Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-12-14

Catch the Slick Stockman.
| A Brooklyn man who was hard up ran
up against his double. whose finan-
cial situation was equally depressing.
Each was astounded at the resem-
blance he bore to the other, and by
common consent they Joined fortunes
and rooms together. A day or two aft
er one of the two Dromios was knocked
down by wagon and sustained frac-
ture of the leg. He was carried home,
and the brilliant idea at once occurred
| to his roommate to take advantage of
the resemblance between the two and
draw $25 from an insurance company
for as long a period as possible. Bor-
sowing the injured mans clothes, he
paid visit to an avuncular relative,
from whom he borrowed a few dollars.
He went next to an insurance company
and took out policy. Two weeks later
a claim came for total disablement, and
the injured man was easily identified
as the holder of the policy, his room
mate being careful to keep out Of the
way There could be no doubt as to
the mans leg being broken, and as the
officers Of the company recollected that
! the man who took out the policy was
sound in wind and limb there seemed
little reason to doubt that the accident
had occurred since the premium was
paid. No question was raised, and for
three or four weeks the $25 was paid
with regularity highly satisfactory to
the we'll member of the firm.
But the sick man came to the conclu-
sion that he was not getting a square
deal. Unable to leave his bed, he could
not take part in the Publications in
which his comrade delighted, and it ap-
peared to him that he was not getting
more than about 90 cents on the dollar
of the weekly allowance. Hs demanded
an equal division on the ground that,
although his friend had done all the
thinking, he had really played the lead
ing role by getting himself knocked
down and run over. 1t was the usual
case of rogues falling out and honest
men deriving the benefit. The disputes
were overheard by an adjoining room
or, who promptly gave away the story,
with the result that the weekly payments
came to a sudden and distressing end.
A case demonstrating the value of
time dater occurred in Ohio. A man
carrying large amount of accident in
surance had fallen few days behind
in his premium, but one afternoon
relative brought in the small amount
and obtained a receipt for it. That day
the insured was crippled in a street car
accident in Columbus, and it was of
course claimed that the premium was
paid before the accident took place.
The facts were distinctly favorable to
the injured man, for investigation
proved that there were two street car
accidents at about the same place the
same day, two or three people being in
jured in each accident. The police
records threw no light ON the subject,
and the man appeared to have been
taken away by his friends. There was
little doubt that the premium was paid
between the two accidents, though there
was much difficulty in fixing the exact
time.
1t was finally ascertained that tele-
gram had been sent from Columbus an
hour after the first accident asking to
have the premium paid, and this cir
cumstance was in itself SO suspicious
that payment of the benefit was refused.
A compromise was finally agreed to,
but considerably later two witnesses
were found to prove that the man was
hurt in the first accident, so that if the
premium was paid in consequence Of
the telegram fraud was evidently con-
templated. But for the difficulty in
proving the exact hour of payment the
claim would not have been seriously
considered. As it was, however, the
applicants case was on the face of it |
quite strong one.
Every one has heard of the man who |
had been reported as dead, and whose
friends had collected the insurance, in |
dulging too freely in whisky and max
ing complaint to the insurance COM |
pany that the money had not been fair
ly divided. Instances in which money |
has been claimed ON account of the |
death of people still living are much
more numerous than is generally be- |
lieved In one case an Ohio stockman |
an accident policy for $40, 900
took some stock to New York. On the
return trip he disappeared from the
train while it was crossing a bridge, |
and his hat being subsequently recov-
cred it was contended that he had fallen
off and had been drowned in the river.
The company took advantage of the 90
day rule and then offered to pay the
money if a bond were put up to cover
the amount. The neighbors of the wild
DIV fixed up an irreproachable bond, and
the money was paid.
The company was by no means con-
Finced that the man was dead, and ar
were made to have the
widow watched. Three years elapsed,
and the instance was well nigh forgot
.en, when dispatch was received to
he effect that the lady was disposing
If her furniture and evidently about to
move. A detective was employed to
keep track. The family went to Chi
ago. and the detective followed. Aft
'r days delay they took train for
he northwest, the detective also on the
rain. Away cut in the wilds of Mon
ana the family alighted at small sta
ion. where it was warmly welcomed
~ the long lost stockman, who was
put under arrest. The bonds
men were good for the money, and on
his occasion the company sustained no
oss beyond the expense incurred in the
Tatching.-New Orleans Times Demo
rat