The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-03-25
He CONTROLLED
THE LEGISLATURE
AND THE COURTS
Knew in Advance What the
State Supreme Court Would
Decide
STORY Of LAWYER BUCKLEY
uNFolDED N the INQUIRY

and the Beneflciaries Show the Cor.
rupt Methods Used in Shaping Leg.
islation in New York Assembly.
New York. March q Aksy bit
ihere was unfolded at the> t.
ance inquiry the story of the> ~
Of William H. Buckley, the AlbASc
lawyer, who for years was legisS
lative agent at Albany for the fire
insurance companies. On the face OF
the documentary evidence produced,
Buckley was we'll nigh invincible at
Albany. If letters which were enter
ed on the records contained statements
of fact, and for the most part they
were letters exchanged between
Buckley and the late George P. Shell
don, who was president of the Phoenix
Fire Insurance company Of Brooklyn.
Buckley's power with the legislature
was we'll worth the money he admits
he received.
And Buckley's influence at Albany
went even further, according to his
own words. He was able to learn in
advance of decision of the court
OF appeals, he said. and would keep
Sheldon informed as to what was
coming off in the court.
Miles NJ. Dawson, consulting ac-
tuary of New York, testified that
Buckley had informed him that he
could not get favorable action on a
bill in which he was interested un-
less he paid some money to "the boys" "
Evidence was produced showing
that T. Il. Mccall, now state supreme
court justice, had written Buckley's
name above his own on check for
$4,000, which was one of the three
loans made by the Phoenix Fire In
surance company of Brooklyn, through
Sheldon to Buckley. Buckley, how
ever, said that Mr.. Mccall knew Moth
ing at, all. of the transaction, and had
merely acted at his request. He ad-
mitted tnat he had not endorsed the
check and identified the handwriting
in which his name was written as that
of Mccall.
Mccall Makes Denial
When seen, Justice Mccall said that
he never had any relations or trans
actions whatever with Mr.. Sheldon or
with his company, or with any hre In
surance company except the Munich,
for which. company he was for. some
three years the retained counsel.
Justice Mccall further said that he
knew nothing about any of the trans
actions referred to at the inquiry ex-
cept that Mr.. Buckley requested that
some loans be made in the regular
way of business.
It was late in the afternoon when
the letters relative to the court OF
appeals were read. There were two
of them. The first, dated April 20,
1903, was from Sheldon to Buckley.
1t read in part:
II note that the court Of appeals
has decided that the franchise tax law
is constitutional. / wish could
have got on to this early enough, for
l am satisfied that this is one of the
things that have been hanging over
the market and If could have learn
ed previously what the decision was
likely to be there would have been
money in this for all of us. When
ever anything like this is pending in
Albany, it will always pay you to
advise me, If you can, Of the outcome.
Buckley replied the next day as fol-
lows:
~ am sorry that did not know that
II would be of any interest to you
to have information about the fran
chise decision. l told some OF our
friends two weeks ago what 1t would
he but l was advised from very I'M
portant quarters that as long as the
decision would be that the law was
IL x,,o,,1d MT hQva n111ch
effect on the market and didn't
think it advisable to say much about
it. II it had been the other way you
would have been advised, because
knew of your interests In big gas.
In the future will keep you advised" J"
II was a dramatic moment when
Mr.. Dawson appeared on the scene un-
expectedly and was sworn In as wit
ness.
ary of the Armstrong committee,
which investigated the life insurance
companies, said that in 1905 he drew
nm bill relating to the method of
valuation of life insurance policies
which afterward was made a law on
the Recommendation of the Armstrong
committee, although it failed the first
wear. He went to Albany and had the
bill introduced.
"While in the lobby of the senate" !"
he continued, Buckley, whom had
known for some years, came to me.
He told me that the bill wouldn't
mass unless money was provided for
the boys He said that the boys
thought would get liberal fee and
thought l ought to divide with them.
/ told him l wasn't there to bribe
anyone. Buckley said he didn't like
to have me speak Of it in that way.
The bill didn't pass"
Buckley denied saying anything to
Dawson about money for the boys" {"
Bucklcy's Letters
Buckley's opinion Of his own ability