The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-10-14
New Fern - vllllanv.
To the Editor Of Gk Chicago Tribune:


To the Editor Of tk Chicago Tribune:
Sir: For several months past I have held q
policy Of INSURANCE for &2.5OO. executed In du.
form. all complete. BY one Of the home insurance
companies doing business in this city. The very
frat Of The policy reads thus:
"--Insurancs Company. o. C.n.
ital -. In consideration of thirty doll.r.
to them paid by the insured hereinafter named.
TIC receipt sohsrecf Is hereby acknowledged do M.
sure--against loss Or damage by fire, to the
amount OF twenty-five hundred dollars. on their
tw0.story frame dwelling situated on, etc, ETC. -
1ne mouse having been moved off the lot, l
called to-day to have the policy cancelled, and to
receive tho amount which was entitled to have
feicnded, ON account of the unexpired portion
OF the term for which it was Issued The cash.
Ter looked at the policy, then looked into his
BOOKS, and then gravely told me that the policy
nao been obtained by solicitor who had not d, {.
counted to them for the premium he had re-.
oeived; consequently the company woald not re.
fund. "Ihen," said ], if u fire had ucourr-d
you would not have paid the loss 2" 1--WE woulo
not, Was the reply.
On referring to the policy I find the receip,
for tho money printed in large pi in type, wnich
= blind man could almost read Lower down.
among number of other provisions, conditions,
and qualifications, and, of course, intended. az
tar ~ possible, to relieve tho company from any
liability TO make loss gsod, fad, in print 90
small that man past 40 Can scarcely read It
without microscopes, this clause:
H. 1t is part of this contract that any per.
son other than the assured, who may have bro.
cured this insurance TO be taken by this COM
p"ny, shall be deemed to DO the agent of the IA.
sured named in this policy. and not of this com.
pany under any circumstance whatever, Or in any
transaction relating to this insurance
Translate this style of doing business into
plain English, and it means Just this,-,. thi.
company sends out its solicitors to swindle the
community tor the joint. but unequal, benefit of
the company and tho solicitors. On Ill the ore.
mlums received by their solicitor, and account d
tor. he receives his commission, and the oom.
pany the balance, while suoh Is he does not pay
over are all profit to the solicitor. TIE COMPANY
winks at the solicitor,-the solicitor at the com.
pany,-they both know "what is what" and all
10 lovely between them. Their intended victim
having paid his money, and received u beautiful
emoeliisbed specimen OF the printers and en-
graver's art, wherein the receipt of bis mon.,
and the obligation to ENSURE" him in Case 81
floss or damage by fire." are both distinctly re-,
forth and acknowledged in due form, and with
becoming solemnity, lays the pretty deception
away In his safe, and dreams himself secure till
awakened, it may be, by fire, to realize that he
has been robUed by a partnership of thieves.
Inns company is not singular in the practice
OF this particular swindle. I happen to h.ve
heard OF another IA foreign comp N.Y., in the pol
lcies OF which u similar clause, intended to mem.
tralize their own plain aoknowledg cement of the
receipt OF the premium, il inserted, and no doubt
in equally marvelously fine print.
Whether any decisions OF the courts 20 to the
length OF unfolding this particular form Of vii.
Mny l know not. 1t would barely seem possible
I ct 1T may be.-And, hence, it behoves all who
naVe PAD premiums to solicitors to ascertain, by
inquiry at the Office, whether the money ~.
been actually paid over to the COMPANY. and Is
not, then to have themselves righted at once. and
thereafter to promptly eject such solicitors IA
may venture to darken their door. KY.
CHICAGO Sept. 25, 1871.