The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-25
BUCKLEY EASILY
EARNED HIS FEES
Investigation of Legislative
Insurance Graft at Albany Is
Still Interesting.
COULD LEARN DECISION
OF COURTS IN ADVANCE
Story of Lawyers Influence Is
Fully Revealed in Letters
Written by Himself.

NEW YORK. March 24.-Bit by bit
there was unfolded at the fire insurance
William II. Buckley, the, Albany lawyer.
who for years was legislative agent for
the fire insurance companies.
on the face OF documentary evidence
produced, Buckley was well-nigh irwin
chile at Albany, II letters. entered on the
records. contained statements OF fact
and for the most part they We're letters
exchanged between Buckley and the late
George p. Sheldon who was president of
! the Phoenix Fire Insurance company of
Brooklyn-Buckley,S power with the he
legislators was We'll worth the money he
Buckley's influence at Albany went
even further. aecord!ns to his Gym
Il decision Of the court of appeals, he
said and would keep Sheldon informed
as TO what was coming of in court.
Must Pay 1.-THE Boys"
Miles NJ. Dawson. consulting aetu-
AIRY of New York, said under oath Buck
| ley had Informed him he; could not get
favorable action on a bin in which he
| was Interested unless he paid some
When evidence was produced showing
Z. z. Mccall now state supreme court
Justice, had written suGkIey.s eel name am
above his own on a check for $4,000,
which was one OF the three loans made
| by the Phoenix Fire Insurance company
OF Brooklyn through Sheldon. Mccall
| knew nothing al all OF the transaction
| and had merely tdlhtu III Nil' IIihNhNA O.
| his request lie had admitted he had
| moi Indorsed the check and identified the
| handwriting in which his name was writ
ten as that OF Justice Mccall; Mr,
| have the matter cleared up by the JUS
| tice, but did not say he would ask him
| 10 appear as witness.
| When seen this afternoon. justice NC
| Gail said he did not care 10 discuss the
INSURANCE inquiry except TO say he never
had any relations or transaGtt'oMmS Ms Wa ,l,,C
pany or with any fire Insurance COMPANY
| except the Munich. He said he was Tor
| some three years the retained counsel
for the Munich company
Significant Letters.
The letters relative to the court OF
There were TWO Of them The first; dated
April 20, 1903, was from Sheldon 10
Buckley II read in part:
81 note the court OF aPpedils app IL const,pH mas ds
! tional | wish / could have got on TO
this early enough, for ! am satished thls
is one OF the things which nave been
hanging over the market and II could
have learned previously what the decision
was likely TO be. there would nave pecn
| money in this for all OF us. whenever
anvthing like this is pending In Albany,
| n will always pay you TO advise me, II
vou can. OF the probable outcome.
Buckley replied the next day as fol-
81 am sorry did not know IL would be
of any interest TO you TO nave niorme
tion about the franchise decision. told
some of our friends two weeks ago what
ii would be. but was advised from very cry
iInnortant quarters that as long az the
salfIeyo,, ,vo,,Id be that the law was con
etitmtionai. eTi il would not have much efrect
} on the market. and ] did not lhiTk !,
ody,sable 10 say much about IT. II II
had been the other way. you "ould haNe
bSen ,SG advised because knew of youi
Snterests in big gas In the future l VII
| rcan Won advised.
NeLp Iic,ry Evans president OF tho Cont
ncntai Fire Insurance company, Was or
Inc stand today long enough to say h'
iao3 To- defeat legislation adverse II
! the companies