The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-24
LETT CENT AND A Quarter
CASH FOUND IN TREASURY OF A
MINNEAPOLIS INSURANCE.
CONCERN
O'sHAUGHNEssY STEPS IN
The Insurance Commissioner Takes
Charge of the &c Cents and
Some hooks and
Papers.

Close upon the refusal of Fred H. Wen
dell, auditor of the American Friendly
Association of Minneapolis, to answer
questions put to him at conference OF
the directors of this association with
State Commissioner O'Shaughnessy Sat-
urday, the latter yesterday ordered the
closing up of its affairs, and put one of
his examiners, Thomas F. Martin, :n
charge of accessible books and papers.
pending a full inquiry.
WHAT appears to be a we'll conceived IN
surance swindle Is revealed by the inves-
legations of the bureau 1t has been in
business one year and has collected IS, 900
in premiums. 1t has suffered no losses,
yet all that the searchers could find was
26 cents in the office and 1924 in the bank.
1t seemed that there had been $500 on de,
posit in a Minneapolis bank, but it is
reported to have been withdrawn a week
or ten days ago, when the chief promoter
of the company Maj. John B. Hopper,
had to go East with the remains of the
president of the company, George L.
Lewis, who died April Z. Maj Hooper
has not yet returned.
He was an aggressive individual, fond
of diamonds, large ones preferred. He
was won't to display them ostentatiously,
and affected the airs CT one to.Whom
wealth had become so familiar as to bore
him.
The orher incorporators were: S. l..
Raymond, A. c. Raymond, G. p. Grons,
H. Littlefeld, A. C.. Bausman, A. f.
Fleming, Fred H. Wendell, Gilbert Green,
c.. B. Martin.
no
mutual plan, In order to control 1t there
was simultaneously Incorporated in Della
ware the American Commercial company,
which was to handle the business of the
Friendly association. The incorporators
OF the Delaware company were all Min
neapolis men, except one, who was neces-
sary to give the company legal standing
In Delaware.
incidentally, the Delaware company was
used as medium through which various
people, including employees. of the Friend
ly association, were worked for sums
ranging from 500 to $500.
Inc company was to pay it's endoW-
ments In five, ten and fifteen years, and
many prominent ST. Paul and Minneapo-
lis people were taken in on the ground
floor. Some of them were assessed no
premiums at all, from others were taken
notes, with the understanding that they
and from others clothing, rings, watches
and all sorts of articles were accepted.
Some Of the most prominent men were
let In for the good their names would do
the society, while others paid cash
In st. Paul Judge Orr, Judge Jaggard,
Chief Cook, Of the fire department, and
numerous others were caught Judge ORE
has been vice president Of the company.
In Minneapolis they caught w. e. Has
kell, Lucien Swift, w. II. Manley, Wal
lace G. Nye and others
N. w. Rloss was the first president but
last November he gave way to George
L. Lewis, who died April Z
Gr1er M. Orr is the first vice president:
Stanley L. Raymond secretary; David
Hanna, mayor of White. Bear, second
vice president; Thomas F. Wadsworth,
treasurer; Fred H. Wendell, auditor.
Maj. Hopper did not allow his name TO
appear as an officer, but acted as general
manager, so his name is not attached to-
any of the company's paper.
The sworn statements were made by
President Lewis and Secretary Stanley
L. Raymond
March II the company claimed to have
sixty policies In good standing, twenty
two N bad standing, and nifty upon which
no payments had been made
The good policies were represented by
"a, 1850 in premiums, and those of doubt
full value by $692.53
Hart N. Cook, chief of the firedepart-
ment, made two payments of $37 so each.
and was credited with but one.
Frank A. Davis, paymaster for the
Great Northern, was Victimized for the
same amount
o. G. Wilson, Fifth and Broadway, was
credited with SIS, when he shows receipts
proving that he paid $3.50 in cash and a
gold watch worth $l04
l.. o. Wilson, an East Seventh street
tailor, was credited with IS in cash. 1t
was shown that he had paid that amount
in money and had put up three suits Of
clothes for Hopper and Lewis. valued at
$119
DR.. George A Binder, of 1872 East Sew
enth street, paid $74.1U and says that
Lewis Offered to accept s5S for the second
years premium, amounting to $74.1n.
Saturday afternoon a meeting of the d.
rectors WIS held in Minneapolis, and
Commissioner O'Shaughnessy was ask.
ed to meet them The directors named in
the list are Willis H. Marley, George l..
Lewis, w. G. Nye, Grier M Orr, David
p. Jones MessIs Orr, Nye and Marley
were present, and Auditor Wendell was
sent for.
He was asked by the commissioner to
! explain what items made up the bills re.
! ceivable, and refused absolutely to an
swer any questions, stating that he was
not member of the company.
| The Commercial company was used to
work various parties for considerable
sums. 1t is said that the stencgrapher
in the company's Office is creditor to
the sum of 500 or more while agents arc
n n NIL hi, sol =, ~.