The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-23
EXPLAINS DETAILS
OF SHADY DEALINGS !
Further Progress in the Fire lii
surancc Inquiry iii New
York.
NEW NAMES BROUGHT OUT
Albany Lobbyist Tells Of
Graft Offer Of
$4,000.

New York. March 22.-The name OF
State Senator Timothy D. Sullivan, fa-
mtltnrly known as big Tim" figured
briefly In the fire insurance inquiry to-
day. but for the most part, as Mt pre-
vious sessions, William Hotoliklss. the
state Superintendent OF Insurance, kept
on sweeping the cobwcbs off alleged
shady transactions at Albany in years
gone by.
Sullivan's name. which gave a tinEe
OF modernity to tho investigation, was
brought in when George II. Seward.
president of the Fidelity and Casualty
Company, testified that a representative
of big Tim" offered In 1891 or 1892 to
put or a bill Objectionable to the
company for consideration of $4,000.
Sullivan. who came to New York to-
night from Albany, apparently does not
take the charge seriously. Stewards
testimony, he said, was nero hcarsay,
and does not concern him. The bill
became ia law In 1892
Elijah II. Kennedy, for years Il lob
byist at Albany for the New York
Board Of Tiro Underwriters. was back
on the stand to-day, and through him
Mr.. HotchlSiss developed interesting
testimony of incidents In years gone
by. including an alleged offer OF one
time Assemblyman named Towne to
XIII bill for consideration of $4,000.
Kennedy said that he went to Al
bany to argue against the bill before
the Assembly Committee on Insurance,
and incidentally mentioned the at
tempted $4,000 scheme
"Thc chairman OF the committee
said the witness. "waI j. Irving
Burns, later Senator from Westches-
ter county. AS soon as I told of the
$4,000 bribe demand, lN hold out
both hands and said: Tut. tut, Mr..
Kennedy; don't talk so loud Then
he adjourned the meeting, without
making any effort to find out about
it,.
Besides his reference to big Tim"
Sullivan, the witness, Seward, inti-
mated that there had been collusion
in former years between the state De-
pertinent of Insurance and certain life
insurance companies
New Names Brought Out.
Several more names We're brought
ont to-day. Among them was that Of
Louis l.. Payne. former superintendent
OF insurance, and the present Repub-
lican leader of Columbia county. He
was spoker1 OF on the stand by Cor
nelius Shufelt, who as a former cons
mittee clerk at Albany for several
years, acted as the agent of the late
George P. Sheldon. president OF the
Phenix Fire Insurance Company, OF
Brooklyn.
When he wanted to collect pay from
Sheldon, Shufelt testified he went to
Payne. and Payne wrote to Sheldon
commencing him as trustworthy
man.
State Senator Thomas f. Grady's
name was mentioned again, several
times.
The Grady reinsurance bill, which
as shown yesterday was passed after
three foreign companies had spent q
large sum for that purpose. also fig
ured in the testimony. When Kennedy
was on the stand he was asked why it
was that Former Governor B. r..
odell. after vetoing the bill, recalled I'll
and approved 1t.
The reinsurance companies wanted
the bill, and they had powerful
friends" said the witness.
Who. were they?"
II am thinking of one in particular
He was very prominent man. He is
dead" He asked to be excused from
revealing the name, and Mr.. Hotchkiss
did not press him.
The hearing adjourned until III
o'clock tomorrow.