The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-30
PALMER'S STORY.
The Insurance Swindler Tells
a Tissue of Lies-Nearly
Escaped.

The trial of John M. Palmer, who
constituted the Provident Mutual Aid,
Casualty and Relief Association, was
continued in the Sessions Court yester-
day afternoon. About a dozen persons
who had taken out policies in the con-
Germ were called by the prosecution,
and then Palmer took the STAN in his
own defence.
He said that his name was John M.
Palmer and that his home was in New
York, where, he would not say. The
Provident Mutual Aid, Casualty and Re-
lief Association was incorporated on Au-
gust 1, 1894. There were three incorpor-
ators. Some time after the other two
withdrew from the company, and, by
virtue of n of the bylaws of the con-
Germ, he Palmer) became the whole con-
Germ. The main Office of the company
was at No. 800 Broad street, Newark.
They also had a branch office in the
Weldon Building, in this city.
Mrs. Grub's claims had not been paid
because she had not fully complied with
the requirements of the association; she
had not forwarded a physicians c%ertiti-
cate with the claims. Before that was
done he was arrested, therefore he could
not pay Mrs. Grub'S claim.
Cross-eXaminedby Assistant Prosecutor
Noonan, Palmer admitted that the asSo-
citation had occupied the office at No. 800
Ronemb ssses iss4 .0f T Hnsy S Sad u their office as
lengthof time. After that the home office
a aur ens fH a As VII afa atreet, New "
ark. The mail of the association was
received at the office of Miss 4enediet.
No l Mechanic street, Newark. Mr..
Palmer admitted that 242 persons had
been insured by his OF these
all but the twenty. had been suspended
hpoa11So nf thnir f9j1urA fn keen I'm their
payments. He refused ii tell where the
books. of the association are kept, al
though fssaa ne admitted nrasent mat M hH knew r wners
Palmer said that he lived at No. 272
Front street, New York. Yesterday he
fused to tell hi the correct address
was. He said he lived with his mar
ried sister. .andhe did not want her to
The liabilities of the association, if all
of the policy holders should die, would
amount to about $1,000. Palmer said that
if such a thing Were to happen he did
not know how the amount could be paid
and admitted that there were no assets.
When Palmer left he stand he said
clerk would not supply him with sub
poenas. The Court asked for the names
of his witnesses and ordered the clerk
said that the company had paid $50 to
William Miller, a barber, on the death
of a policy holder named Rachel Slater,
VINO lIV6Q at mo. LILO bFuIlS WICK street.
He had also paid benefits to P%ocohontas
Thompson of No. 81 Railroad avenue,
and Julia Scott, No. 12 Washington
street.
This morning Constable Meyer testified
hat he had gone to No. 172 Washington
street in search of Julia Scott, and found
the building to be a storage house of
| the Sugar Refinery. At No. GA Railroad
| ven nobody knew anything of POGO
hontas Thompson, nor had she ever lived
| there. Neither could he find any trace of
William Miller.
Lawyer Manning moved for the dis
charge of Palmer on ground that moth
ing had been shown to prove that he
had violated any law. Under the act of
incorporation he was fully entitled to
legal. Judge Hudspeth almost decided
in favor of the motion. when Mr.. Moo
nan interrupted by saying that the whole
thing was a fraud. THE others had got
ten out of the company.
Palmer himself was runnirg the whole
business and induced people to go into
it, knowing hat he neer intended to
pay them. The policies issued were.
with the exception of one, casualty pol
icies, and the holders could not collect
on them except in cases of accident. 1t
surance Furthermore than this. Palmer
had testified that he wa the only Off
Ger, while receipts were produced signed
signed by a nan named Wallace as sec
rotary.
Judge Hudspeth, after examining the
policies and receipts decided that he
would not grant the motion. The case
then went to the jury.
Palmer was found guilty as charged.