Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1905 — PEOPLE OF THE DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PEOPLE OF THE DAY

Some Life Insurance Salaries. In the course of the legislative Inquiry into life insurance methods now taking place in New York it was developed that Richard A. McCurdy, president of the Mutual Life company, draws a salary of $150,000 a year, three times the sum paid to the president of the United States. It was further shown that President McCurdy, bis son, Robert H. McCurdy, and his son-in-law, Louis A. Thebaud, since their official connection with the Mutual Life

Insurance company have jointly drawn from the treasury of that organisation, in the form of salary a.id commissions, an aggregate of $4,53-1,120.49 as their personal emoluments. Richard A. McCurdy was born tn New York city and is seventy years old. He was educated at Harvard, afterward studied law and was admitted to the New York bar In 1850. About the time Henry B. Hyde was leaving the Mutual to found the Equitable young Lawyer McCurdy became connected with the Mutual as a legal representative. In 1800 be was appointed Its attorney and tive years later was made vice president. Three presidents came and passed away during Mr. McCurdy’s long service as vice president until finally in 1885 he became bead of the company. His presidential salary at first was relatively modest—s3o,ooo a year—although large enough to cause comments of an investigating committee in 1887. For twenty years now Richard A. McCurdy has been the dominating force of the Mutual Life, ruling it as Henry B. Hyde did the Equitable and John A. McCall has done the New York Life—with an autocratic power. President McCurdy is tall, deep chested, heavy limbed, with a large head

scantily covered by short gray hair, a snow white mustache and Ldack eyebrows. The forehead is high and broad, the nose straight and powerful, the chin aggressive, but fleshy cheeks hide the jaw line. He dresses neatly and in appearance suggests the well fed and prosperous business man. The Oregon Land Fraud*. John Newton Williamson, representative in congress from the Second Oregon district, who was recently convicted in the federal court at Portland of complicity in land frauds against the government, was sentenced to serve ten months' Imprisonment and pay a fine of SSOO. He was also reprimanded by the court. This is a more severe sentence than that imposed upon Senator Mitchell, who was condemned to serve six months in prison and pay a fine of SI,OOO. In the same case Marlon R. Rigg ex-Unlted States commissioner, was taxed by the court with similar dereliction of duty and given an equal penalty with Congressman Williamson. Dr. Gessner, another defendant in the land frauds, was sentenced to live months In prison and to pay a fine of SI,OOO. Appeals were taken and a stay of executiou made pending further orders of the court. Meanwhile Congressman Williamson will go free on bis own recognizance, but a bond of $4,000 was required for the other two defendants. .

Congressman Williamson is a native of Oregon and is fifty years old. He studied at Willamette university, but bis health broke down just as he was about to be graduated, and be was obliged to remove to the higher altitudes of the eastern part of the state, where for twenty-five years he has been engaged In the cattle business. In 1888 be was elected sheriff of Crook county on the Republican ticket and later served three terms In the lower house of the legislature. He was elected to a seat In the state senate In 1900 and Is now serving bls first term t* congress.

BICHARD A. M’CURDY.

JOHN NEWTON WILLIAMSON.