The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-18
Assassination and Insurance

Two classes of people will be particularly
interested In the outbreak of anarchy which
cut the thread of life of the Austrian en-
presS-the other persons who OCCUPY the
thrones OF Europe. or who are very close to
them and the insurance people. In spite of
the sporadic breaking out of mania for
killing among the anarchists the lob of
ruler has not yet gone begging, even a king
for a group Of cannibal islands being readily
oDtalnable In the open market-as witness
the TACT that Malietoa ruled in Samoa and
fought for his crown, and was only paid at
the rate of about $50 a month The most
notable effect that the assassination will have
on that portion Of the world which we are in
touch with, will be the effect on the insurance
companies.
Placing large sums OF life insurance on
crowned heads has come to be a very i'm
portant feature of some Of the big British
insurance companies. The car of Russia
and George of Greece are said to be the only
rulers not carrying insurance. They have
been refused by the syndicate that places
these lines Of insurance-the car absolutely
and the king Of Greece by the making of a
rate that was prohibitory There was an odd
story going about a few years ago with re-
gard to the placing Of insurance on the life
Of the kaiser.
That ferocous young ruler was approached
by one of his subjects with a proposition
to write policy on his life for 5000 OCO
marks. Wilhelm at once clapped the agent
into jail on charge of lese majestic. He
had theory that the divine right by which
he held his crown of such a nature that
he could not trade on it. 1t then appeared that
his uncle, the present Duke of Saxe-C oburg
then the duke of Edinburgh, had put the
10 fk
honest dollar. AS Edinburgh was about to
become reigning German prince, Wilhelm
forgave the insurance man and was made to
look at the insurance scheme in q different
light when he found it could be used as an
investment.
The prince of Wales carries the largest line
of straight insurance of any of the notable
royalties. He is credited with Fl 250, 600 in
policies. OF late years there has grown up
large business in speculative insurance in
England in which the name Of the prince
figures. The business grew so large and so
many fake companies went into it that it was
prohibited by a law requiring the consent of
the insured. The queen carries a great deal
of insurance. but generally in small policies
She has insured herself for the benefit of
many persons, friends and old servants, whom
she proposes to benefit in this way She is
not created with carrying any investment
insurance. She has not been considered the
best risk in England, for until lately she
showed herself in public a great deal, and
there telling what some friend of a
change in the rule might do. The several at
tempts on her life also made the insurance
companies careful about taking her.
The late President Carnot, of France, car
red 100000 on his life, and when he was
assassinated some of the companies resisted
payment on the ground of a special proviso
in the policies issued to the president Only
last winter a syndicate of moneyed men was
formed in Paris for the purpose Of insuring
the life Of King Humbert, of Italy. The in
surance was rather on the annuity plan, and
was said to be enormously expensive.
These instances Of the fact that there is a
very large line of insurance on the lives of
royal persons show that the insurance people
will be alarmed-especially in view of the
fact that the breaking out of murderous ten
denotes on the part of the anarchist is often
epidemic.