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

effort to run around after men; if they wanted
to insure, they came to me; If they didn't
didn't go after them.
Daniel Il. Hawkins, sworn.-Am a resident
OF Wilmington ; since last January have been
Secretary of the Delaware State Fire and
Marine Insurance Company have been a
director since the fall OF 1877, and familiar
with its business.
After some fencing between counsel,
question as to the falling of of the business
of the company was admitted.
Witness. About three-quarters since 1873
that will aggregate about S25, 900 it did not
affect 1877 there was falling off in Janu-
ary 1878 of the business of 1877 our policies
are renewed i'll January, February and
March.
Cross-examined- many policies had
the company in 1876"
81 have no knowledge"
''How many in 1872"
sit WAS not in my jurisdiction"
"Then. how can you testify to its falling
Off three-fourths since? How many policies
were issued up to January l87SW
l have no figures to show"
Question repeated. 81 cannot answer that
question"
''If you cannot answer that question how
can you say that the loss was 525,OOO2"
''By the policies not being returned and
renewed"
''If you don't know how many there were
''By the renewal business and the receipts
from agents."
"what were the receipts from agents up to
January 1872
~ have not the figures for that"
SLOW many renewals were there on January
| LIST, 1882"
~ cannot answer that question; did not
trouble myself to find out exactly how many
| there vas
"How can you testify at all as to the condi-
| tion of this company, if you made no exami-
| nation into it II"
81 have made an examination since then"
Question repeated was tie renewal
| register, there was the ledger which shows all
the policies issued by the agents; l have
| taken Off the amount"
"How many policies were received from
January LIST, 1873, to January 1st, 1872
~ cannot answer that questions have not
| got the data"
"Wlll you state to this jury the highest
amount of premiums upon policies this com
/ pany received in one year since you have
known anything about it?'
II cannot state that positively"
| "And yet you did state that it has fallen OIL
525,0OO. Are you the secretary now?"
| ~ am"
How many policies have you issued since
| last January?'
81 am not the book-keeper; Mr. Paul
| Bright is book-keeper my duties are TO sign
policies and examine applications for insur-
ance; may say, ON an average, that spend
| about one and-a-half hours day in the COM
pany's office; we are issuing policies every
day more or less; l am engaged in four or
five other businesses.
Re-direct-The number of policies issued
arc matters of record ! examined and satis-
fled myself that the amount of falling off
| aggregated 525,0OO.
William ID. Mullen, Jr., sworn-Reside in
Wilmington; was special agent and assistant
secretary of the Delaware State Fire and
| Marine insurance Company during the time
beginning about August, 1873, and ending in
December, 1873, or January, 1879; was assist
ant secretary about six months and agent
about nine months; was in the employ of the
company from the time of its reorganization
up to December, 1878, or January, 1873 lived
in Wilmington about or 10 years; was an
agent with Mr.. Plummer about one year.
.'State if you know, the highest aggregate
business of the company within the time you
| were with it.
Witness. reading from piece of paper
''The company had insurances on the mutual
plan amounting to Sl,S2l, III"
Objected to by counsel for defense and the
witness required to speak from his own
knowledge.
