The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-01
THE COPP INSURANCE
Uncertain Yet What
the Companies
Will Do.
AWAITING The INQUEST.
One Of the Insurance Agents
Makes a State
ment.
AWAITING THE INQUEST.

Walter E. Smith, agent for the Cen
eral Accident Insurance Company,
which carried policy of $4,000 on the
life of James o. Copp of Charlton, who
was killed by the cars a week ago, at
Uxbridge, says that his company is
ready and willing to pay the claim, if
Mr.. Copp did not commit suicide. Dur
ing all the time that Mr.. Smith has
been in the insurance business, he has
paid more than 300 claims, and has
never had law suit over one of them.
However, he says, in justice to the
company, if there is any suspicious cir
cumstance connected with the death,
the company is bound to investigate the
case.
Mr. Copp came into my office week
ago Friday said Mr.. Smith, land
wanted to know about the form of ao-
cldent policies that my company is
sued. I told him about the various
forms, and he inquired particularly
about the $4,000 policy that is known as
the double benefit policy. That is, if
death resulted from accident while on
the cars, he or rather his estate, would
get $4,000, and If death resulted from
some other cause, for instance, from
drowning, then he would get the $4,000
only
After filing out his application for
a policy, he left the Office, and when
the door closed, said in joking way
TO Mr. Gray, who is in the same office
with me, / wonder If that man is go
ing to commit suicide? If he does, he
can only get $3.50. l thought nothing
more about the matter until l heard
that the man had been killed by the
cars at Uxbridge. OF course, 1 re-
membered then several things Mr.. Copp
had said to me, and since then 1 have
been in correspondence with the head
office in Philadelphia about the case.
l have nothing to do with the pay
ment of the claim as that rests with
the adjusterS, and the proof of death
has to be made with the various affi-
davits and forwarded to the home office.
But in all the years l have been in the
business, never knew of a case where
the company refused to pay any just
claim, and many times they have set
tied claims that were known to be
frauds, rather than to fight the case.
AS there is a clause inserted in every
policy that limits the amount of the
claim if the policy holder committed
suicide. it is but fair If there Is any
doubt as to the cause of DEATH to in
qulre carefully into the details of the
case.
II do not care to say what my per-
sonal feeling is in the matter, as that
has nothing to do with it. AS mat
ter of fact, the application did not
reach the home office before the tele
gram l sent, telling of the fatal acct
dent. Some agents write out their own
policies, but / only fill out the claim
and forward for approval. | don't
know as that has any bearing on the
case. but the fact is that the company
received my telegram before they got
the application"
When asked by The Spy man if the
agents of the different companies con-
cerned would take concerted action,
Mr.. Smith said that he knew nothing
of any such action. and did not see
any necessity for SO doing If the
death resulted from accident, then the
claim would be paid at once, and if
there is reason to believe that Mr.. Copp
committed suicide naturally each COM
pany would contest the claims for in
surance, If any were made.
In this weeks Standard. an insurance
paper, it was stated that passengers
had noticed the peculiar actions of Mr..
Copp for some time before the station
was reached. where he met his death
He would get out at each stop, says
the Standard. and then get on again,
as soon as the train started. The arti-
Gle draws no conclusions from this fact,
but simply gives it for what it is
worth. The inquest, which will be held
shortly on the case will no doubt bring
out all the facts. and until then, moth
ing will be done.