Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-28
TRICKS THAT FAILED.
ACCIDENT AND LIFE INSURANCE COM.
PANIES EVER WATcHeUL.

ACCtOeNI ANO LIFE INSURANCE COM.
PANIes EVER WATcHsuL.
How . Brooklyn Man Drew Damaxes
Throagh N Iajared Doable-value oe
the fiae Dater-It Took Three Yeaxs -
Catch the Slick stockaa..
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-
biance no borc to the other, and by
common consent they Joined fortunes
and rooms together. A day or two aft
er ono of the two Dromios was knocked
down by wagon and sustained frac-
ture of tho leg. He was carried home,
and the brilliant idea at once occurred
to his roommate to tale advantage of
the resemblance between the two and
draw S25 from an insurance company
for rs long period as possible. Bor-
rowing the injured mans clothes, he
paid visit to an avuncular relative,
from whom he borrowed few dollars.
He went next to an insurance company
and took out a policy. Two weeks later
a claim came for total disablement, and
the injured man was easily identified
rs 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 reccllected that
tho man who took out the policy was
sound in wind and limb there seemed
little reason to doubt that tho accident
had occurred since tho premium was
paid. No question was raised, and for
three or forr weeks the SIS was paid
with regularity highly satisfactory to
the we'll member of the firm.
But the sick man came to tine conclu-
sion that he was not getting a square
deal. Unable to leave his bed, no could
not take part in the Qualifications in
which his com-adc delighted. and it ap-
pearcd to him that he was not getting
moro than ABOUT &C cents ON the dollar
Of tho weekly allowance. h demanded
IN equal division on the ground that,
although his friend had done al the
thinking, he had really played the lead
ing role by getting himself knocked
down end run over. It was the usual
casc Of rogces falling out and honest
iraa deriving the benefit. The disputes
were oserheard by al adjoining ROOM
or. :yho promptly gave away the story,
with the result that the weekly payments
es.ihe to n sudden and distressing end.
A case demonstrating the value Of a
time Gater occurred in Ohio. A man
carrying a large amount of accident in
suranco had fallen few days behind
in his premium, hut ono afternoon n
relative brought in the small amount
and obtained a receipt for it. That day
the insured was crippled il 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
tho injured man, fer investigation
proved that there Were two street car
accidents ut 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.
It 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 30 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-
| tcmplated. But for the difficulty in
proving the exact hour of payment the
| claim would not have been seriously
| considered. AS it was, however, the
| applicant 8 case was on the face of it
| quite a strong one.
Every one has heard of tho man who
mad been reported as dead, and whose
friends had collected the insurance, in
dulging too freely in whisky and max
ing a complaint to the insurance COM
pany that tho 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-
ieved. In one case an Ohio stockman
carrying 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 q bridge.
and his hat being subsequently recov-
cred it was commended 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 bond We're put up to cover
the amount. The neighbors of the wild
ow fixed up an irreproachable bond, and
the money was paid.
The company was by no means con-
WINGED that the man was dead, and ar.
engagements were made to have the