The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-15
GRAVEYARD INSURANCE.
Horrible Ira ffic OF a Human VuIture WI
Finds 1t Profitable.

Finds 1t Profitable.
4 shaTp-eyed woman sits at the top OF an
East Side tenement. a ching and waiting
for death, says a New Yolk special to the
Post Dispatch. Her business is graveyard
insurance, so-called. and she will tell you,
if you ask her, that she finds it both pleas
ant and profitable. The East Side has many
of these human VI lures, 1t is said. The
cheap insurance companies, those that col
lect premiums at the Ia OF 10, 10 and 20
cents a week, know more about the system
than they care to tell. Mrs Mary Joyce
has been a shrewd, harl-WOrklng en rgetlc
woman all her life. She was born in Ford
ham, and has lived TO middle age in the
tenement streets and avenues near the East
River and Eighteenth street Her husband,
Frank. is a lab0rer.
There is a grocery-store on the northwest
corner Of First avenue and East Nineteenth
street. The three upper floors have two
apartments EACH a reporter climbed to
the fourth floor and a short, stout woman Of
middle age opened the door OF the rear
apartment
is Mrs. Joyce at home?" the reporter
inquired.
II sm the woman. Come in" was the
CHEEKY welcome. The visitor sat down in
roeking-chair and Mrs Joyce crossed the
nquiringIy at him. She is about 10 years
old. with large glittering blue eyes under
buShy bT0ws, prominent nose, high fore
head and a double chin. She wore calico
dress tightly drawn at the waist and with
sleeves pulled up TO allow her fat arms free
play. Her hair was coiled at The back of
her head and her general aspect was one OF
sharpness and activity, On q sofa AT the
north side of the room was tall con-
sumptlve looking man with sandy mus
tache. A derby hat was on his head and
after p glance at the visitor his face was
encirced by two lOng-f fingered hands. The
room WAS comfortably furnished and sew
eraI framed pictures surrounded bureau
ia one corner.
Have YOU made anything out of the
business? the visitor asked. The con-
sumptiYe on the sofa was apparently dead
to the world. The lamp threw a dim light
about the ROOM IL was an unusual situa-
ton for the visitor. lie could not help but
feel creepy"
About $1,000" replied the stout woman,
in a mattrr-Of-fact tone. pokIng the fire Wig
OrOuslY. " Ii that old buckram there" IN
dicating the man on the lounge, would
only die Ii would be $1,000 more for me. He
has been sick for-fve weeks, but he hangs
on. I'm getting tired paving out IS cents
week for him. You can bet I'll get new
husband and a stout old buck, 200, when he
drops off. He's no good to me now.
The man on the lounge merely raised his
head from his hands a moment, and then
resumed his former attitude.
Tell me-" said the reporter, what is
your method? How do you find these peo-
pie that you Insurer
''If they had one foot in the grave" she
reioined. Sure the doctor would not pass
them No, you are wrong there. | pick
them up when they look as IL mixed ale
was getting thu best of them. People that's
all played out. but haven't any disease;
that's the kind I insure"
Mrs. Joyce laughed 81 pick them up on
the street. Ii they look as If mixed ale b ad
done them they are meat for me. ! don't in
sure any Old people. You don't get enough
when they die. Nor any children, only my
own. You can't get much on them either,
until they get more than IL years old. If |
see any old bum, man or woman. who Is
soaked with mixed ale, aud amt more than
40 or 30 years old, | take them in. I'll keep
them here for while, if they will drink
mixed ale enough and don't live too long.
A year and month; that's long enough for
me to pay for them"
How many people have yo1 insured
now?"
'Only seven; l put in q good healthy
young widow last week. She is only 2years
old with no children, but the doctor would
not pass her. What do you think of him?
lie is crank, think"
Your Judgment must be better than the
Doctors, suggested the reporter, eff you
can pick out srert,lived people that they
will accept as good risks"
.'Of course it is" she said, promptly
They look for some disease. like cOnsumD-
ton, or BrighPs or paresis. | can tell
whether mixed ale has got them or not. l
get anybody insured that think amt going
TO live too long. A long-faced, sharp
featured looking person like mg old man
there is the kind | like TO risk 70 cents n
week on. But he hangs on longer than |
fNOuO hit he WO1l6 Why drn't 1io . oh pSb
The man on the lounge thus addressed
moved unPasily. but SAID nothing. The
woman muttered something and stirred the
fire more vigorously than ever.
The people in the tenement hate and
fear Mrs. Joyce. They call her ''she
devil" and hint at all sorts OF things about
her But none OF them dare speak out
buldIv