New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-03
INQUIRY WILL GO TO DEPTH
Relentless Examination Into Cor
rupt Practices Is Promised.
AMY EVIDENCE WELCOMED
Alfred Hurren, of State 1nsur
ance Department, Assistant
tom. Linn Bruce, Counsel.

The committee of investigation appointed
=. ,be LEGISLATURE to inquire into corrupt
--sc,ires in that body and charges OF
,t-,ilsr nature which may be fled against
o,,b,ic officials OF insurance companies
other .han ordinary life companies heio
an executive meeting yesterday AFTERNOON
al the Murray Hill Hotel All lhe mem
hers OF the committee except senator ARA
.,der Trough who is in Europe were
-.ss,. The lobby of the hotel was rem
tnisoent of Albany In midwlnler- ron
,icians of various calibre stood ABOUT as
cussins the possibilities OF the lhNesuea-
ton. "a
-.r+,,sn. of Insurance, was selected as as
.t.,on- counsel to the committee, and was
~, hand with ex-ieutenant Governor NJ
T,,n Bruce the committees chief legal
,d-gser II was announced that the ser
,-fces Of Professor Albert w. Whitney, who
has occupied the chair OF mathematics ana
insurance at the University Of California
had been secured as actuary for the IN
vestigators.
Several witnesses appeared in answer TO
subpenas but the committee did not gel
down TO the taking of testimony yesterday
The first public hearing for the taking OF
evidence Will be held at the City han on
August so at II a N. Employees OF the
-r,tle Guarantee and Trust Company APP
peared with some OF the books OF the Ne"
York Vehicle Transportation Company,
concern in which ex-senator Aids aho
other LEGISLATORS held stock, according to
testimony adduced ct the Allds-Conser IN
otiry. The books are In the custody OF the
trust COMPANY and a subpoena duces tecurn
had been served for their presentation
II was said after the meeting that little
time had beer found to look over TINS
documentary evidence, and 1t Would De
taken I'd again James w Cunningham,
of the defunct brokerage firm of Ellingwood
& Cunningham. with which a score OF Re-
publican and Democratic legislators are al
legged TO have transacted business. appeared
in answer 10 a subpoena, but he was not
called before the committee TO TESTIFY
Relentless Inquiry Promised.
The committee was IN session for three
hours behind closed doors. and state
ment was issued at adjournment saying
that most Of the time had been occupied
in discussing the order of procedure at
future hearings and other preliminary 0e-
tails
Mr.. Bruce and Mr.. fIurrell both declared
~u1phatically after the meeting that the
present investigation would be impartial
spared
II want to make this point very plain,
.aid Ny Bruce. that we welcome informa-
ton from any one In regard TO corrupt
practices of public officials in this state or
Of candidates for public office. and II
charges are properly fled against any in
cfvidual this committee viii meet forth
with 10 investigate them
Charges nay be filed at Mr.. Bruce's Of
fees No % Liberty street, or with the
chairman of the committee. The only lin
itation TO the filing of such charges was
pointed OUT in the statement issued by the
committee, which said on that point:
Attention is called 10 the fact that the
only limitation 10 the filing of charges is
that a charge Of official misconduct against
q candidate for nomination or election TO
an elective state Office must be received
before the first day Of September, 1910
This does not, however. limit the commit
tee in any way from proceeding 10 the full
est extent in the investigation of any such
charges after that date, and charges
against persons other than candidates for
elective Offices will be received at any time
during the existence of the committee"
Evidence by the Wagon Load.
Mr.. Bruce said that future sessions of
the committee would probably be held in
Buffalo. Albany and some other Of the
larger cities of the state whenever it was
found more convenient 70 do SO in line
with the various phases of the investiga-
ton before the committee He said there
was e large amount of preliminary work
10 be done and much documentary evil
6ence already in sight TO be examined by
experts in order to facilitate the inquiry
Asked If the books of the Ellingwood &
Cunningham firm were available for the
committee Mr. Bruce said they were.
We were not ready for those books to-
dsy" he said Il understand there are
several wagon loads of them. and il will
take long time for US to 60 through
them and pick out the names they are sup
posed to contain"
These books were taken out of the state
To Bloomfield. \. j. at the time Mr.. Hotch-
kiss State Superintendent of Insurance.
began his yellow pup" inquiry last
spring They are now in a barn in the
New Jersey town. IT IS said, guarded by
New York State detectives.
Superintendent Hotchkiss was unable 10
Procure the books. and as result was
il9mpered considerably in his investiga-
tjon into the Wall street adventures Of
Senators and Assemblyrlen who were
powers At Albany in the last fifteen years
And some of these Legislators. whose
financial transactions are expected to be
brought TO light by the committee are
said to-day 20 be powers in their respec-
tive parties. they in the DAYS
when tho famous Black Horse cavalry
held legislation at Albany open 10 the
hishesr bidder
The committee announced yesterday that
J.. ". Conant- of the firm of l. H Conant
& Co. certified public accountants, had
been retained as accountant for the COM
m;ttee Joseph ]. Early. who has been
Albany correspondent for several years
for The Brooklyn STANDARD Union" was
appointed assistant secretary TO the COM
rnittee.
Help from Superintendent Hotchkiss
Mir. Eotchkiss, upon the request of Mr.
Eruce and Assemblyman Edwin A Mer-
-itt r.. chairman OF the committee had
granted Mr.. Hurrel a leave of absence
from the Insurance Department until the
middle OF January, 1t was said in the
statement issued by the committee
The superintendent is cooperating in
every way he can with the committee in
its work" the statement said Mr. Hur-
rel is q member Of the firm of Horton &
Hurreii, Of Buffalo. and is one of the fac
ulty OF the law department Of the Uni
versity or Buffalo. He was associated