Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-09
Insists on His Line of Inquiry
in Insurance Investigation.
COMMITTEE is DIVIDED
Long Executive Session to Discuss
Admissability of Evidence.
PROTEST HALTS THE HEARING
Testimony Relates to the Negotia-
tions for the Sale and Control
of Southern Building. u


of Southern Building. -
Continued introduction OF far-fetched
and irrelevant testimony brought the Dis
trict's insurance investigation to a sud
den halt this morning. and the members
of the committee retired to closed Of
flee room for more than an hour while
they thrashed out the questions OF what
kind OF testimony is necessary TO settle
the questions which have been put UP to
the committee by Congress.
The stoppage Of the Testimony marks
the elimination OF an apparent I'll feeling
which has grown up in the committee
during the testimony OF witnesses. who
for two days have done nothing but tell
of the early negotiations In which the
Southern Commercial Congress. the
Southern Building Corporation. the Rich
mond Realty Company and John +.
Story, jr., appear.
Committee Near a Split.
The committee was near to a split
late yesterday afternoon when Repre-
sentative Johnson. according to whis-
pers which have come from the COM
mittee's executive session, took excep-
tiOn to some OF the questions Mr.. Red
field had asked: and also to something
Mr.. Redfeld had done on his own
initiative regarding correspondence
with prospective witnesses.
Mr.. Redfeld and other members OF the
committee have had strong differences OF
opinion as to what should be brought into
the evidence and what should be left out.
Representative Prouty is very strong in
his opinion that half OF the testimony
| introduced is beside the question and !r-
| relevant. and il was his protest today.
partly, which stopped the testimony just
| as Charles Hall Davis of Petersburg. Va,
was about to read a letter which, II ap-
| peared. had no bearing on anything the
committee Is investigating.
Mr.. RedAeld's View.
| The line OF testimony which is being
developed now is understood to be purely
| Of Representative Redheld's asking. His
! theory Is that the whole story OF how
J the Southern building got into the assets
| OF. the Commercial Fire Insurance and
| the First National Fire Insurance COM
| panies Is necessary, and that to find these
things out the committee must deive into
all sorts of matters regardless OF legal
rules OF evidence.
| Here is where the committee splits.
Representative Prouty. Representative
johnson and Representative George lean
| toward the rules Of evidence as laid down
| by court practice and law. and Repre-
sentatives Redfleld and Berger look at
the matter more as business men and are
| inclined to disregard the rules OF legal
evidence and say SO plainly.
] Mr. Redfeld has said that he may re-
sign from the committee unless IL pur-
sues the line of inquiry which he believes
| is necessary TO arrive at the truth; and
| IL so. he will resign by means OF a for
NAL letter.
Ruling of the Committee.
/ Representative Prouty's objection today
followed by Attorney Douglas formal OBJ
lection, caused the committee to sit IA
executive session for one hour. At the end
| Of the conference Representative Johnson
| told the witness that he could produce
| any letters to or from George Ingham,
| superintendent of insurance. to or from
| the members Of the firm of Tuttle. Dudler
& Wightman, or to and from officers Of
| the two insurance companies.
Negotiations for the Building.
Charles Hall Davis Of Petersburg. Va.
| one of the Southern Commercial Congress
| originators was the first witness today.
He was asked to tell his connection with
the deals by which the Southern build
ing ownership was finally landed In the
| control OF the fire insurance companies.
| He said. after the preliminary skirmish-
| ing that the Southern Commercial Con-
gress took title to the Southern building
site. but that money did not come I'm fast
enough by subscription, and II was de-
| cided to commercialize the project.
| Charles Hall Davis and John NJ Parker
| a wealthy New Orleans business man.
| had been the two men mentioned In the
| deeds of the Southern Commercial Con-
gress as holding the property. Mr.
Davis said that Alexander Mcneil. A. T..
| I.eckie and T. Franklin Schneider had
called on him in Petersburg to arrange.
| il possible, to commercialze the Southern
Commercial Congress holdings in real
| estate Many people had contributed
| money to the commercial congress to be
used in a public way, and TO take care or
| their property. IL the commercial congress
was to become a business venture, was
| the problem.
II was given an opportunity 10 assist
| the syndicate which held the original |
option" said Mr.. Hall. but l could not
| accept any proposition to make profit.
| owing TO my understanding with John NJ.
| Parker.
| After the Southern Building Corpora
| ton was organized / had no more to do
| with the matter.
when did the matter next come To
| your attention, and how? asked Mr..
| Redield.
story's Desire to Buy Stock.
II received a letter from J. p. Story.
ir., September g. 1912. saying he wanted
to purchase the stock in the Southern
building
Mr.. Davis read the letter.
II then wrote to Charles A. Douglas.
r II. McNeill and others asking for all
the Information ! could get on the SUBJ
ject Mr.. Douglas wrote me september
II. 1912
He read the letter. which wae IN ex-
planation of why the Richmond Realty
CORPORATION was willing TO sell its South
ern building shares at 12h.
WAS Mr.. Douglas q member OF the
Richmond Realty Company at that time
to your knowledge2"
.fYee" and he read q letter from Mr..
Douglas. This was followed by complete
files Of other letters
Irrelevant" Declares Prouty. Z
'.I have been sitting here patiently
remarked Representative Prouty. land I
confess I cannot see the relevancy OF
any OF this testimony. With these
stockholders said to. Tor or about each
othar q. NJ no value. We are putting