Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-13

they proceed to rush in. It is pretty gen.
orally understood that lotteries are frauds,
yet the hope of realizing something for lit
tie or nothing plunges men into speculation
| and makes the lottery sharks rich. The
agent added that the company in which be
was interested was perfectly legitimate. but
admitted that the business afforded an OPP
portunity for wholesale fraud. He said if
he insured all sorts of subjects, as other
agents did, he could make $50 day
Some old persons were insured the very
day of their death, and policies were issued
in a number of cases after the subject had
actually died.
The graveyard insurance doctor is a
great factor in the business, and has al
ready become character. He neglects
all other practice for this, and devotes
most of his time to filing blank forms
certifying that all sorts OF persons, whom
he has never seen, much less examined,
are in the enjoyment of good health and
fit subjects for insurance. For this SER
vice the doctor receives 81 or 81 per GER
tifieate. In exceptional cases he is well
paid, as, for instance, when he fills GER
tifcate for somebody who is dying or al
ready dead. A prominent physician who
had attended a graveyard insurance patient
who died on the outskirts of the city the
other day, was accosted in the street by
policy. holder who had 81 goo On the de-
ceased, and offered $500 of the amount if
he would simply change the date of the
certificate to the Board OF Health so as TO
represent that the subject died day later
than he did. The policy was issued just
the day the person died, and this was sutfi-
Gent to vitiate it unless the doctor could
make other representations. The doctor
declined, and was no sooner rid OF policy
holder No. l than another called him into
his house and offered him $500 to change
the date of the death certificate. Policy
holder No. 2 had $1,000 insurance on the
same person in another company. The
doctor declined all offers, but he was dere-
hct in his duty to the public when he did
not cause the arrest of the persons who
had made these overtures.
Notwithstanding the great number of
companies now scattered throughout the
State, new charters are granted daily by
the State Department at Harrisburg for
the formation of assessment insurance as
sociations without capital, credit or com.
mon decency The companies take some
alluring names, such as the "Hope and
Help company, 1.-The Poor Mans Friend"
the = Reliable" the Guardian Angel, "
and such goody. goody appellations as are
calculated to screen their real purposes and
deceive the gullible public In short
time we shall hear of some startling crimes
perpetrated by policy-holde1s who grow
desperate paying their hard earnings away
and realizing nothing.
An incident is reported in the suburbs of |
an old man named Hall, upon whose life
syndicate had policies aggregating $1,000 |
being sent on long errands daily along the |
railroad, about train time. The unsuspect-
ing subject usually went along the track
cheerfully, but managed to dodge the train.
At last the nefarious plot of the insurance
sharks was discovered, and Hall refused to
do any more errands requiring long walks
upon the railroad.
When well-insured subject dies in the
coal-felds there is generally big wake
and an imposing funeral the policy holders
generally being the principal mourners
The death of old persons is now made the
cause of general rejoicing, and gray hairs
are no longer carried ''in sorrow to the
grave" 1t is thought the Insurance Com
knowing the character of these
criminal concerns, is neglecting his duty
when he does not take steps to revoke their
charters and put a stop to the Infamous
business.