The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-10-05
so,LIi sEasA1IoaaE RraoRs


About . Case or Ltfs InlnFanee, which,
HoWsEeF, % NqasPan opt'l Wen,
Sensational Fpmpu we're Tying about town
yesterday concerning a he insurance case.
1t was said that an insurance Of $4,000 had
been carried on the life Of an cid and feeble
gentleman, without the knowledge Of the
family, and that the gentleman having re-
Gently died, and the fact Of the existence Of
the Policies coming TO the ears Of the heirs,
they had instituted IN investigation.
The party insured was said to be the late
Capt ]. ]. Roberts, who for several years
kept fashionable boarding house atthe cor
ner OF iEoR and Sixteenth streets, and prior
to that was for a long time clerk at the
Mcclure Houre. When seized with his final
illness he was clerkingat the St James Hotel.
His son, Mr.. Hugh Roberts, Is salesman in
McCabe's wholesale drag store, Frank Woods,
deputy clerk Of the County Court, isason-in-
law, and younger son works in the lSTELLI-
GgNCER job rooms,
A reporter inquired yesterday concerning
the facts OF the case, and found them to be
as follows
About month ago word reached Mr., Hugh
Roberts in an indirect manner that certaln
business man held policy on his fathers
life. He called upon DR.. Morris, the physi-
clan who attended him In his last illness, and
requested him to notify him II application
was made for certificate of death, On Sat
urday such an application was made by
gentleman connected with one Of the depart
ments OF the State government who claimed
to have acted merely as Notary Public. DR..
Morris made an excuse to have the man call
again, and notified Mr.. Roberts, who was
present on Monday afternoon, when the see
ond application for the certificate was made,
and took possession OF the papers presented,
The person who made the application claim
ed to know nothing Of the case further than
as q notary engaged to verify the certificate.
He said Mr., Thomas Zinc, the furniture
dealer, had engaged his services,
Mr., Hugh Roberts WIS interviewed last
night. He knew little in addition to these
facts. lie had heard the current rumors,
Mr.. Zinc had called on him after lac he had
taken the papers from the notary, and had
claimed that the policy had been procured
with Capt Roberts consent, he himself sign
ing the application, and that II was held as
security for several hundred dollars owed to
Mr. Zinc by the Captain. He also
offered to give to the family the balance Of
the policy held by him after his claim was
deducted. Mr.. Roberts, however, thought II
strange that this proposition had not been
made earlier. He also wondered how any
physician could he induced to sign Certiii-
cate OF health for his father who WINS not u
1T subject for insurance,
Mr.. Zinc was also interviewed, HO very
2 uCh regretted the connection by public
rllmOr Of his name with sO-callCd 'dcath-
rattle" insurance scheme, and assured us that
there wRS nothing crooked or concealed
about the transaction. He had simply IN
durGd Capt. Roberts to take out policy In
the Finley Ohio Mutual Insurance AsS0Cia-
tiOn. The risk had been taken by Mr..
Butcher, al agent Of the company who did
business In Wheeling Orsome time year or
two ago. The certificate Of the applicants
condition was made and signed by one DIR,
Martin, mt that time, but not ut present,
located here anda witness signed II also, but
Of his name Mr. Zinc could not bc positive,
The policy calls for less than 81 600 and was
assigned TO him for security for some three
hundred dollars owed Him by Capt. Roberts.
About the runlOrs of additional insurance
no knew absolutely nothing and II had al-
ways hUen his intention to turn over the bal
anGO Of the insurance after his claim was
satisfied, to the heirs Of the deceased. lie
said however, that II there was any diSSatis-
faction with the transaction on the part OF
tile family, lG would not demand the
payment Of the policy "Dut," he added
cmphatically, "the family will never get
cent Of II In that ease. will 0tpermit any
assessment to be made"