Daily Republican., 1890-06-06
PECULIAR METHODS.
HOW THE COMMONWEALTH
BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION
- ueeu Trnnsacting Business In This
r,,v-Membcrs Claim That l: Has
ra,,ed 10 Meet Iis Obligs-
tlons-suits Battered
Against IL.

.ss'pr sss pCromaoawealih Beneficial Asso.
WV us,,on whose alleged object, 10 set
sor,h IN Tie bylaws, was: First, 70 pro.
ida lor Us members weekly benefits In
the event oi sickpess or disability;
.reopd, to provide = funeral benefit In
,hs event OF death.
Tbe principal office of the nesociAtion
at No I6Oi Walnut street, Philadcl.
Iha and a branch WINS established In u
|0oa in the Exchange Building, Seventh
kpd Market streets, this city. 1t claims
ID be chartered In Pennfylvania, New
juey and Delaware, aud SION had its
g.uis at work soliciting rnsmbers. The
tr,essntations made BY these men
se,,i them to te quite successful, aud
4 hard earned dollars Of many q poor
" and woman poured Into the ass0-
SONS Golfers. The sgsnts succeeded
ihying number OF members trans
sri nom the defuuct National Surety
ltlon, the Fidelity and other collapsed
sgarizutious OF n similar character.
Among the members weic = number OF
co orcd people, aud 80 long ~ 1t WAS all
iIeo,ae for the company, with nothing
gOng cut, everything was lovely. but
tere came change Come Of the mem
tsrs were taken sick, and In the hour
Nhen they needed monty aud thought
tley had made provision for It, found
hat they had leaned upon q broken reed.
A reporter OF the REPUBLICAN, learn
hg these iIcts, has during the past week
hen fully investigating the matter, with
. yi,w Of presenting the facts, should
they prove as alleged, to tho public. ~ q
warning TO others.
Ire brst family called upon wss that
Of Mrs. Lucre,ia Anderson, a highly
relee,able white lady residing on East
Seventh street below Lon bard. Size and
tle remsib!ng eleven meuib.rs OF her
family hal been insured In the Natioual
sscnli'y(?) Union, and was transferred
W the Commonwealth. IL cost each
nemtsr ci tho family months dues to
ioir, aud the total monthly premiums
amounted TO tll.07. The association n
p'omited in the event Of sickness or
disability TO pay the men sl0 per week
and tho women IS making such reserva-
hon in regard TO the latter as are Reuer.
tly made by all beneficial organizations.
Edward Workman, q sOn-in.lAw OF
f's. Anderson, was taken sick, and re-
na,hed so Tor four weeks, and al hou2h
Oil the Inles of this nsst ciation wer- COM
Piled with, and he had the required
medical certificate from DIR. Miller, the
assoc alton cut him Of with one week,
benefits. The family paid the Premium
Tor six montha, amounting In the aggre
gate to tS6. AZ, for which they recei We,
$50. one Of the soma having been paid on
weeks benefit, t.r three weeks sick ness
&aud another, one week for two week,
llpess. .....
Mrs. Anderson WAS very indlpean
u the ma0per she had been treated
end said: al was first In tho NstIopa
Security Union, and took what l lost o,
Then l wss transferred TO this com
fany aud they have failed to do wha
ltey promised. Ny son, Louis, threat
ened TO sue them, but / told 1t wa, M
Oss, and would only bs throwing poot
nei ey after bad"
A gentluman residing near Eighth aud
1,,nall streets, who d'd not wish biz
nlme mentioned, was next called upon,
Aud sail he held a policy In the concern
enli'llLg him 10 $40 week In case OF
sickness, for which ho paid 40 cents q
week. Last winter he WAS sick four
weeks and when he had received two
weeks benefits, tho agent called an In
formed him that MS he had been mis-
represented. he would not be paid any
nere benefits.
The resileuce of Jacob Ward, colored.
oh ohlppy street above Eleventh. was
lsI' =, VI itsd, but be was not at home.
ms vile was seen and said that they
nAa belonged 10 the Common wealth As.
.ccia ION ior one year aud seven months.
suins winch time they paid Sl.37 per
Ionh LOT 'he husband snd 81. .08 q month
vi VI 'ke NE wlis, making total OF S48.5b.
~ -, Mu was sick one month, during
A.. a'In l .'me no received ono weeks bere.
.n @ ous MIS- Wsrd could not tell WHY
c,I,aa .e,.seu 10 pay him any more as she
rs"u,'ay 'ney hsd complied with all the
nlsuneuieh's nl.s.ah's OF the association and fur
WI .ae pnyslcian's certificate. Mrs.
b., sa W. tcK ono week and received
ss, u benefits all right.
W wsifs' Clara Coulter, q neiphbor of Mrs.
".a, .m, was also interviewed She becams
sion ee, f.s J, ,ast sS July BY paying an admis-
e.s,, e' VI WV, and afterwards paid 81
d.,, ~, mohth' She was sick for six
Nnsa,' 1'u aaey refused 10 allow her any
Wt,tlss % th Ihe ground that she was not
skk tts " ,, receive any, as she was not
s,lm.dI Ie luli seven days which they
sesk WAS necessary TO comprise .
eolo,sS ~ ofisden. . very respectable
fv,lfh an, residing at No. "a West
hpo,,sr '"eel' ~as next visited by the
I.Ioassds s also bis wife, Eliza Crisden,
nop,s' 70 The association for eIehteen
.0l1a', during which ,;,ns "a
10, bha HI. VIC, Iof himself and 81, ,96 . month
IN u. Nlie, making a total Of $40 78
apd NV he was seized with the vdppa
xu ouly ,1ls ~ SICK for five weeks, but
When hs Tnea I've one weeks benefits.
hid ,brrs poke p to the agent about 1t he
assocsiio," "sse na 10 many siek that the
ainds m,sa was unable to meet tho de-
liid- worI,u upon 1t. Mr.. Crisden 10 q
b lo.e tha ng men, and could i)l afford
Ion 10 s ths money. 90 he made applica-
in Thai Az hn n,uperintendent, who informed
IA, not sy,', T Change In the W. he
IN. Cri,san' united to any more benefits,
part usn ~ ,s Was also sick and received
hsy found benefits promised. When
ouard ths NOV Tue association acted
A.lr poicIes ,nsy ceased paying and
ID Mr., tns ~, reporter was talking 10 Mr..
Woman n'ausn, Mrs. Spencer, Z color
ane In nna s.'u,ng on Windsor street
ID her dasv save her experience, She
Arly 4 vs.N laughter were members for
3sneer SsIa aaring whish time Nrs.
u fys wa.e 40 . month. She Wa
nsaa Of sa snd received one weeks
ets, II w. The way Mrs, Orisden
healthy e. svluens that II would not
atela,ion 'ol ~ any Of the offiosrs Of the
T for ep:,ncsr's p,n mother wa. .l.o 4. man,
~ month u f., Ten n Hon.hs, and paid
eR wesk IN 'r winch she WAS prom
.'n the tronhia ease Of sickness, but
thought shs came. against which
win u; m ss' .Is::. RIs:.,d;a sh,:s and .ss