The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-22
ABOUT SUICIDE INSURANCE
TIE RECENT NOlABLE DECISION
or ". s. SUPREME 90 UR1.

Void If Victim is sane-Hartford Poll
Giles Make Varying Conditions Opinions
of Presidents Of Leading Companies on
This Subject,
Does suicide prove person commit
ting the act to be insane?
| This mooted question has been consid-
cred many times in insurance circles in
| Hartford, and the recent decision of the
| United States supreme court does not
seem to completely sQlye it, Justice
Harlan has recently handed down, as
has been already announced in our col
Hmns, an opinion in the case of A. How
ard Ritter, executor of William M.
bunk, against the Mutual Life Insur-
anee company Of New York, involving
the question whether the heirs of a man
who commits suicide when in sound
mind can recover on an insurance poll
cy, The court held that they could not.
1 The insured committed suicide within
less than a month after increasing his
Insurance by 100000, making an aggre-
gate OF 100000 on his life. The New
York Mutual refused to pay $4,000
which it held on the ground that Runk
was sane when he took his life. 1t was
| shown In the trial that he had written
a letter saying that he proposed to end
his life.
Justice Harlan held that the question
! of suicide was not supposed to enter
into a life insurance contract and that
it was not intended that the life of the
person insured should be at the option
1 Of either Of the parties to the contract,
| No company would undertake to insure
| against suicide. II any company should
make such an attempt It would, he said,
/ be against public policy and would not
be allowed. CONCLUDING, he said eXplic-
| lily that the heirs Of no insured person
committing suicide while of sound mind
could recover upon his poiicy.
VARIOUS SUICIDE CLAUSES,
4 The Hartford Post says: THE atti-
tude of the Hartford companies to-
wards suicides Is not a uniform one.
One Of them says in it's policies: IF
/ the Insured should die by an act of self
destruction the policy shall become null
dtlt sbA4s ~fti0bttSt peAy Ne A|Sett+A NJ
self-destruetion except where irrespon-
sibility is proven, IS a risk not as
/ sumed, but the company will return
/ the reserve Still another company
says; IF the Insured shall commit
j suicide within three years after issue
of policy. it renders It null and void \
Two other companies say: Insured
/ agree that in case of suicide, committed
| while sane or Insane within two years
from date of policy, the limit Of reeov-
| cry shall be the amount Of premiums
paid thereon"
i COLONEL GREENS VIEWS.
4 Colonel Jacob L. Green, president OF
/ the Connecticut Mutual Life company,
was seen by a Post reporter to-day
| and was asked to express his opinIon
/ on the recent decision of the United
States supreme court. He said:
i 1.-THE decision is Of great Importance
not only as to the specific case pf q
/ suicide, bnt still more as bringing into
i clear notice that those things which
i are contrary to public policy can neith-
er be presumed to be intended In a COM
j tract by the parties to it, nor can they
4 be allowed In contract which under
takes to cover them. Many of the conn
j panies have been advertising to write
incontestible policies which would COW
er death hF suicide under any eireum-
| stances, ne matter how deliberate an
intentional.
j This decision not only takes the 'in-
i cpntestibility in case Of suicide out Of
the policy and enables the company to
contest 1t whether it is mentioned In its
contract or not, but declares that any
agreement not to contest would not be
allowed as contrary to public policy.
Any company, therefore, that failed to
inquire into the circumstances of SUI
icide and resist the claim II the person
committing it were responsible there
fore, would be willingly submitting to
an Illegal claim and acting contrary to
public policy.
The decisions of the United States SUI
preme court now leave the matter OF
suicide Just where the Connecticut MI
tual place it in its contract.
NO NEW POLICY LAID DOWN.
President Buckley of the Aetna was
next seen. He said In repy to the re-
quest for an opinion, that he did not
see that any new policy was laid down
in the decision of the court.
Then Won do not consider the deci:
sion, an important one, GOVERNOR
asked the reporter.
why, yes; any decision Of court
that sustains contract is important,
replied the president
+ whether in insurance cases or in
bridge building" the reporter ventured
to suggest.
"Preeisely; whether in insurance OF
bridges" assented the genial governor
with smile.
MR. BATTERsoN's STATEMENT
President PATTERSON of the Travellers
Insurance company was next seen.
YES" he said, 'ithe recent decision is
of Importance, but 1t does not establish
anything new in connection with this
subject The Travellers had policy
or Runk for five thousand dollars
which was settled by compromise, re.
turning the premiums paid over tern
of years. The intentional act was eleal
and admitted in the pleadings; there.
fore the court had no other course thar
to find for the defendant.
"Since the suicide clause was strick
Ell out in nearly all life policies, the
mortality from that cause has
increased with frightful rapidly, and
now exceeds by at least 800 per cent
the mortality by suicide on uninsured