St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-20
Big DAMAGES ASKED.
New York Life Insurance
Building Attached.
CLAIM QUARTER OF A MILLION
Matte H. Sniffin, an Agent.
the Plaintiff.
SHE SETS UP TWO CONTRACTS.
CLAIM QUARTER OF A MILLION
SHE SETS UP TWO CONTRACTS.
She Had the General Agency
OF Three States.
THE HISTORY OF THE CASE.

Matte Il. Sniffin has attached the
building and effects of the New York
Life Insurance company in this city to
satisfy claim of 1886, ,31O.5O. The at
tachment was made last evening upon
an affidavit and complaint filed in the
district court and upon nominal bond
to cover costs given by her and ap-
proved by Judge Egan. Tie complaint
is voluminous, covering about fifty
pages of typewriter matter.
The suit is based on an agreement
made December IL, 1889, by the
New York Life Insurance company.
signed by the late w. II. Beers, as presi-
dent of that company, and Matte H.
Sniffin, whose name was signed by Ed
ward d. Sniffin.
BY that agreement Mrs. Sniffin was
made the sole agent of the insurance
company for Minnesota. North Dakota
aud Montana. excepting that the cities
of st. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth
were to be excluded from her territory.
By subsequent agreement the cities
named were included in the territory
given to her.as were also the counties Of
Kootenai, ShoShone, Nez Perces, Idaho
and Lenhi, in Idaho. Mrs. Sniffin was
to solicit insurance by herself, and to
employ agents for that purpose in the
territory Damed. She was to have a
brokerage of 70 per cent upon the first
Vpar'G nrnnjlmS n
renewal policies, together with adj
Vances and allowances of s1,175 per
month. In addition to those there was
to be bonus of 81 per thousand on each
million dollars worth of business in the
states of North Dakota and Montana.
The contract was to continue for three
years, and contained clause as follows:
Said agency shall continue for the
period of three years from the taking
effect hereof. And said agency shalt
not be terminated by said party of the
first part for violation of said agree
ment by said party of the second
part" The whole agreement was
ratified by George w. Perkins, the
present third vice president or the New
York Life Insurance company.
The suit is for services rendered, for
moneys advanced and expended under
the contract, but no claim for special
damages is made. The agreement was
renewed at the expiration of term of
three years. After that the latter con-
tract was abrogated by the company on
Nov. z, 1882, it refusing to carry out the
agreement. The claim is for S204, 161.O6
under the old contract, and S123,000 un-
der the latter one. After deducting ad-
vanceS of $22, 200 balance of 1886, ,31O.5O
is sued for.
Mrs. Sniffin demanded an accounting,
which was denied for some time, but,
after waiting eight months, it was
agreed to SETTLE the dispute the next
day; but the company, as alleged, did
not comply with its agreement. Horace
e. Stone, of this city, then prepared the
papers in the case, and the action was
begun with the attachment made yes
terday.
The court is also asked to order an
accounting of the business done. 1t is
alleged that Mrs. Sniffin has no means
of ascertaining the amount of renewals
made upon which she is entitled to COM
missions, and the court is asked to di-
rect the company to open its books to
an inspection for the purpose of deter
mining the exact amount that Mrs.
Sniffln is entitled to recover.