The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-09-05

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY o. A
LIFE coMPANY's AGENT.

a Realistic Death and burial Of a swiD-
dier who Escaped from the Grave to
Collect a Finy Thousand Dollar Policy
-ORe Of the strangest Of Cases.
In 1869 / accepted a position with a
life insurance company that was doing
a large business throughout the coun-
try, writes T. +. McGrew, in the Coun-
try Gentleman. The issuing of large
policies was seldom heard Of at that
time, and tho solicitor who was able
to secure an application for a large
amount was the lion of the hour, and
much sought after by other companies.
Lower Broadway was then the CEN
ire Of attraction, and scarcely an even
ing passed without a visit to old Nib
los Garden. the corridors Of the Aston
house, the Metropolitan and st. Nicho-
Jas hotels. Here would congregate the
young business men from the salesman
to the man about town, and often ac-
quaintances would be- made during
these rounds that threw considerable
business my way.
While enjoying myself at Niblo's
Garden one evening my attention was
attracted to four persons in one OF
the boxes to the left of the stage. The
party consisted of two ladies and two
gentlemen, one Of the latter about 40
years old, the other a younger man.
Their appearance, mirth and apparent
enjoyment of the play soon made them
the centre of attraction to the audi
| ence, as well as to the actors on the
stage. When the play was over my
curiosity prompted me to watch this
4 party, and as they left, to follow them
to their hotel, where l had an oppor-
1 tunity of observing them more closely
as they ate a late evening neal do
ing likewise at a nearby table. They
ali drank wine, the older and finer
looking man drinking but little.
| dropped in at their hotel the fol-
lowing day, where | witnessed fine
game of billiards between the two men
who had occupied the box the night
before. Their skilful playing attract
ed considerable attention, and before
the afternoon was gone | know the
two men as Mr.. Livingstone and his
brother-in-law, Mr.. White. During the
week that followed | met them quite
often, and was invited one Saturday
night to accompany them to the thea
tire, where they introduced me to the
two ladies before mentioned, as their
wives.
This acquaintance became mutually
pleasant, especially so between Mr..
Livingstone and mysof-he being in
teTested in patent which he was anX-
ioUs to sell-and as anxious to assist
for the sake of the benefit that might
come to me from its sale. We often
talked insurance matters together,
having suggested that he might do
orse than become an insurance agent.
He replied that there was too much
hard work in it to suit him, that he
had rather a nice income of his own,
but had about concluded to give me an
application for policy, which he final
ly decided to do provided he might di-
vide up the yearly payments into two
PARTS, and to allow him one-half OF
my commission on his first payment.
You can scarcely judge of my sur
prise the next day when he requested
me to make out an application for q
$4,000 policy. So delighted was that
| requested him to 60 with me at once
to the office of the insurance company
for an examination This examina
ton was most rigid the oompany's
physician pronouncing Mr., Living
stone to be the most worthy of insur
ance of any ne had examined in sew
eral years. In the course of a few
Gays the policy was issued, the none.
paid to the company in cash. of which
I received my part, dividing the sam
with Mr. Livingstone, who took tn
policy and left for his home in ST
Lawrence county, N. Y.
More than a thousand times did
wonder If the second payment woul
be made on that policy and | gain IA
commission. This anxiety proved t
be needless, for at the proper time tn
company notified me that the paymen
had been made and 1 received my shar
of it.
> About five months later the CON
pany received telegram from tn
a state of Massachusetts, where Mr.. Lily
!. ipgstone had moved, informing thel
). Of his death They Immediately r,
/. quested me to go there and investigat
e the matter and report to them, as the
e. wished to pay the loss as soon as poss
t bic if all were right, for the sake /
:, the henafit which WINS er1n 10 coma