The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-08-12
SRORYON GUIqEAU
How "Death-Bed" Life Insurance Was
Wiped Out.
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP A SUCCESS
Something Of cities who own Their
own Lighting Plants snd street.
Railway -Resuis of Experiments
win Wood Made Fire Proof.

For the first time the story OF the pre-
tended effort to insure Guiteau's life has
been made public, in Reading. Pa, says
correspondent OF the New York Sun.
The scheme was conceived by two young
lawyers, and, although they began it as
a joke, there were many who took it
seriously. One Of it's results was to help
to kill "deathbed insurance" in the east.
ern part of the United States.
Garfield was shot in July, 1881, and the
trial OF the assassin began in November,
1881, and ended with verdict of guilty
on January %, 1882. Guiteau was hanged
on June 80, 1882. At this time the death
bed insurance craze WAS at high.w water
mark, many Of the companies taking all
kinds of risks. One evening in Febru-
ary, 1882, two young attorneys here were
talking of Guiteau, for whom an applica-
ton for new trial had just been made.
One of the attorneys suggested that they
attempt to insure Guiteau's life, as O
means of bringing ridcule on the grave.
yard companies" They talked of it to
a resident of Reading who at that time
held political Office in Washington. He
entered into the joke and thought he
could arrange the Washington end of the
affair. Going back to Washington the
Berks county politician told newspaper
man there OF the business OF the insur-
ance companies in Reading, and also OF
the scheme of insuring Guiteau. Mean.
while the attorneys made written appli'
cation for 500. 900 insurance on Gulteau's
life. The application nearly got the
jokers into trouble. Among the many
liieinsurance companies in Reading al
the time was one that did not properly
come under the designation OF deathbed
company. BY accident a blank of this
particular company was filed out in due
form and forwarded to the Washington
newspaper man, His part was to take il
to Guiteau and try to secure his sigma
ture.
The reporter visited Guiteau and told
him that firm of insurance agents in
Reading, thinking that he might secure
new trial and eventually escape the
gallows, considered him good risk and
wanted to insure him for 10000 The
reporter gave Guiteau to understand that
neither he nor his friends would have to
pay any OF the assessment that would
be attended to in Reading. Gulteau WAS
also told that the agents would make it
worth his while to sign the application.
Although no figures were mentioned, he
WAS under the impression that his heirs
might expect So 900 should he be execu
ted. Guiteau listened to the scheme and
then smiled. He knew the newspaper
man, and told him he thought the entire
matter joke. The reporter knew it was
but did not say 30. Guiteau declined to
sign then.
The following day the Washington
newspaper appeared with a long article
saying that a graveyard insurance com
pany at Reading wanted to place $780,
900 insurance on Guiteau's life. The
name of the company was not given. The
article was in the form of an exposure
and said that large sums OF money had
been offered to secure Guiteau's sigma
ture. and that a large sum was to go to
the assassin's heirs. The news Was sent
all over the country subsequently.
By this time the Reading originstors
Of the scheme were beginning to find
that they had succeeded beyond their ex-
pectations. The officers OF the company
whose names were connected with the
affair went on still hunt for the schetn.
ers and lawsuits were threatened. Then
the New York and New England papers
took up the subject. Long articles sp.
peared calling attention to the deathbed
or graveyard insurance companies doing
business in Eastern Pennsylvania and
especially in Reading. Next the insur-
snce papers of England took up the mat
ter. They cited the Pennsy lvanis death
beds as samples of American life insur
ance. One daily paper in San Francisco
called the attempt to insure Guitean a
disgrace on humanity. II is said by
those conversant with their affairs, that
the Guiteau episode, as much as any
thing else, assisted in wiping out death.
bed insurance concerns.