The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-18
TO SUE ODD FELLOWS.
Hundreds of Actions Begun in the
Badger State.
INSURANCE BRANCH IN DANGER.

~
ment--Insurance Organization OF the
Odd Fellows i'm Wisconsin I'm a Condition
Bordering on Dissolution.
Milwaukee, Dec 1S.-Secretary ]. w.
Ostrander is authority for the state
ment that the Wisconsin Odd Fellows
Mutual Life Insurance company Is In a
bad way financially, and is likely TO go
into a state of collapse unless the man
ayers can succeed in making the MEM
bers pay up their assessments. To ac-
complish this thousands of suits have
been or are to be started in every part
of the state where there is a justice OF
the peace to hear, try and determine
and a direlict odd Fellow to be brought
before the bar of justice. 1t is est-
mated that there are 500 of these cases
in the city of Milwaukee, and 100 or
more in every principle city In the
state, while scarcely a hamlet or village
where there is an odd Fellow will be
able to escape the contest that has been
instituted by the managers of this mu-
tual insurance company. The total
amount involved in the cases is some
/
sums of from $5 to $72 against the in
dividual member. All these claims have
been made out by the managers and
placed in the hands of attorneys in the
different cities, towns and villages OF
the state for collection.
Estabrook to Begin Suits.
C. E. Estabrook, the ex-attorney gen.
eral, will do the collecting among the
Odd Fellows in this city, and VIII push
the matter to the utmose limits in order
to save the insurance branch OF the or
der of Odd Fellows from going down in
ruin. The trouble arises from the fact
that early in the year the number OF
deaths among the members of the in
surance company was exceedingly
heavy owing to the large number OF
old men that had been taken into the
fold and from other causes. The rap
idity with which the assessments FOL
lowed each other caused a stampede
: among the members to get out or th'
organization, and IL is stated by sec
retary Ostrander that more than one
r half of them lapsed in the payment o
!, their policies. Under the rules ina
govern. a member could not forfeit nj
I membership until sixty days after n
Z had been notified of an assessment, an
o .n the meantime he was responsible 10
e any and all assessments that In IN
;. meantime ii might be found necessar
5 to make. Another feature that piaye
t a part against him was the fact Una
e assessments were not ordered uht
t, ninety days after proofs OF death ma
e been received by the managers OF IN
/. company. and in many instances TIM
y ty or sixty days lapsed before the PROOF
e were furnished.
e Responsible for Assessments.
l. JTnder these conditions the mere lap
e ing of one assessment did not reiif
?. uuish the member from its paymen
= Under the laws which govern In II
20 case of a mutual company, these dir'
y licts are held to be responsible for NJ
~ only the last assessment which the
failed to pay but for those assessmen
which had in the meantime accumula
ed. Under ordinary circumstances 1t
in not to be supposed that an atteml
would be made to collect at least II
s. last assessment. The managers or Il
n Odd Fellows Mutual Life Insuran
,r company find that they are owing $4l
a 600 in insurance on the lives or u
members who have died during q
~ avalanche of lapses that have stru'
.e them during the past summer, and TN
% are determined to collect every cent
u the money that is the due OF the cor
" pany under the closest construction
ne the law that can be made. BY II
=. means they hope to swing clear of I
No bankruptcy that threatens them at Il
e time. Suits have been started to c.
d lect eighty assessments under the pl
ne adopted in the city of Chippewa Fal
ne and a number Of suits are to be start
in Eau Claire.