Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-02
IN COURT.
~.., of One Of the Death Rattle Agents
- Going on ut the Court House.


IT, trial of J. b. Wherry, indicted for
5o;nc an illegal insurance business began
y. inry before Judge Boyd, in circuit
Gonrt Part One, yesterday afternoon Inc
o oo,,rt room was quite full, and there was
- 'Idt interest manifested in the proceed
- Nessrs. J.. s. Jordan and J. J. w oods
on9eared for the prosecution, wnile ooI'
arnett and Messrs. Good and Niche repre-.
santed the accused. The case on trial is OIL
such recent occurrence that II naluiy Shar,
q description at our hands. Wherry' onar-
. nL W T. link and n H. Nancleve were
;,Sicted for soliciting insurance contrary
80 Law. All were alleged 10 have beeh
So;ny business for death rattle companies
~ This CITY. Four indictments were
fnpnd against Wherry and on one ol
I'm the charge of soliciting 10.
The South Western Mutual Aiu
Sssociation Of Hanover, IA, Mhe.l!
woS arraigned. Hon. Joseph ). Miner, Au,
ditor of the State, was examiner III leSau
uI' % foot NJ the legality Of the soliciting,
| and also in regard to the TACT ol Iiieif nav
ING obtained certificate ..,,s
Wherry himself was put on the staiu,
! "a statrd that he was the agent OF the
, Sn,,tbern Relief Association; that his com
,,onv had no ca,ital, no assets. No srfpils
poe whatever; nat il had a President and
; Hoard of Directors; that an expense funu
Ga 81 on each $1,000 policy holder was
! ;.rtup, He also stated that the losses
! A,t i'd by voluntary assessments: that
49, the n c-aSSmonts were NOT pau inc
III anr tTc Of membership lapsed There Is
M division of shares. iiS slatea 10 MI
Woods that his company was organized Th'
| der the laws Of Pennsylvania. lie also
stated that no money had been Palu
out here, ~ there had 6een no
ta1
the witness about the ages of some oil the
insured. but there was an objection made,
! which was sustained by the Court.
! Mr.. W. II. Nancleyc was put through
similar inuuisitoral process BY the attor-
news, and at the close of his testl-
! m6ny Mr.. Jordan very SIMPLY
| and forcibly addressed the jury on account
/ of the State. He showed very clearly VIVA,
/ the law was and wherein the defendant nad
not complied with il. 1t also showed that
the defendant had admitted his agency IN
/ the matter.
| Mr.. J. ii. Good argued that the statute
! only contemplated fire and marine lnsur-
ance companics, and characterized the pros
ecution Gus "dkty, low and malicious;
and spoke of il as having been inspired by
rival companies, whose profits this system
had abridged. He then referred to the mo
nopoly Of physicians and druggists that
the last Legislature created, and oil other
"syndicatcS and rings" Mr. NancleYe was
very highly spoken of by Mr. Good as AN
honest man whc had knelt at the altar OF
his GCd for the last IS years
Mr.. Niche and Col. Arnett followed Mr..
Good on the part of the accused, after
which Mr.. Wood closed for the prosecution
in an able and effective speech. in which
he repealed with much warmth ana Tisor.
| the insinuation of counsel for the defense
that the prosecution was low, dirty
and malicious" Mr. Wood showed up the
character of the companies, the nature OF
their business, and the grade Of persons
assured US to age and infirmitieS, in an adj
mirablc manner. The case was then given
to the jury, which adjourned over until
this morning, The penalty, if found guilty
is so fine.