The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-12-18


times the Gamblers Get Disnppointr,.
The Pail Mall BWiget of London. sta. s.
that the revelations made in the coul-
of an action against an insurance com
pany at the present Manchester assiZr-
have forced into the public notice as
hideous traflicin human life as cverdis.
graced a civilized country Gambling i'm
lives has in many Lancashire towns, hu.
chiefly in Blackburn, long been lucra.
tive occupation.
The insurance companies are hood
winked and defraudpd. and the mi-er-
able victims of conspiracy are. by means
not actually criminal. shuflled out of
life. Husbands insure their wives.
wives their husbands. children their
parents. Any one who is believed to be
"within measurable distance" of the
grave is fair game for the speculator.
He scans his ncighbor IA valuer scans a
houseful of furniture.
Let but the symptoms of consumption
or any other fatal disease appear and he
makes lnsuuating advances TO secure a
policy on the doomed ones life. OF
course his victims are as rule selected
from the very dregs of humanty-the
drunken, diseased, and feeble-who for
the sake of prospective drinks readily
sign the bit o paper" and thencefor-
ward have the path to the grave smoothed
and facilitated by the creatures who fat
ten upon them.
The case heard at the Manchester as.
sizes differs in no essential respect from a
hundred others. The victim in that case
was wretched old hostler, or hanger on.
OF public house. He had not a copper
In the world to call his own; but he had
something much more valuable to others:
he had unequivocal symptoms of speedy
decease. Forthwith he was honored
with the anxious attentions OF the harp
les. Glowing reports were made to the
insurance companies Of his prospects of
reaching patriarchal age; and in the
end the poor old fellow, trembling on the
brink of eternity, bore the burden of 20
policies with total value of G1 200.
Happily, one of the insurance companies
had the courage to fight the conspiracy
by disputing the claim, and were victo-
rlous Indeed, the barrister engaged for
the plaintiff, when he saw the sort OF
case he was put up to champion, honor
ably threw up his brief.
This case is but a type of hundreds of
others which have made life assurance a
term Of evil import in the north of Eng.
land. In Blackburn common loiterer
about the market place is insured in
various companies for $4,000 He is
aware of the fact that death will materi.
ally increase his commercial value, but
80 long as his income of few shilings is
supplemented by fees for signing insur-
ance papers "he does not care how long
the thing goes on This poor wretch is
respectfully connected and once held q
decent position in society, but life of
dissipation has brought him into the web
OF the insurance speculator, whence he
VIII never escape, save in a coffin. In
another case man who spends large
portion of his time in the workhOus is
insured for f3,oSO, and in third a
hawker of bags Of coal, who, living, is
worth hardly the clothes upon his back,
will as corpse be valued at G1 300.
Many of the mirerable beings thus
traded upon are totally unconscious Of
the enormous sums which are involved |
when they "sign bit o paper" for a |
friend and a drink. In one instance, a |
poor sl"kly weaver, who is insured in one |
office alone for fl 900, when asked |
whether he knew the amount of his insur- |
ance replied. "Well, nobbut few pounds
70 or 30, happen. He admitted that he |
had never paid the premiums, and that |
he did not know the person who had acted |
as referee. furtherinvestigation showed |
that the policy had been effected by an |
intermediary, who, in consideration of a !
portion of the commission, had served to |
conceal the identity of the insurer.
Gambling in lives, like gambling in |
stocks or on the turf, not infrequently in
wolves loss to the gambler Some of the
wrecks of humanity who are the special |
objects of the soicitude of the speculator
display most unexpected tenacity to
their thread of life With one foot in the
grave, they yet manage to keep the other
out for an uncOnscionable time. Even
the constant supply of neat brandy with
which their patrons indulge them with !
the view of assisting them speedily to
bNtbti "OliNA 10 OlItil llltIttlutl. Nay,
it seems only to increase the vitality of
the remaining leg. One typical case will
suffice as an instance.
a certain feeble and apparently mori-
bund Old fellow has been the subject of
very particular attention from the spec
ulatiug fraternity, who have insured him
wholesale. His signature to policies has
been eagerly sought after, and he has
rcvelIed in unlimited supplies of spirits
for years, He has, however, proved
himself an uucommonly tough morsel
for his patrons Racked by couch,
afflicted with rheumatism, he yet "lags
sup'l.luou- ON the stage, "und not a f,w
policies ou his life have been allowed to
lapse. One specuhyor alone has paid
more than go above what hr viii re-
ccwe when the hardy old fellows tina.
mol um is ut..red.
Doubtless the wonder will be that these
,u piuclns against the insurance COM
pauio, are possible The system, how
ever is very simple The spectators aIe