The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-21
A Question OF Insurance.

Especial to THE MISUNDERSTANDING Dispatch
NEW YORK, April 2O.-M. B. Curtis, the
actor, insured his life two years ago for
$4,000. The policy was made out by Will
liam &. Deutsch, then one of the agents of
the Equitable Life Assurance society. Mr..
Curtis is now awaiting a second trial for
murder in San Francisco. 1t is an interest
ing question whether or not the insurance
company will pay the policy if Curtis
should be convicted and executed. When
the fact that Curtis has large policy in
the Equitable society was explained to the
officers OF that company by reporter they
were somewhat surprised by the problem
which might confront them. w. E. John
son, mortuary registrar. through whose
hands all death claims must pass, said he
never knew Of similar case.
Would Curtis death at the sheriff's
hands mean the loss of $40, 900 to your COM
pany?" asked the reporter.
II do not care to pass an opinion on the
question at this moment"
do you know that any similar question
was ever brought up?"
an my twenty-five years. experience
never heard Of such a thing. 1t is a re.
markable case. l remember that we paid
the policy of woman whose death was
charged to her husband, and he was the
chief beneficiary. The fact that q man puts
! himself in position to be executed for the
commission Of a crime brings up remark
able state of affairs for US to consider"
Mr.. johnson looked over the paragraphs
| in the company's contracts which refer tt
risks of this nature. This is the section
And that self-destruction, sane or insane
and death in consequence of the violation
of the law, within one year from the date
OF the issuance of the policy, are not risk.
assumed by the society in the contract"
las MIR. Curtis has been insured over {
year, does this apply to his casel" asked
the reporter.
~ should say that 1t does not. There il
nothing there to vitiate the policy in case
man is executed for crime.n
would you pay the policy to his heirs il
that event without contestir
III there was no legal ground for with
holding it we would. do not know abou
this, and cannot say now. It is the onl!
case ! can recall where one OF our policy
holders was ever indicted for murder
eff Mr.. Curtis was insured in our com
pany," said John w. Vrooman, Of the Mu
tual Reserve, "his heirs would not get
penny in case OF his execution for murder
We have G paragraph which covers jus
that point It reads that the policy of
man who meets death at the hands of Jus
tlce shall become null and void. l am at
loss to understand how a reliable compan,
would omit that. This is the only case
ever had called to my attention.
"a most interes ting thing in this connec
tion," said the representative of anothe
company, 'Is the May brick case. She wa
convicted of killing her husband and wa
sentenced to life imprisonment When tn
company which had the policy on his lif
wanted to know what should be done witt
the money, the court decided that she wa
dead in the eyes Of law, and although sh
was the beneficiary in the policy, the judg
appointed guardian Of her children AM
turned the money over to him. Now then
If that opinion will hold good in this coun
try and Curtis should get off with sen
tence of imprisonment for life, he will b
from that day legal corpse and the CON
pany holding policy of his life must pc
the $4,000 to his heirs at once. That Is
mighty fine point which has been raised.