Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-12-02

over she matter made up my mind that we
were certainly out of pocket 100000; there
can be no doubt about it; the whole cause of
this loss was the publications in the EVERY
EVENING, and no other cause in the world;
| persons who were insured thought there must
be something in them, as we did not reply; |
this was in 1873; the actual losses in pre-
miums, without speaking of what we would
have gathered, was about 530,0OO.n
"As president of that corporation have you
received any salary"
mot single cent not single cent, gem
| tlemen, (addressing the jury), my whole
business was to benefit the policy-holders."
MIR. Bird-'If the witness will step down
here upon the floor he can address the jury
to better advantage" Laughter
Cross-examined-I was connected with
another insurance company, the Delaware
Mutual, think"
when did that company get their
| charter ~
Objected to, and objection sustained
What was the name of the other Compa-
ny you were connected with 7"
| Objected to and objection sustained.
| 'Was there or not consolidation of what
was known as the Delaware Mutual, of which
you were president, and this company which
| you are now president ofY'
| mot consolidation Objected to-.
IF they did not consolidate, what did they
| doY Objected to.
Do you know whether the EVERY EVENING
| rendered you the columns of their newspaper
to make any statements that the company
might see to make?'
Objected to and objection sustained.
Examination resumed-I was made pres
dent in October, 1877 the Board OF Direc-
| tors elected me president we met over Mr..
Johnson's (Gazette ollice), | think we were
for q short time in Mr.. Hawkins Office
don't remember exactly how many directors
were present, about a dozen or more we have
had good many directors present ut some
meetings; We had a good many members
from different States"
"From October, 1877, to October, 1878,
what were the amount of premiums received
by that company ?"
81 cannot remember exactly what amount
the amount impressed upon my mind was the
falling OFF,"
'What amount of money in cash premi-
ums did this company receive from October,
1877 to October, 1S7S?'
~ do not remember exactly the amount
do not remember the amount"
Can You come anywhere near it?'
81 do not think Lean"
You say you can form no estimate at all
of itp'
NO; do not think 1 could, sufficiently to
state to the Jury"
''If you cannot say to this jury the amount
Of cash premiums you have received, how do
you arrive at your estimate of the loss ?'
''From the books and the piles of policies
which came back asking to be cancelled, and
arrived at from my daily examination and my
calculations in different ways ; l examined the
books the policies Cancelled and the pre-
mums returned"
''What did your examination show the
company received in cash premiums 7"
~ do not remember that"
"Eow much in cash premiums has this
company received from the date you became
, PRESIDENT
81 cannot saw
II ask you to state to this jury as president
| of that company, what amount of money
came into the company's hands for cash
premiums from October, 1877, down to to-
day."
II cannot remember that"
= NOW. then, | ask you how can you show
; what the losses are?"
+ "By going over the books of Cancelled
: premiums on my own knowledge policies
came in ordered to be Cancelled from day to
day, piles of them, on account of EVERY
c EVENINGS attacks, why they came in that
: high gentlemen, sometimes, Indicating the
! hight by placing his hands several inches
K apart) and ordered to be Cancelled 100000
! wouldn't cover it,"
= AS president of that company did you
d make aiiidavits at different times as to the
= condition of the company"
Objected to. but question admitted after
t argument.
s ''Yes, sir"
Il ''Did you ever make statement, the Mary
land statements"
: "les, sir"
; 'ITow many of these statements did you
n make?"
It 81 think there were two
/ Objected to.
d II cannot remember the amount of money
II received by the company in cash premiums
| cannot give any estimate to this jury AZ to
the amount | do not remember sufficiently tC
81 "a tD Ia
/. tary of the company his connection with il
ceased about one year ago; | would like tC
!, state why he left the company the amount
M of risks represented by 1000 in premiums
is a great deal owing to the kind of risks, some
i would be SIS and some so on the 800
~ the highest rate think was 20 per cent, this
# was policy of $1,000 on oil trains on the
road we have but one of these risks and il
i has been in the company for two or three
= years forget the name of the insured, it il
Pennsylvania oil company; we have nc
- other policy so high; it is impossible to tel
~ the jury the amount of risks 100000 III
'o premiums represent we have some at s pei
m cent, some at 10 per cent. and up to 90 pei
~ cent, and | will have to examine all the
policies to do that exactly made up my
, estimate of the loss by the losses on the book
-, and policies cancelled | think | examined
~ somewhere about 1000 policies to find out
W, that loss | do not believe can form any
II correct Judgment how many policies l ex
,a amncd.
1t 'Did you take them by the size of the
as pile y
Il "Not exactly examined each policy"
d 'IIow many did you examiner
~ 81 don't remember; they would come in ant
ia the clerk would bring them to me, and would
examine them and then, when they wer,
marked OH. would soc it done, and 80 on:'
"What was the average amount of each
~ policy?'
IS This question was repeated in severa
NJ different forms before the witness seemed t
understand it, When he did he replied
"Iherc is no man. | believe, anywhere cal
tell that. Some are for 800, some 5000, tn,
II highest runs about $4,000 or $4,000 and from
IA that down to 500
ot "What was about the amount at risk ii
ls77Y"
:; II don't belve can tell exactly; I can tel
II, if 20 to the books"
ID "lIavo you any idea of the amount at rlsl
" in ls7sE9
lS II cannot tell exactly"
"Cnn you tell anywhere about the amount
yOn had at risk i'll lS79Y'
Vi II don't believe | can | cannot tell"
~ ''lhe best risks we have in Wilmington
- where they know u.s. they are dwelling house
-, generally; we have risks scattered all over til
er country; we did much foreign business; W
~ don't do much now since these attacks; ther
- was one state where we were doing prett
IN, good business that these attacks didn't &
there; we have risks in PENNSYLVANIA; We ar
M authorized to take risks there if they ar
- extended to us; there are policies sent to u
from Maryland; we have Il large business i
, Colorado, where this paper did not go; Gu
u not give any estimate of the number of on
Sc risks i'll Wilmington; We have some in Vii
T. ginia in Ohio, in New York and differei
III other states: do not know how many policic
we have in New York; more than one; MOI
he than four; more than six; cannot say if ther
are more than ten; cannot remember ho
many in Colorado
w Are there ten Z"
'lii 81 cannot remember"
NJ 'Have you any authority to do business
u Maryland2"
ne I'VE have a certificate there (Objecte
Il! to-
''Cau you give anv estimate whatever
ne the amount of insurance you had in Whining
we ton i'll the years 1877. 1873 and 1872
W 81 cannot remember | give you lit
Oh idea i'll this way in one month l wlO
eu between 100 aud 300 policies the reason WI
. that month was impressed upon my mind
," that We were so pleased with the business v
~ were doing, and after these attacks were mac
~ it fell on"
Ter Redirect-At the time these statemen
~ were made made examinations for the pu
st pose of making those statements the loss
vi we're particularly impressed upon my memo
we from examining the books and seeing Il
os policies coming in daily then some agen
as as would write to say that the EVERY EyENIs
d,r .no was killing our business up
ot VICE PRESIDENT TANTuM SWORN
,ut ,u DIR. Joseph r. Tantum, sworn-Am vi