Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-30
VICIOUS INSURANCE COMPANIES.

VICIOUS INSURANCE COMPANIES.
Some time early last March, a fire oc-
Cured at the winery of the Margherita
Vineyard, near Fresno, owned in part by
L. B. Rogers, Mechanical Engineer Of
San Francisco. Mr.. Rogers has invested
about 100000 in the development of a
vineyard, connecting Herewith the man
ufacture of wines. He has brought to bear
upon the enterprise, high intelligence, in
domitable will, and most perseVering in
dustry. As already stated, early in March,
the winery was destroyed by fire. The
loss was very heavy as the winery con-
tanned nearly two years vintage. Insurance
companies interested in the loss resisted
payment, and in search of defense for
most unwarrantable proceeding employed
those vultures of society who have keen
instincts for the carrion of scandai, known
as private detectives, to furnish evidence
which would justify resistance. A private
detective possesses but single commend
able trait; he appears to be bent upon earn
ing his money. Whether this is referable
to a spirit of returning an honest equiva-
lent for the fees paid him, or whether it is
attributable to natural depravity which
gloats over the crimes and failings of men,
is open to question. The detectives made,
or pretended to make startling disclosures
Tierces of wine had been buried in the
vineyard. Hogsheads had been concealed in
the harness-house of the barn. Barrels and
casks had been carted to the mountains and
concealed in owllsh ravines. These sensa-
tional disclosures were spread broadcast
through the land by an enterprising news
gathering association, ,and for time, an hon
orable and reputable citizen rested under
the shadow of a great crime. In this way the
insurance companies produced an apparent
alliance between their refusal to pay an
honest loss and the highest good of society;
but the unfortunate vineyardist refused to
submit tamely to the outrage attempted to
be perpetrated, and challenged judicial
inquiry. The case has Just been heard by
the Superior Court of Fresno county. The
hiding in the vineyard proved to be a
couple of harmless casks, buried in pursu-
ance of suggestions made by the Professor
of Agriculture of the State University, in
the direction of ripening the wine. The
ponderous secretion of hogsheads in the
harness house proved to be a few barrels
which were outside of the wine cellar at
the time of the fire, and were rolled into
the harness house, since there remained
no other means of protecting them from
the weather. The storage of hogsheads
in secret ravines of distant mountain:
turns out to be complete myth, and
under the calcium light of judicial in
quiry jury of twelve men returned il
five minutes with a verdict for the plain
tiff for the value of the amount of the in
surance policy, with interest. Thus the
highest ends of justice are subserved il
the financial aspect of the case, and at the
same time the reputation Of an honorable
man is saved from obloquy. Properly con
Quoted insurance against loss by fire is
great public benefcence, but in the hand
of mean and contemplate men, willing tc
disgrace every patron who may be so un
fortunate as to incur a fire loss, and t,
employ the services of those scandal scav
engers known as private detectives, tn
whole business viii become disreputable
and all moral distinction between gran,
larceny and fire insurance viii be oh
scured, if it does not wholly disappear.