The Washington herald., 1914-06-11
BEN JOHNSON IN
INSURANCE ROW
Representatives. Eulosy Of
Wynne's Foes Filed with
Receivership Suit.
COPIES WERE ENGRAVED
Letter Failed to State that He Sisned
Minority ReportIFirst Ma
tional Meets Today.

/
An enthusiastic brief by Representa-
| tive Ben Johnson. chairman of the
House District Committee, for Robert
R. Tuttle, president of the Commercial
Fire Insurance Company, and Fred S.
Dudley. vice president of the same, was
made public yesterday before Justice
Stafford in the District Supreme Court,
In connection with the receivership suit
fled by stockholder against the First
National Fire Insurance Company, to
obtain postponement of the annual
meeting Of the stockholders.
Messrs. Tuttle, Dudley. and others
were ordered by Justice Stafford a few
days ago to postpone the annual meet
ing of the Commercial in order to give
time to thoroughly inform all stock
holders of conditions in that concern
Representative Johnson was chair
man of the House committee which in
yestigated the Commercial and First
National companies in 1912 and pre-
pared the minority report. which was
favorable to the management Of the
companies. The majority report, how
ever. criticised the underwriting con-
tract Of Tuttle. Wightman and Dudley
with both companies. also certain acts
of the directors of the Commercial.
among them paying a dividend out of
the surplus in spite Of heavy losses
TattIe Wrote johnson.
Last January. after the two factions
in the interlocked directorates of the
two companies had got at loggerheads.
Tuttle wrote Representative johnson
regarding the charges against him and
others in the two concerns before the
Congressional committee. Under date
of February 7. Mr.. johnson replied.
in part. as follows:
Your integrity not only was not
successfully impeached. but on the con-
trary, was established beyond all sort
of doubt. At that time 1 did not know
you at all. Since then ! have come
to know you personally. and / feel no
sort of hesitancy in assuring you that
now my confidence in your integrity
is so great that / feel better satisfied
each day with the report to Congress
which / prepared and signed All at
tempts to cast aspersions upon the
character of yourself and Mr.. Dudley
and Mr.. wightman signally failed"
Nowhere in the letter is II made clear
that the report to which Mr.. johnson
was referring was that OF the minority.
One of the reports of that investi-
CATION was prepared by me-" Is the
only other reference to the point In the
letter.
Copies Sent Out.
The purpose Of the epistle is not ap-
parent from the text. but under date OF
June 5. after the Commercial had been
sued in the District Court. engraved
copies of the letter were mailed to all
stockholders OF the First National with
circular letter signed by Vice Presi-
dent Dudley, evidently to strengthen the
ipr 0f management
with the stockholders. Messrs. Tuttle
and Dudley are in control Of the First
National also.
One copy got into the hands Of Charles
F. McNally. plaintiff in the suit against
the First National Company. and yes
terday his attorneys Ralston & Richard
son and W. Gwynn Gardiner. brought IL
to the attention of the court in their
efforts to show what was being done by
both factions to control the annual meet
ing. Justice Stafford expressed no de-
sire to have counsel read II.
In refusing TO order postponement of
the First Nationals election, Justice
Stafford delivered a broadside at the
practice among corporations of with
holding the names of their stockholders.
Attorney James s. Easby-Smith. coun-
sci for Robert ]. Wynne. deposed presi-
dent Of the First National volunteered
to furnish plaintiffs counsel with
complete list of the First Nationals
stockholders
Advocates L-gislation.
IF you do not receive one, just let me
know and I may be able to help you
get one" said the court to Attorney
Richardson. But I have no doubt Mr.
Easby-Smith will let you have one You
know exactly how ! stand upon such
matters. Some day I hope there will
be legislation compelling all corporation
to make their stockholders list public so
that anybody can get at them with ease.
They are withheld only by concerns that
are run by people for their own personal
gain-that's all"
Opposition by former President wynne
to the petition for a postponement of
the annual meeting. which will take
place here today. caused some surprise
in view Of his custer by the directors
Of the company on June l. 1t is under
stood that both factions. one headed by
Mr.. Wynne and the other by Mr.. Tuttle
think they can control the election. 1t
was predicted though. that at least ten
of the new directors will be out-of-town
stockholders. Stockholders already are
arriving for the meeting. which promises
to be exciting.
Refuses to Interfere.
In view of the opportunity which the
stockholders of the First National have
had to get together for their own pro-
lection, and the swearing away of the
equities of the petition by the answer
of the company and of Mr.. Wynne.
the court refused to interfere with to-
days program. Attorneys Charles A.
Douglas and Hugh II. Obear appeared
for the company.
The assertion in a circular sent out
by one of the factions to the effect
that Senator Poindexter. of Washing
ton. had accused former Senator Fred
T. Dubois, of Iowa, and former vice
president Of the First National Com
pany, of being a lobbyist. loses its ef
feet in view of a public retraction by
Senator Poindexter. The Senator made
the accusation before Congressional
committee. but went before the same
committee a day or two afterward and
formally retracted II.
BIRTHS REPORTED.