The Portland daily press., 1897-08-10
THE ATTEMPT TO INSURE ouITEAu,
ooAe That Helped to Kill Deathbed In
surance in Pennsylvania.

/
| heading, July 24.-For the first time
| VIC STORY Of the pretended effort to Einsure
uui'eau's life has been made public here.
iho scheme was conceived by two young
lawyers. and, although they began it as
JOKE, there were many who took it seri
ously. One of its results was to help to
XIII deathbed insurance" in the eastern
part OF the United States.
uarneld was shot in July, 1881, and the
| .'lal OF the assassin began in November,
1901, and ended with verdict of guilty
on January IS, 1882. Guiteau was hanged
on June 80. 1882. At.this time the death
peu insurance craze was at high-water
marx, many of the companies taking all
kinos OF risks. One evening in February,
1909, tWo young attorneys were talking
= uulteau, for whom an application for
new trial had just been made. One of
the attorneys suggested that they attempt
10 insure Guiteau's life, as means of
bringing rtdicule on the graveyard COM
panles They talked of it to resident
Oh heading who at that time held
political Office at Washington. He entered
INTO the joke and thought he could ar
range the Washington end OF the affair
dolng back to Washington, the Berks
county politician told newspaper man
| there of the business of the insurance
companies in Reading, and also OF the
scneme of insuring Guiteau. Meanwhile,
tne attorneys made written application
for 100000 insurance on Guiteau's life.
The application nearly got the jokers into
trouble. Among the many life insurance
companies in Reading at the time was va
one that did not properly come under the
designation of deathbed company. BY
accident blank of this particular COM
pany was filed out in due form and for
warded to the Washington newspaper
man, His part was to take it to Guiteau
and try to secure his signature.
! 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 gall
lows considered him good risk and
WANTED to insure him for 800, 900. The
reporter gave Guiteau to understand that
neither he nor his friends would have to
pay any of the assessments; that would
be attended to in Reading. Guiteau was
also told that the agents would make it
worth his while to sign the application.
Although no figures were mentioned, he
was left under the impression that his
heirs might expect $4,000 should he be
| executed. Gulteau listened 10 the scheme
and then smiled. He knew the news
paper man. and told him he thought the
entire matter joke. The reporter knew
it was, but did not say SO. Guiteau de-
clined to sign then.
| The following day the Washington
newspaper appeared with long article,
saying that graveyard insurance com.
pany at Reading wanted to place 100000
Insurance on Guiteau's life. The name
of the company was given. The article
| was in the form of an exposure and said
that large sums of money had been offered
to secure Guiteau's signature, and that
| large sum was to go to the assassin's
heirs Thesnews was sent all over the
country subsequently.
By this time the Reading originators
of the scheme were beginning to find that
they had succeeded beyond their expecta-
tions. The officers of the company whose
name was connected with the affair went
on still hunt for the schemers, and law
suits were threatened. Then the New
York and New England papers took up
the subject. Long articles appeared call
ing attention to the deathbed or aravey ard
insurance companies doing business5 in
eastern Pennsy lvania and especially in
| Reading. Next the insurance papers of
England took up the matter. HThey cited
the Penns1vania deathbeds as samples OF
| American life insurance. One daily
paper in San Francisco called the attempt
| to insure Guiteau disgrace on human
| ity. 1t is said by those conversant with
| their affairs that the Guiteau episode, as
much as anything else, assisted in wiping
out deathbed insurance concerns.