The New York herald., 1877-01-21
A CLEVER sWINDLE.
HOW FIEDEL PAID HIS PREMIUMS, AND DE
NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT BROWN sruDx

HOW FIEDKL rAIp HIS PREMIUMS, AND pI,
NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT a BROWN sruDY
wAs-A wABSISG TO POLICY HOLDERS.
singular of misplaced confidence, which
''ponts moral adorns tale" for tho Jcnel, Of
policy holders IN lilo insurance companies has come
10 lgh, IN the misiortuncs OF Wilhelm Ficdci Ger.
man with a limited knowIeoee of Engsh, bu, by ,hm
time somewhat extended with Tho ways
that are dark and the tricks that OF agent
OF the severely Emerged" Mutual Protection Life Ir-
surancc Company This company one OF those
merged INTO the uardian, and through the Guardian
finding shelter beneath the roof OF the Universal.
Starting out with ali the sporadic agencies peculiar
to the business the Mutual Protection ciaht years ago
had upon rs list Of agents person who registered
upon the books as \. Brown. Agent Brown encr
gc,ic persever!ns. OF good addrcss-haicd from thu
Eas,-and undoubtedly endowcd with all tho
necessary quallca for composition OF good
man in the trade and among tue eligible persons upon
whom his persuasive and wcli punctua.ed c!oquence
was effective was William Fiedo, upon whose proper
application aud after due medical examination aud
scrutiny policy for $1,000, with ,cn-ycar cndcw.
mcni, the premium payable scni-annuaiy. was Issued
This policy IN due and Is regularly issued by
the company the receipt OF the rst seni-annual pay
ment being acknowledged by tho company, and the
stipulation being made upon the policy itself that al
receipts for premiums must 90 signed by an officer
the company. The transaction took place IN 1868.
and TO the misfortune Of tho conadng Mr. Fiedel the
premium have been from that time until within the
past three months, promptly paidbut not to tho com.
pany
ARrFUL DopGEa.
IL IS in this circumstance that tho confidence Of Mr.
Fiedc became his error. The plausible OF Mr.. N
Brown agent ioand ready credcncc in tho ear Of his
friend patron. Regularly the settling day
came and generally a few days before. tho friendly
Mr. Brown visited Mr. Ficdcl In fact tho general
TOPIC OF conversation between tncm was the advantage
OF lilo Insurance 10 men with iamillcs, men without
families aad men who expected famiiies and not
wiihstanding tho iact that The Mutual Protection
Company had found itseli position 10 be goDbcd up
by he Guardian, and tho Guardian been absorbe by
tho Universal, the shrcwd agent kept his customer
ooi from the company by wen told stories and pro
varicaions Every receipt Ior premium was prcmptly
indorsed by him rs "agent" upon Mr. FcdcIs policy,
the payments were narrowed down by tho deduction
Of '.d,vidends' aud Mr. Fiedci accommodated IN tho
time OF payment when he found II inconvcncnt to
settle.
SECURE IN INSECURITY.
Meantime the company, having received no money
either from the policy holder from the agent, had,
at the expiration o the first six months OF It's duration,
considered the policy As having iapsed. and Mr.. n.
Brown, agent, substantially disappeared from their
notice. and, is alleged by those familiar with the
case had, on the successive changes of the original
poiccs, been forgotten by tho company and dis
appeared from OF all except his friend, FicdeL
LIGHT BREAkISG
short time since, however the transactions Of
their former agent began loom up, ana the appear
srce OF Mr. Vioie, with ms policy on hand, at the
company's Office was surprise to the officials. Tho
supposed delinquent came 10 inquire about the valuo
o his policy nnd tho endowment money and TO visit
the company n which had pad such y. neayy div.
when he learned that his policy was void; !;
that an Brown, Agent was no longer such and
that he had right at time TO receive and receipt
tor moneys account OF the Mutual Protection or
the companies into which It had been merged Ficdol
was indignant ~ he had a right TO be, but the CON-
pany's officers consulted counsel; counsel said there
was no iiaoihy that Ficdclhad been dupcd, ana that
n. Brown had committed no technical, but certainly =
moral forgery, IN which ths remedy arrest aud
recovery OF tho money by legal means, II N. Brown
had IT,
! sREApy OK THURSDAY
Meantime, true TO his custom, Mr.. Brown paid his
usual visit to Mr. Ficdci, this time representing
heavy dividend be paid TO Ficdc and figuring down
an annual prcmiun OF about $50 TO 500 in round Ir
urcs, and quite ready 10 ailix his autograph re-.
ceipt upon the back OF the policy IN hn
usual style. But Fedci had raceivcd his IN.
strucons from the attorrcys who wers requested by
Mr. John n. Bewley. tho Secretary OF the Universal
legal measures against Brown. behalf OF the vic.
timzed premium paying Mr.. Ficdo.
money scarce; ".herc was money 10 be got soon
alter New Years.; aud Brown was Told to come again
and Ficdcl would be ready on Thursday"
And so he was Tho cypcctant Mr.. Brown waited
upon Fiedel tor his prcmium but therc was an ON
Ger In waiting. and his present quarters are in udiow
Street JAN, where he Is IN mild uut elective durance
pending tho suit against HIM Tor forgery and the
swindling OF Mr.. Ficdcl during The eight years OF
mis- placed confidence in which he had believing him.
sell insured tor couple OF thousand OF dollars so
The amount paid bv Fiedci is about 81, 100. and
for this his only remedy Is In getting tho money
back from Brown Mr. Brown must remain In Ludlow
Street JAIL ana Fiedcl hold his barren policy Tor
his experience; but he tells the story IN plain way,
vanishing the lacts only with his rcsrctul inno-
ccnce OF life insurance agents ard their winning
holders OF policies to keep track the companies and
their changes. aud look to the name on the receipts
and conditions on their policies before paying tho
premiums
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