The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-06-16
MUTILATION FOR CASH.
HANDS AND FEET CUT OFF TO
GET ACCIDENT INSURANCE.

Extraordinary Attempts at Fraud by
Men in Pecuniary Distress OF Too Lazy
to work-The Left Hand Is the Most
Frequently Severed-One Mans Claim.
Everybody has read in the newspapers
from time to time of the many alleged
frauds attempted upon the life insurance
companies, but few, probably, are aware
of the claim which is made by the acci-
dent companies that the fraudulent
claims against them, in proportion to the
number of persons insured, outnumber
those against the life companies ten to
one.
Recently there was held meeting of
the representative of some of the lead
ing companies doing an accident bust
ness for the purpose of devising means of
relief in the matter.
Some insurance men advocated the
strict enforcement of the law Furnishing
self mutilation, while others say that
legislation could be enacted against the
companies, who, in their eagerness to
get business, invite fraud by the large
indemnities offered and the liberal time
limit given. In 1889 the accident COM
panies issued policies giving $500 for
the loss of leg, arm, foot or hand.
This has been worked, it is claimed, so
extensively by persons who did not mind
manning themselves in order to secure
the insurance money that it has become
one of the greatest evils in the business.
LOSS OF HANDS AND FEET.
1--WE found,' said A. N. Lockwood,
president of the Accident Insurance
Provident Fund society, to reporter,
'tthat 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 were all found to be persons
pecuniarily embarrassed, such as men
out of work, men who, rather than work,
preferred losing their left hand for s., 500,
and men who had seen better days and
who had large families to provide for.
We reduced the indemnity for hand to
81 $50, since which time we have not had
one claim for the loss of hand.
''This, however, did not end our
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 i'll all the claims presented
against his company in year. AS a
rule, the other companies pay s., 500 for
the loss of either hand or foot, and the
number of people who are willing to lose
hand or 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
mutilation that is being carried on for
the purpose of beating insurance COM
panies.
''There is case before the courts
which is exciting the interest of every
accident company doing business in this
city. 1t is the case of a professional
man who, it is believed, MANNED himself
deliberately to recover $32, 500 insurance.
HORRIBLE NERVE.
''He was insured in thirteen different
companies He intended making trip
west, taking his fowling piece with him,
and on the day before he proposed start
ing on the journey he let his gun falfand
shot off 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 $32, 500 indemnities.
SAnother case is that of a man who
lives in Broome county, this state, who
was known to have deliberately chopped
/ off his left hand with hatchet, striking
it 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.
Ceases like this are coming up right
along. A man recently lost foot on a
railroad. He claimed that he had fallen
off the train and had got his foot caught
under the wheels. He was subsequently
found sitting beside the track with his
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"
'sThere is no doubt" said Richard NJ
johnson, agent of the Travellers Acct
dent Insurance company, ''that since the
accident companies offered an indem
nifty of s. 500 for the loss of hand or q
foot, there has been great increase III
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 are extremely rare
There have also been cases where people
with shriveled feet and hands in which
there was no life or feeling have chopped