The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-28

tect the insured. The insurance companies
will certainly not take kindly to his sug-
gestion.
Agency appointments for Indianapolis are
Summers & Henley, for Milwaukee Me-
chanics Fire; Denny & Denny, for North
British and Mercantile; Fred r. Hollis,
A. n. Phillips and NJ. L. Wagner, for the
Hartford Life; c. A. Siegfried. for the New
York Life.
Vice Chancellor Stevenson, of New Jer-
sey, has granted an injunction against the
Prudential Insurance Company restraining
1t from completing it's plan of putting the
management of the company under the
control of the Fidelity Trust Company. The
case will be taken to the Court of Errors.
The insurance on the Armour packing
plant at Sioux City amounted to s721 500.
The Aetna, Springfield and National of
Hartford will bear $4,000 each, while the
London Lloyds is involved to the extent OF
S15O,OO0 The total loss amounted to $S50000,
and was probably due to an inadequate
water supply.
p. B. Armstrong has been travelling about
the Northwestern cities in the intrests
Of the new company, the Importers and
Traders Fire, which he says will be doing
business soon after the beginning of the
new year. lie and his partner both profess
to be highly pleased with the reception &C
corded them by the business men of the
large cities.
The New York authorities are trying to
Danish the parlor match from general use
on account of its danger in causing fires
by the explosion of the heads. The officials
of insurance companies seem to be divided
in opinion to whether the dangers are
more real or imaginary, but the general
| opinion is that the parlor match is decided
| ly dangerous.
The United States Circuit Court Of APP
| peals has just decided an interesting case
against the Union Central Life Insurance
| Company, in which 1t was held that a
judicial execution for murder avoids liabil-
| ity under the policy. In suing on the policy,
the plaintiff averred that the insured was
| innocent of the crime charged and was in
| sane at the time of the commission of it.
1t was decided against the plaintiff on the
| grounds that the death was one the man.
ner of which was not in the contempla-
| ton of the parties at the time of making
| the contract; that there could be no insur-
ance against the miscarriage of justice;
| and that If the contention of the plaintiffs
were upheld, then the same issue would
be tried by another court and jury which
were no more infallible than the first
which would tend to encourage litigation
! and a want Of confidence in the courts
| 1t was urged In dissenting opinion that
| the case was analogous to cases Of assault
| and battery, where conviction for the
| criminal act not conclusive evidence
| OF the liability of the accused in a subse-
quent civil action for damages. The case
| is still to come before the Supreme Court
of the United States, when the questions
presented will be passed upon for the first
| time in it's history.
| The New York Board Of Fire Underwrit-
ers has issued a circular to the merchants
in New York which it would be well for
merchants in this city to heed. 1t is the
general custom at Christmas time to dec
| crate stores deliberately, and the decora-
| lions are usually of the most infiamma able
nature, consisting often Of cotton batting
| sheaves or dry grain, and particularly
| evergreens Besides, these decorations are
| usually made more attractive by the use
of electric lights, of which the wiring is
not likely to be the most carefully done.
| The circular calls attention to the clause
in the policies which invalidates the policies
If the hazard is increased by any means
| within the knowledge Of the insured and
| that electrical devices come within the
| condition unless the apparatus is approved
by and a certificate obtained from the
| electrical bureau and unless the application
for this certificate is filed at least ten DAYS
| before the time for using the displays.
| This warning will apply to all houses, in
| GLIDING churches, which are insured under
policies having the condition that the
policy is void If the hazard is increased by
| any means within the control or knowledge
| used. care should be taken to have the
parts so separated from each other that
there would be no trailing of fire in case of
ignition.