Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-04-28
cHlIDRHs's FIND.
How an Insurance Policy Proved to
Be q BONANZA.


We clip the following interesting
story from the Strong City Derrick.
G. G. Wyandt Of this city is special
agent Of the Union Central Life In
surance Co. and says the clause re-
ferred to as saving the estate named
nearly $1,000 is in every one Of the
llS policies Of his company held in
Abilene and Dickinson County:
Mr.. W. J. Ewing, an old resident
Of Strong City, will next week receive
a check for about 5000, insurance
money on the life Of his wife, who
died September 2, 1897. Although
Mrs. Ewing has been dead seven
months, it was not known until re-
Gently that there was money coming
from an insurance policy which was
taken out in 1889. Here Is the story;
In 1886 Mr.. W. J. Ewing, in max
ing a real estate deal, had the life Of
his wife insured for $1,000 in the
Union Central Insurance company, Of
Cincinnati, Ohio. The policy was a
twenty year annual endowment and
was paid up for five years in advance,
which would make it expire in 1894.
Tho time passed and the payments on
the policy were allowed to lapse by
Mr.. Ewing and on September ?, 1897,
Mrs. Ewing died. A few weeks ago
the children, playing with some old
discarded papers, found the old life
insurance policy, from which the
mice had eaten Its envelope. They
took it to Mr.. Ewing who told them
1t had lapsed and dismissed the sub
]ect from his mind. But the children
with the accustomed hope Of youth
began studying 1t to find II possible
something In Its contents which might
prove that 1t was still In force, and
found o clause which said that after
the lapse Of five years from tho date
Of taking out this policy, that II 1t
we're surrendered $3.50 could be- Sc
cured. This they showed to Mr.. Ew-
ing only to be again discouraged, but
at the earnest pleading Of bis children
Mr.. Ewing took the policy to J. G.
Davis, Of Cottonwood Falls, who wrote
to the home office OF the Union Cen
tral referring them to that clause. In
reply the company referred Mr. Davis
to this clause which proved the policy
to be still in force at the time Of the
death Of Mrs. Ewing: "This policy
shall be In force for such timeuas one
annual premium is contained in Its
reserved value, according to the
American four per cent table Of NOR.
tality." 81
The explanation of this clause is,
that the five annual payments made
in advance in 1889, had earned enough
to keep the policy alive for two years,
$50 days, or until Oct. G, 1897, only
thirty.four days after the death OF
Mrs. Ewing. This being the fact,
Mrs. Ewing having died Sept.2, 1897,
Mr.. Ewing would be entitled to the
II, 900, minus three annual payments
and the interest thereon, which were
lapsed, that is for '95, '96 and '97.
The very natural question why the
money had not been claimed sooner,
was asked, anG the matter was fully
explained. The case Is now In the
hands OF Mr.. G. W. w. Yates, state
agent for the Union Central, who has
obtained all the proofs Of death and
forwarded them to Cincinnati. On
Wednesday, Mr.. j. M. Bates, who also
holds a policy with this company,
and who has taken great interest in
The development Of this case, received
\ letter0irom Yates, saying that as
soon as the check for the amount was
received from the head Office, he
would bring it here for delivery.
Mr.. Yates, State agent, is in En-
poria today, and he showed the old
policy and mouse-eaten envelope that
enclosed it, and also the receipt Of Mr..
Ewing for the amount which the
Union Central company had just paid
IN settlement Of the old policy,