Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-11-16
A MURDEROUS TRAFFIC.
LIFE INSURANCE THATLEADS TO FOUl.
CRIMES.

fullauelpnla inquirer.
Z The revelations made by such cases as
that which terminated in the execution of
BENJAMIN Hunter at Camden for the mur-
der of a man upon whose life he had taken
out SEC, 900 worth of life insurance policies
now and then give the public some idea of
the uses to which the beneicent system
Of life insurance is put by unprinciplei
men, There are few who are not familiar
with the fearfully plain state of facts that
led Hunter to the brutal assassination Of
Armstrong. The same CHASTITY story was
told in the execution of Udderzook for the
murder of Winfield S. Goss, and in the ex-
ecution of three of the Raber murderers
but in these there is indicated no resort to
any attempt at systematic fraud other
than that which attached to each particular
case.
Recent developments point to the fact
that there are men who have regularly Or
ganized robustness of getting out heavy
lines of insurance on persons who are ex-
pected, in one way for another, to speedily
remove the necessity of paying premiums,
and bring by their deaths, a rich harvest
to the spectators. For some years past
there has been complaint of the tempta-
tion offered by assessment societies, or CO.
operative concerns, to this class Of specu-
lators, and it is said that in one county
(Snyder) a very large number of the bogus
risks have been written by various COM
panies.
Recently the spectators have been try
ing their hands on the regular companies
doing business in this city. a short time
ago John A. Mastcn and Daniel II. Heintzle-
man, residing at Port Treverton, Snyder
county, made application to the Penn Mu-
! tual life insurance company, Of this city,
for policies of $40, 900 each on their lives
Both were young men, the applications
were correct, and the medical examinations
appeared to be all right. But their circum-
stances in life were not such as to warrant
the belief that they could pay the heavy
premiums required on such policies, and an
inquiry set on foot by the company devel-
oped the fact that they were being insured
by other parties who were going to furnish
the premiums. The Penn Mutual rejected
the applications, which were subsequently
made to and and accepted by the Brooklyn
Life and the Mutual Benefit, of New Jer-
sey, respectively, but the latter were short
ly afterward apprised of the true facts and
promptly cancelled the policies.
The annexed examples, which have been
collated for the purpose, will serve to indi-
cate the extent to which this business is
carried. How it very frequently ulti
mates the criminal calendar painfully
tells:
Peter Stawser died Il few weeks ago.
He was a pauper in Union township, but
had about s75, 900 OH his life in various
assessment societies anu mutual aids, and
was, therefore, worth about $4,000 more
as corpse than he was while alive.
q H. IL. Do
years of age, hostler at Guyer's hotel, in
sured by spectators to the extent of $780,.
600, furnished unlimited rum money, and
drank himself to death in q few
weeks, as it was designed he should.
Philip Anspach, fremont, Pa, ninety
six years of age, insured in the Southern
Mutual relief association, of Hanover, Pa,
and in others for S11, ,O0O-found dead at
Lorberry Junction, within few months of
the issue of the policy.
Conrad Bcchcrt, fremont, Pa, stone
mason, tifty-nine years old, consumptive,
insured in the L. B. Aid society, of Leba-
non, for So, 900, also in the Prudential, of
Harrisburg, for $1,000. Bechert died
within one year, and the spectators were
paid. Bcchcrt's widow and children, who
were in INDECENT circumstances, got
nothing.
| Christopher Kauber. fremont, Pa, con :
firmed consumptiye, insured in March,
1878, in the ''Homc Mutual" of Lebanon,
for So, 900 in the 'sNew Era Of '7G, of Phil
adelphia," for $4,000. Kauber died in a
few months-the ss"Home" compromised
the claim.
George Horter, Donaldson, Pa, sixty-five
years of age, suffering with Bright's dis
ease of the kidneys and affection Of the
heart, liable to die at any moment, heav-
lily insured by spectators, most of the in
surance in the "Prudential" and the "Peo-
PIES"
Mrs. Houtz, of Jamestown, Pa, is a con-
spicuous case. She is past eighty five
years of age: has had several hemOrrhages
is in insured all the way from $50, 900 to
$50, 900 her son demands S. cash in hand
for each $1,000 placed upon her life, ard a
note for $50 payable at her death.