The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1878-04-25
Desirable Insurance.

1
We have, on several occasions, here tofore,
alluded TO the plan of insurance carried on
by the Odd Fellows, called the Funeral Aid
Che Masons have similar plan.) 1t is this
Any Kansas Odd Fellow or his wife, in good
health and standing can become member by
tue payment of $3.50; and whenever a membe,
OF the Association dies, each remaining member
Is assessed 81 TO- which goes to pay the insurance
ana incidental expenses. Every insured person
who dies is entitled to as many dollars - there
are members. The classes are limited TO 1900
members Class has been full for several
years, and every member who dies, is entitled to
sloOO which goes to his nearest relatives. Class
has been formed, to which any Odd Fellow can
belong, subject to the above named requirements.
Those who belong to Class A, can also belong to
Class B, by paying another $3.50. Class is rap
idly filling up, and by the time of the next eet-
ing of the Grand Lodge, in October, it is expect
ed that it viii be full. If so Class will be
opened. All Odd Fellows should at once make
application, especially those who were too late
to get into Class A. The expense is triaiDg, and
in case of their death, the insurance will he a
great relief to their families.
This insurance is remarkably cheap. We be-
lieve the most deaths that have occurred in any
one year, have been about ten, making the cost
OF insurance for $500, only sl1 year. During
the present Grand Lodge year, since October, a
period Of nearly seven months, there have been
but two deaths, making the insurance only 20
on $500 for seven months. Taken one year af-
ter another, it may average $40 year, which is
the cheapest insurance known.
In ia actin folr L.
cision in an insurance case of t his character,
which is important to those interested:
MUTUAL BENEFIT ASSOCIATIONS.
We do not believe that We publish anything of
more general interest than the following, from Wash
ngton ID. C., paper We suppose that at least twenty
per cent OF the voters of the country at any rate In
cities, belong to Masonic, Odd Fellows knights
OF Honor or other association, which, the death of
one OF Its members pays to some one an amount of
money. This system of insurance is comparatively
new, and of course but few have been into
the courts. The one quote below is the first one
which We have noticed. 1t settles, far as that court
can do it, principle which all of these associations
have always contendcd for. Our attention was called
to tins by S F. Burdett, Secretary of the Odd Eel
lows society of this State
The several published accounts of Jude Cartters de-
elsion in the case of Jacob the Masonic Mutual
Relief Association have been entirely at variance with
the facts and with the law. applied by the Court
So far from the decisions having been adverse to the
company every point raised has been decided in its
favor As the question one of great interest not
only to the members of the association but to the
many thousands who have wisely discarded the
broken down system of life insurance, and become
members of similar trny mutual life insurance COM
panes the facts in the have been carefully col
lated from the court records
Mr.. Jacobs was a member of the association and in
his application for membership, directed that the
benefits to accrue therefrom should 90 to his sister
1.-THE plaintiff in the present suit), unless he should
change the direction Some time afterwards he mar
ried and desired to change the beneficiary from his
sister to his wife, which, under articles six section
four of the bylaws of the association could be affect
ed with the approval of the Board of Directors On
account of some trouble between his sister and himself
he took no further steps toward keeping up his mem
bershp and failed to pay his in the time
required by his contract with the association and was
thereupon dropped from its rolls. Subsequently to
the forfeiture, his sister, the plaintiff rendered the
amount of the assessments. but the membership
and Its rights personal Jacobs the association
refused to receive the dues from any person except
Jacobs or his authorized agent independent of the
question of forfeiture. After his death the sister sued
the association, which filed pleas recting in substance
the facts and failure above stated. To the pleas
the plaintiff replied that she had rendered the amount
OF the assessment The association demurred mainly
upon the ground that the replication should set out
the tender as having been made by Jacobs himself
by his authority direction. The Court sustained
the demurrer and gave the plaintiff leave to amend
her replication which she did. setting forth that she
had a vested right in the benefit arising from her
brothers membership and that she not in default
! ne ASSOCIATION demurred again, substantially be-
fore and the court after the fullest
Sheiabarger appearing for the plaintiff, and Colonel
James e. Payne for the association the
demurrer.
The point made by the pleadings was whether the
person named the BENEFICIARY in the application for
membership could upon the failure of the member to
pay his assessments, do herself and compel the as
socaton TO receive the amounts dne and thereby re-
tam the benefits of the membership. The Court de-
eded that this could not be done in this class of
Citations. The Court did not decide, as has been
currently reported, that member, after forfeiture
could tender the amount of and be rein
stated On the contrary, every decision has been in
favor of the association.