrell. forced startling
revelations at to-day's session OF tho
fire insurance inquiry.
1t was shown that large sums OF
money had been raised to procure or
thwart legislation between 1901 and
1906 These payments, the majority OF
which were to law firms, ranged from
$500 to 1880. The three largest
payments were OF S17,5oo to the law
firm OF Sherman and Sterling in 1905
for work at Albany in connection witt,
Legislation then pending; OF $4,000 in
1906 for the same purpose. and OF ss.-
3I to Elijah r. Kennedy. member OF
the insurance firm OF Weed and Ken
nedy.
The witnesses examined to-day were
Mr.. Kennedy, Charles L Case. former
chairman of the committee on laws
and legislation OF the Board of Under-.l
writer's. and William N. Kremer. of
the German-American Fire .Insurancei
Company.
| : i I. = i
Timothy L. Woodruff, now chairman
| OF the Republican State Committee:I
the late Senator John Raines. Repre-
sentative George r. Malby and Former
Assemblyman James A Riordon. OF
New York. We're among those men-
toned In the testimony.
Many aIntereAtcd."
Mr.. Woodruff. swore Kennedy, wrote
a letter In 1901 telling him that thelI
insurance tax bill which the compa-
MES were opposing might and mainil
would not BIO pressed. Represep!ativ
Malby. then a member Of the L. Z isla-i
ture, evidenced a kindly interestsin the
bill. as shown by letters to Kennedy.
an old friend OF his. Senator Raines
was amicably disposed toward Mr.iKen-,l
nedy In his efforts to defeat g. undesir-
able legislation. AS for Rio on Ken
nedy said he came to. him with. suchit
a show OF interest that he (Kennedy),l
became aroused like chain lightning
and cut short the Interview. refusing,
as a representatives, of interests affected
to discuss pending legislation with. g.
member OF the Legislature.
One interesting statement made by
Mr.. Kennedy was that he had given a
present" OF $1,000 to George W. AID
ridge, of Rochester. Republican, leader
of Monroe county. This Item was part
of tho $4,000 officially disallowed by
the underwriters but later reinbursedI
to Kennedy by assessments levied on'l
the Insurance companies individuality.
Kennedy said yesterday that AldridgeI
got $500. but to-day he corrected his
testimony.
Every effort to force Kennedy to tell
who a,receiyed tho remainder OF the
So, 900 was futile.
"strike'' Legislation.
:.Strikc" legislation made 1t neces-,
sary for the board Of fire und erwritersll
to have Elijah r. Kennedy look after
fire insurance interests during the
years no acted Us glslntive agent.
at Albany.
This assertion was made to-day in5I
an Interview by Francis O. Affeld,
manager In this country Of the Ham-
burg Bremen Fire Insurance Company.
who was member of tho board OIL
Underwriters during 1901. when L. r..
Kenncdy's bills for expenses with the
Albany Legislators came up.
Mr.. Afteld declared that. he had no
Knowledge that O frebug fund had
been8used with the Legislators as a
bride. but he admitted that Kennedy
had been given authority to work
upon the legislators with all the moral |
fsuaSion" he possessed. III
..In former years Mr.. Kennedy had |
succeeded in killing bills OF that char
acter. I suppose Tho did the same in
1901.s8 OF course. this was naanifestly
to the Sadvantag eS OF the policy -holders.s
The board Of underwriters was al
way 8 decidedly set against any money
going TO the men who make the laws.
It seemed an O bsolutely futile thing.
In the first place,,5as had 1T been ldono'
one year there would have been an,
soutcroppingSof gratters the next year
that would have swanlped the compa- I
nies. Ys "a . |;
AS to the contribution to the Re-
pu blican campaign fund, know Moth
I'M g. The only way can account for
the $1,000 Kennedy says he paid In Il
1901 was that he got influential friends h
OF his to argue with some OF the
Striking legislators. and that he felt /
Obliged later on to recompense those /
who had helped him for tho time they
had taken UP. y W.
ESTIMATE GROWS