The true Democrat., 1856-04-29
From the New York Evening Post. Does Man Shorten his Life by InSuring it.


 would call a sinister interest," unfavorable to the longevity of the insured.
 It is only few months since house in this city was burnt to the ground and the wife and three infant children of the insurer were con- sumed. Although strong suspicious were aroused against him, the coroner's inquest sub- sequently acquitted him of the charge of arson, and he was released from custody. But the horrible crime had been charged upon him. and the readiness with which the public acknowl- edged the possibility off commission, showed that they had been prepared by past observa- tlon to recognize the possibility, and even the probability, of such wickedness, to gratify a lust for money.
 The crime of arson is familiar to insurers against fire; and upon the same principle it need surprise no one to learn that the crime of murder is sometimes committed 10 secure the premium on life insurance. The ways in which this is accomplished, though usually in- direct, are manifold.
 MT. Henry Mayhew, an English author of repute, who has exhibited remarkable talent for statistics, and whose work on London la Dor and the London poor" is well known in this country, has lately had his attention drawn to the reputed large number of suspicious deaths occurring in connection with life insurance con-
 
 rigorous investigation. He visited and exam ined the officers of thirteen of the largest offices in London, and the facts and inferences which he derived from these visits are so appalling, that we are induced to reproduce them for the benefit ofour readers.
 The first office which Mir. Mavhew entered was newly established one, as the splendor of its furniture indicated. The secretary. in answer to the inquiry how many suspicious deaths connected with life insurance had come under his notice, replied that he knew of none and that he believed that no such cases occur red. He had heard ofa gentleman, the director of fire office, who believed that all fires were the work of incendiares. "Another case of arson!" he would exclaim, as he entered the of- flee the morning after fire had occurred, Gan other villain has burnt his house down for the sake of the insurance money" The secretary added that, although he could call to mind no recent we'll authenticated case of poisoning for the sake of insurance money, 1t was quite cer- tain that the lives of persons insured were fre- quent,y tempered with. They were encour- aged to dissipation, drink, and the means of procuring drink were constantly placed within their reach; and there had been cases of men, whose lives were insured, who had been urged to ride steeple chases by persons to whom their policies had been assigned.
 At the second office visited, the secretary knew of the recent death of gentleman in Scotland whose life had been insured for a very large sum. Soon after the payment of the first premium, he was found dead on moor with the back of his head blown off The mode in which he met his death had not been explain ed. This secretary assured Mir. Mayhew many times that more gambling i'll lives had taken place during the last two years than had ever been known before
 The third office was not a new one but ap- peared to be under the direction of prudent aud even sagacious persons. The secretary remem- bered very suspicious case which occurred in 1849 the year of the cholera. In the early part of that year an application was made to insure the life of a lady for three thousand dol lars, on which occasion a solicitor was referred to, who however, did not live at the address stated. A short time after the payment of the | first premium, the lady died-as it was repre- sented-of cholera.
 The Irish cases, he added, were the worst of all. As an illustration of this, he stated that recently a man had been insured in Ireland, and soon after had died. It appeared, on in- vestigation, that the person whose life had really been insured, had never left lreland; that he had fallen some months previously, from scaf- fold, and broken his ribs and knew tn t he could never recover; and, that he had been per sonated in London by the man who presented himself at the insurance offices, and who was considered a remarkably good life to insure
 The secretary of the fourth office complained ot the German cases. He knew an instance of a German who after insuring his life in a Lon- don office, caused a report of his death to be circulated, and was absolutely present at what | I,rou ol +o bo l. Or .b eXhumation of the coffin, it appeared that it contained nothing but stones
 The following Irish case was obtained at the fifth office: Tim Rooney had had his life in- sured, and the holder of the policy was anx- iouS, if possible, to avoid paying the pre- miums and to receive the sum insured during the life time of his aSsignor Finally, pre- mium became due, and he found himself un- able to pay it. He had still few days grance when, crossing the Litfey at night with party of friends, he saw a body floating on the stream. He lost no time in pulling it on shore, and then, with a look of pity, exclaimed "Why, it's poor Tim Rooneyn' His friends at first thought he was crazy; but when he repeated, "Sure enough its Tim Rooney," adding, "and hadn't l to pay the next premium on his life?" The whole party were courteous enough to under stand him. Accordingly the report was circu- lated that Tim Rooney had fallen into the Lif- fey. An inquest subsequently, held confirmed the fact, the news of which in due time reach ed the insurance office. A certificate, signed by the coroner, and testifying as to the cause of death, was soon afterwards forwarded to the office, and the money for which Tim Roo- neys life had been insured was paid to the proper person. Some time afterwards the agent met and identified Tim Rooney in Dublin and reproached him with being still alive.
 "Was not an inquest held on you?" inquired the agent. "That there was,' replied Tim C and I am told that twelve men sat on my body; but 1 am not at all dead for all that"
 The secretary of the sixth office stated that the frauds on life insurance had increased con- siderably during the last two years. Sometimes rich men would insure the lives of mere paul. pers merely as a speculation.
 At the seventh office the secretary said that the Germans gave a great deal of trouble by their apparent recklessness of life. A German who had insured his life in this office called upon the agent at Hamburg and informed him that he was unable to pay his premium on the day on which it became due. This agent re- piled that he was not empowered to grant time. The German hereupon stated, that unless time were given him he would blow his brains out. The agent smiled; but the desired time not having been granted, the German blew his brains out and his family in due time received the insurance money.
 At the eighth office, MT. Mayhew was in formed that gentleman by the name of T., being entitled to money at his fathers death, had applied to the Norwich Union Revisionary society for loan of f8,OOO, which it granted, at the same time insuring his life for f25,OOO. The same society afterwards advanced him fl3, 900, and insured his life for f42, ,OOO, mak- ing the total insurance 67,OOO His life was understood to have been insured in other ofi- ces for s4O,OOO or s5oOoo more. Mrs. l. and her lover MT. B. were in the house near St. Albans, when l. died, and immediately after his death, caused his body to be placed in the coach house.
 The following facts were obtained at the ninth office: B. was a confirmed drunkard, and knew that he had feeble hold on life A