Smyrna times., 1894-01-31
TRICKS THAT FAILED.
ACCIDENT AND LIFE INSURANCE COM
PANIES EVER WATCHFUL.

How Brooklyn Man Drew Damages
Through an Injured DOuble-Value of
the Time Dater-It Took Three Years to
Catch the Slick Stockman.
A Brooklyn man who was hard upran |
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 S25 from an insurance company
for as long period as possible. BOr
rowing the injured man s 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
n claim came foi. total disablement, and
the Injured man was easily identified
as the holder of the policy, his room
mate being careful to keep out of tho
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 a 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 20 cents on the dollar
of the weekly allowance. H 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
|
were overheard by an adjoining room
er, who promptly gave away the story,
with the result that the weekly payments
came to u sudden and distressing end.
A case demonstrating the value of a
time dater occurred in Ohio. A man
carrying large amount of accident in
surance had fallen a few days behind
in his premium, but one afternoon a
relative brought in the small amount
and obtained receipt for it. That day
the insured was crippled III 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 tC
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 beer
! taken away by his friends. There was
little doubt that the premium was paiC
between the two accidents, though there
was much difficulty in fixing the exac
, time.
1t was finally ascertained that tele
: gram had been sent from Columbus al
l hour after the first accident asking t,
y have the premium paid, and this cir
. cumstance was in itself so suspicion
g that payment of the benefit was refused
> A compromise was finally agreed to
+ but considerably later two witnesse
b were found to prove that the man wa
> hurt in the first accident, so that if tn
7. premium was paid in consequence o
Il Il the telegram fraud was evidently con
IL templated. But for the difficulty i
L u proving the exact hour of payment tn
i claim would not have been seriousl
's considered. AS it was, however, tn
applicants case was on the face of
quite a strong one.
n Every one has heard of the man VIII
- had been reported as dead, and who's
! friends had collected the insurance, il
4, dulging too freely in whisky and mall
- ing a complaint to the insurance CON
e pany that the money had not been fail
! ly divided. Instances in which none
~ has been claimed ON account Of I'll
death Of people still living are muc
y, more numerous than is generally b,
70 lieved. In one case an Ohio stocl1ma
bo carrying an accident policy for $40, ,0O
~ took some stock to New York. On IL
Nv return trip he disappeared from Il
ho train while it was crossing a bridg
90 and his hat being subsequently reco'
30 cred it was contended that he had falle
~, off and had been drowned in the rive
~, The company took advantage of the
- day rule and then offered to pay Il
money if 2 bond were put up to GOV
the amount. The neighbors of the Wi
ow fixed up an irreproachable bond, al
at- the money was paid.
,e- The company was by no means CO..
ttD vinced that the man was dead, and q
an rangements were made to have Il
pt- widow watched. Three years elapse
me and the instance was we'll nigh forge
be- ten, when n dispatch was received
or the effect that the lady was disposil
ci- of her furniture and evidently about
m" move. A detective was employed
no. keep track. The family went to CT
IN cago, and the detective followed Al
,od er a days delay they took train (
rou the northwest, the detective also ON
re- train. Away cut in the wilds of Nc
.er- tana the family alighted at a small 81
ton, where it was warmly welcom
by the long lost stockman, who W
promptly put under arrest. The bono
pes men were good for the money, and
RAJ this occasion the company sustained
'ea- loss beyond tho expense incurred in I
~, watching. New Orleans Times-D Dem
'sro crat
me American pumps are known in Chi
~ | and Jnnan. as well as in all narfs