Show SURPRISING STORY Of BUCKLEYS BUCKLEY'S INfLUENCE Bit by bit hit NEW YORK March 25 there was unfolded at the fire Insurance Inquiry the story of the career carcer of Wilham WillIam H. H Buckley the Albany lawyer who for years was legislative agent for the fire Insurance companies On the face of documentary evidence produced reduced Buckley was well-nigh well Invincible invincible invin- invin cible ible at Albany If It letters entered on tho the records contained statements of fact fact fact- and nd for the tho most part they were letters exchanged between Buckley and the late George he the Phoenix P. P I Sheldon h Fire Insurance who ari was president company i ni g of ol of I Brooklyn Buckleys Buckley's Buckley's Buckleys power with the legIslators was well worth tho money he admits admits he received Buckleys Buckley's influence at Albany wen went even ven further according to his words Jle Ie was able to learn in advance a decision of the court of appeals he said aid and would keep Sheldon informed court as s to 10 what was coming corning off oft in Miles allies M. M Dawson a consulting actuary actuary actu- actu ary ry of New York said under oath Buckey Buckley Buck- Buck icy ley ey had informed him he could not ge get favorable action on a bill in which he was waR interested unless he paid some money to the boys When evidence was produced showing E E. E E. McCall now nowa a state supreme court Justice had written Buckleys Buckley's name above his own on a check for which was one of the three loans made h hv the ti- Phoenix Fire Insurance company compan o ot f Brooklyn j. j u through Sheldon McCal McCall knew new nothing at all of the transaction and had merely talked In the tho matter a alis at athis athis his lis request Ho lIe had admitted he had hadnot hadnot hadnot not indorsed the check and identified the handwriting in which his name was written written writ writ- ten t n as that of Justice McCall M Mr Hotchkiss said he would be he glad to O Ohavo have havo the matter cleared up b by the justice jus jus- jus- jus lice tice ice but did not say he would ask him himo to o appear as a witness When seen this afternoon Justice McCall McCan Mc- Mc Call Can said sCid he did not care to discuss th the Insurance inquiry except to say he lie never neve had md any relations or transactions lons whatever whatever whatever what what- ever with Mr Sheldon with his company company company com com- pany or with any fire Insurance company except the Munich He lie said he was fo for some three years the retained counsel counse for or fO the th Munich company 0 tre treC C n The I letters relative I to the court o of appeals were read later In the afternoon There were two of them The first dated date April 29 1903 was from Sheldon t to Buckley Buckle It read in partI part part- I note the court of appeals has de de- de- de the franchise tax law Is tl nal I wish I could have got on t to this early enough for f r I am satisfied this II isone l s ono one of the things s which hava have b been en e hanging over the market arket and if I could have learned previously what the decision was likely to be there would have been money in this for all of us Whenever anything like this is pending in Albany it will always pay you to advise me If you can of the probable outcome Buckley replied the next day as follows follows follows fol fol- fol- fol lows S I I am sorry I did not net know it would beof be beof beof of any interest to you to have Information Information information tion about the franchise decision I told some of our friends two weeks ago what It would be but I was advised from very important quarters that as long as the decision would be bs that the law was conI constitutional con con- It would not have much effect I on the market and I did not think it advisable to say much about it If It had been the other way you would have been advised because I knew of your interests in big gas Jn n the future I 1 will willke ke kep p you a advised Henry enry Evans president of the he Continental Conti Fire Insurance company was on the stand today long enough to say he contributed 2500 to a fund Sheldon raised In 1903 1905 to defeat legislation adverse to the companies |