The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-04-15
MUTHATION FOR CASH.
HANDS ANo FEET CUT OFF TO
GET ACCIDENT lNsURANcE

I Extraordinary Attempts az Fraud By
Men in Peeuniary Distres- or Too lazy
/ to work-The Leu Hand Is the Most
Frequently severcsl-0uc Mans clairn.
Every body has r-ad Il the newspapers
from slI-e ~ t1rle u t-e many alleged
+ frauds attempted upon tie lie insurance
+ companies, but Few. probably. are aware
+ cf the cla5n which IS made by che acci-
( dent companies that TIE frauduieut
claims against them, in proportion % the
number Of persous insured. outnulnber
those against the life companies sen 70
one
Recently there was held a meeting Of
the representatives of some Of the ioad-
ing companies doing an accident bust
ness for the purpose Of devising means Of
relief in the matter.
/ Some insurance men Advocated the
I strict enforce1nent Of the law puuishing
I self mutilatiOn. while others say that
/ legislation could be enacted against the
/ companies, who. in their eagerness 70
get business. invite fraud by the large
/ indemnities offered and the liberal time
limit given In 1883 the accident COM
/ panies issued policies giving $500 for
the loss Of leg. arm. foot OF hand.
This has been worked. it IS claimed. SD
extensively by persons who did not miud
Z manning themselves in order to secure
the insurance money that it has become
ore of the greatest evils in the business.
Loss or HANDS AND FEET.
I I'VE found. said A. n Lockwood,
/ president of the Accident Insurance
/ Provident Fund society. 20 a reporter.
that in every single claim received by
/ us the indemnity asked for was for the
manning or loss of the left hand. This
naturally excited our suspicion The
claimants We're all found 70 De persons
/ pecuniarily embarrassed. such as men
/ ont Of work. men who. rather than work,
I preferred losing their left hand for s. 500.
I and men who had seen better DAYS and
I who had large families 20 provide for.
I We reduced the indemnity for a hand 90
/ 81 go. since which time we have not had
I Ore claim for the loss Of a hand
This, however, did not end our
I troubles. for Immediately claims for
foot indemnities, which had remained
at s. 500 grew more numerous. Other
companies have had the same expert
ence. A president of one of the accident
companies told me yesterday that he was
satisfied that not one claim had been
genuine in all the claims presented
against his company in "a year. As a
rule. the other companies pay s.. 500 for
the loss of either a hand or foot, and the
number of people who are willing to lose
a hand OF foot for that much money is
astounding, and there are more fraudu-
lent insurance cripples in the United
States today than war cripples. Why.
you have no idea Of the business Of self
nutilation that is being carried on for
the purpose Of beating insurance com
panies.
There is a case before the courts
which is exciting the interest of every
accident company doing business in this
city. 1t is the case Of professional
man who. it Is believed. manned himself
deliberately to recover 81. 500 insurance.
HORRIBLE NERVE.
He was insured in thirteen different
companies. He intended making a trip
west, taking his fowling piece with him.
ing on the journey he let his gun fall and
shot OF one Of his great toes The COM
panies hearing of the accident, sent their
best doctors TO his assistance They
think they have evidence to show that
the man intended TO have the foot ampu-
tated TO avoid blood poisoning and col
lect the go, 500 indemnities.
Another case Is that Of a man who
lives in Broome county. this state, who
was known to have deliberately chopped
otf his left hand with hatchet. striking
il two blows. The mans explanation was
that he had been attacked by two thieves,
and that while holding one Of them in
the grip Of his left hand the other sew
cred his hand with hatchet. The wood
upOn which the hand rested when chop
ped off showed plainly the marks Of the
center of the blade only, proving that the
hatchet had been brought down straight
and deliberately.
Gases Ike this are coming mp right
along. A man recently lost foot ON q
railroad He claimed that be had fallen
off the train and had got his foot caught
under the wheels He was subsequently
found sitting beside the track with ms
hat on. There was nothing to indicate
that there had been an accident except
the loss Of the foot. His clothing was
free from dirt or grease, and there was
testimony to show that he had walked
up to the train and thrust his foot under
the wheels
There Is no doubt, said Richard II.
johnson. agent OF the Travellers AccI-
dent Insurance company, that sincsrhe
accident companies offered an indem-
nifty Of &. 500 for the loss Of a hand or
foot, there mas been great increase IN
the number of accidents to the left
hand, and it was found that people were
manning themselves to get the insur-
ance. In the preferred class Of risks,
though, these cases ara extremely rare
There have also been cases where people
with shriveled feet and hands in which
there was no life or feeling have chopped
them off 20 get the insurance. New
York World.