Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-05-29
1t had been shown that bis goods were

snow that the plaintiff w6s guilty O
arson, and had burned his place, bu
also to show that he was perjurer, ant
mad perJured himself when he stood or
he witness stand. He warned all Il
beware, that all the money which could
Oe wrung from them would be tRker
by1 these com panles, but when there
was fire they would send
sharp adjuster, who would leave nc
means undone to ruin mans charac
Ter, for the purpose OF keeping from
paying the amount which they had
obligated themselves to pay, and for
which they take the peoples money. Ee
was very severe on Abraham Wright
the witness who acknowledged writing
the letter to William I'll. Pierson, offer
ing for 400 to remove his family from
the State, 30 that they would. not he
called upon to testify against him. He
said that very act stamped him as 9
scoundiel and unworthy of belief. He
compared the witnesses on both sid es
and asked the jury which they would
believe, and commented in strong termt
on the conduct Of the plaintiffs brother
and sister.
The conduct Of the insurance compa.
nies IN bringing tho brother ard sister
into court, and using the animosity that
existed between them and their brother
dTas condemned in the strongest terms.
he said there were some honest com ra-
mics, but the majority of them worded
Their policies In such manner that 1t
was Impossible for any one to comply
with their conditions, and it would take
whole court and dozen lawyers to
explain them. This company put him
In mind of q man who, upon meeting
another, complained of hard times, and
asked him how he was making out. He
replied first rate, that he was in bust
ness In which money constantly came
IN and none ever went out. Upon being
asked what the business was, he an.
swered the territorial hail storm in
eurance company, and said their busi-
noes was to insure crops from being de-
stroyed by hail. "But don't you never
have any destioyed?" said the man.
"Oh yes, but when the insured meets
with loss, we call his attention to a
clause In the policy that we never
mentioned before, which provides that
before he can recover he must prove
that he had taken his crop in every
night, or whenever he sees o hail storm
coming"
Mr.. Nields closed at s o'clock and
was followed by Mr.. Bradford for the
Mr.. Bradford commenced his argu-
ment by asserting that the insurance
company entered this suit very reluc-
family, and with the full understanding
that, let the case go as it will, 1t would
oe To their loss. 1t was, however, their
duty to resist the payment of @ claim
IKE this to protect themselves from
fraud. He denounced the abuse which,
he claimed, Mr.. Nields had heaped
upon these gentlemen who came here in
defense of their rights, and said that be
was surprised TO hear 1t. Every one
v no takes out q policy of insurance
binds themselves to conform to, and be
governed by certain conditions, AID I'll
they did not wish to do that they should
not Insure.
He claimed that the plaintiff had
given fraudulent statement of the
amount OF goods in Ills place at the time
d the tre, and that he was guilty of
attenlp pied fraud in either setting fire to
MS place or getting some one to do 1t for
llm. lie contended that the fact ofI
m: II Plerson changing the figures
IN hls books was sufficient to show his
dishonesty. He spoke of Mr.. Pierson
elling Mr. Irwin that he had burned
,he inventory, and then on the same day
Producing 1t, and admitting that he had
led. There must have been something
wrong ABOUT it,as an honest man would
lot act In that manner. He pronounced
he plaintiff shrewd, designing man,
ma one that 1t was well to guard |
yainst.
What was the jury to think of man
vhotwould admit that he had altered |
lis DOCKS, to make them show $10, 900 |
worth more goods than he possessed,
md say that he done it for the purpose
4 deceiving the mercantile agenc cies,
md then in the same breath, state that
10 did not need any credit from these
'om panies. Then again, he said that
Ie had changed the figures for the pur.
'ose of getting even with his brother.
ie claimed that these facts, combined
With others in his testimony, must con-
'ince the jury that his testimony was
unworthy OF belief He said an insur-l
nee company only insured against
ctual loss, or in other words, furnished
he insured with money enough 10 re.
lace the goods destroyed.
NO company promises to give a man
nc amount for which he IL insured;
hey ouly agree to make good his loss,
nd that is all they are bound to do. Hei
iaimed that the sworn statement of IL
witnesses showed that at no Il
me did the stock carried by William
Pierson amount to what he claimed, Ii
le claimed that Gil Mr.. Persons &C. |
ons proved that his only reason in /
ominR into this court, or going upon
nat stand, was to consummate his 6
aud. II would not do for his counsel
sGanu mp and denounce these gentle @
zen as set of sleuth hounds, and try
obtain verdict in this manner, asI
defied him or auy one else to showI
10 thing against the character of Mr.,
cooley, Mr. Irwin, or either OF the other =
'ntlemen engaged in this case. u
he contondec that the true stRtementI y
the stock on hand, at the commence. .
ent OF the year 1882, did not exceed =
,91O.0o. the amount remaining after :,
. fraudulent Sl0, ,0C0 had been taken
9ay. Mr. Bradford closed by sub.
itting to the Court several points OIL
W, on which he asked that the Jury "
ould be charged II
Mr.. Bird opened his argument at %
% O'Clock oy saying that ii he would
We had any doubt about the verdict n,
was removed as soon as he had q
ard the opening argument of the
nnHel for the plaintiff. He had trieiI
make a case by vilifying men Who'll :,
'ra aS good as bin, and who stand as 81
gh as ne dare stand. He knew he os
a poor case and he had tried to IL
jster II up and conceal the true issues Gu
crying thief, thief. L
Why did not the counsel on the otherl
10 confine himself to facts, instead ofI
using these witnesses, and calling out
lef aud fraud? He had said In HIS M