Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-09-03
speculative Insurance.
AND THE RUIN 1T Is SAID TO BE
CAUSING AMONG ITS VICTIMS.

AND THE RUIN 1T Is SAID TO BE
CAUSING AMONG ITS VICTIMS.
The mania for insurance gam
bling has become 50 universal IN
the ruro portions If Penn~ylvnn-
ia, that 'Ilow is your mar" has
become the form OF saIutarion, in
stead Of Inquiries abpur the condi-
tion Of the corps. The sharks
iackals aud agents of the coiupa
mics, in order to stimulate indus
try, are offering gold watches a.
premiums for the largest number
of risks that can be reported with
in certain period This creates
rivalry. in which tie old people
are expected TO die ehorlly
The iackal is the latest develop
ment Of the business. lie does not
write policies or take risks | is
his duty to visit the Offices Of the
various doctors and ascertain the
names, addresses ind condition of
such pa tents as are near the grave.
These are turned 10 good account
in speculative policy department
and pay handsomely. They are
reported by the jackal TO syndi-
cate, which insures the shaky sub.
jects sometime in as many as fihy
panies. The business has now
reached such stage that The sig
natures Of the insured TO applica
tions are not required.
Most Of the people who have
died recently have been eXtrava-
gantly insured. On the life Of
Constable Quinnan. who was a
young man. who died in Hyde
Park few days ago, there were, it
is said, policies for not less than
$4,000 mostly held by strangers.
Quinnan, who was a young man,
was sick for some time before his
death, and some ofthe policy-h0ld-
ers sent him bottles of wine. Whis-
key and brandy, day after day.
The doctor finally protested, but
the protest did little good. The
science of making sessments is
an important feature of the bust
ness. If man takes policy on
some old PERSONS life, he prooa-
bly, receives a notice few days
later of the death Of five or ten
old persons. Ga thousand-dollar
policy the assessment is dollar
and quarter for each death, SO it
will be seen that the tax is enOr-
nous. Some ofthe companies new
er print the date of Geath on
their assessment notices, and a
man who received policy yester-
day is liable to receive a notice to-
day assessing him for persons who
died month or two before he was
legally subject to assessment. One
company has pressed this feature
of the traffic 50 far that the policy
holders are already revolving, and
threaten legal proceedings against
it.
Many who embarked deeply in
the business have been ruined. In
one case the owner Of a fine farm,
who was out of debt, and had
money ia bank and good credi, a
few years ago was induced to buy
some policies on old naen and wo-
men who were represented to him
to be with one foot in the grave.
They still live however and his
assessments, amounting to 500 a
month. have swept away his farm,
his home, his credit, and he is on
the verge Of despair. In few
months he will have to throw up
his policies. They are bad stock,
and nobody will buy them. He
cannot unload. His ruin is COM
plete There are many Others just
like him. Farms are going down
in neglect, and families heretofore
prosperous are being ruined. No
wonder that men are tempted to
murder those they have insured
and who will not die.