"The falling off in amount of insurance
waa over $1,000, 900 in risks in one year
representing i'll premiums about SlO.OOO,
without any allowance for natural causes
doing as prosperous business as We were in
in 1878 | do not think that the result from
natural causes would have been over 10 or u
per cent of this amount. which would by
, about ~ 800 this would bring the loss dowf
to about ~, 800 ; | knew of u cause for th(
falling oil the falling on was caused by tn,
attacks of the EVERY EVENING the pollclt
were returned many of them marked no ant
from my personal knowledge | speak a
/ agent for the company went, in the interest
= of the company to almost every town on TIN
| peninsula for the purpose of holding OF
; to our renewals in 1878 4; | was in ATiddletown
Odessa, Dover, smyrna, Wyoming Camden
Harrington, Laurel, Seaford, Sharptown
! Queenstown, Centreville Millington. Elkton
!, North East Newark, and most all of th
J., towns on the peninsula | was on the ponin
sula five months think, about at that tim
, Mr.. Bright was President. Dir. Tantum Vic
y president. Caleb T.. Johnson treasurer ant
= during that time James ii. Myers was secre
: tary Mr.. Hawkins, Mr.. Carlisle, John Wood
Robert Mcclellan and, think Mr.. Harga
! dine of Dover. Mr.. Dwyer and Mr.. Sharp o
Harrington, Mr.. Adams of Laurel, and a gen
tleman ut Salisbury, whose name l forget
were directors. and several others
Cross-examined-Hav been in the in
\ | surauce business about two or three years
=, u before that was engaged in the mercantil
, business on Market street, as book keeper 70
: james q. johnson, tinsmith and roofer firs
IL, | went llllU lue lusllduGc Dublllthb i'll lOiD,
% % think with Mr.. Plummer life and fire both
| was his clerk | negotiated policies mysel
=. for him can't tell in what companies @
Il how many was new in the business at tina
time can't tell how long | staid with MI
a plummer ; it was not one year ! | don't thin
i it was six months.
+ "Was it four months "
:, 81 can't tell you tue exact time; after tina
" | went to Philadelphia | was engaged i
several things there was in the lamp busi
!, ness was soliciting for drug sign hous
" making glass signs"
s. "Where is the house located? ?"
~ can't tell you 1t has gone up"
"Did it so up while you were with them
> mo, sir.
l. ''Where was it located?n
l. "On Fourth street, between Market am
II Arch, | think this man made signs for glaa
;, for bottles | don't know his name"
~ 'liow long were you with him Y
= ''Several weeks"
u 81 ask ii you cannot give the name of th
man?n
'r al don't know the mans name or wou
give it to you. 1t was in the third story o
the building front and back BOTH
y MIR. Lore objected to any further question
VI ing of this kind as irrelevant.
50 MIR. Bird replied that he had warned til
u opposing counsel, when he took such latitud
IN in his examination in chief, that he woul
= take advantage Of ii when he came to eros
70 examine The witness Ind been brought hel
~ as an expert in insurance matters aud b
- would try to dscredit him.
q, The Court sustained Mr.. Birds positit
IN IN saying he had IL right to show whether Il
:! testimony of the witness was of value or nj
u and reminding Mr.. Lore that he had ''opent
ui the door"
'S; Gross examination Reconciliation | le
NJ Philadelphia went home to Delaware Cit
10 where | remained about one year | wei
there in the summer of 1876: | was with NJ
a, Plummer in the spring of 1876 went
pai ai Philadelphia in the summer ; | staid i'll Del
" ware City about one year WAS engaged
e. nothing there except working for William
Us Us CleHver i'll canning factory, as day laborel
~ I | was employed az capper of cans le
" Delaware City early in the fall
", 1877 it was i'll Delaware City that | m
~, Myers the Delaware state Fire and Maril
HS Insurance Company was doing business
= Delaware City then | came from Delawa
~ City to Wilmington to V. Z. Holmes ON Ma
~ ket street ; | cerked for him until the rec
ie ganizatiOn of this company in October. lSI
"a then went into the employ of this compan
u. was engaged by the company; l cannot ii
10 what particular man engaged me Mr.. Myt
"a was one of the gentlemen who engaged m'
~ he was secretary of the company at th
III time / went into the company as an agen
had my headquarters at the company y {
flee ; had no office separate from that /; !
es ceived no salary was paid by commissions
,ut ''What was your commission" Object
~ to and objection sustained.
>, 81 was with the company from the reorga
ihse ho ization until January, 1879; then went wi
.e ~ Mr.. Plummer again, and stayed with h
30 till about the middle of December, 1879 |
- merchant now at Third and Maids
I