The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-03

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II suppose ordinarily such a thing
would be preposterous. but it struck
me some way that this was a fraud
/ went to the president of the company
and said So
He was inclined to be provoked with
me. He said he knew the people init
rnately, and the imputation of rascality
was ridiculous.
Besides, eve if it were not. the
company could not afford to refuse
payment. Some OF the other companies
concerned had paid already and were
advertising their promptness in settling
such claims
Nevertheless, 7 was not convinced.
The notice of death that had been filed
I with US gave paresis as the cause.
Now, men of 80 do rot have paresis off
hand.
There is usually an antecedent
cause. II is disease that develops
slowly. and ii struck me as very queer
that there should have been no signs
of 1t apparent when the young man had
/ been examined for our policy. 1t was
manifest, also, that if be had really
dieo of paresis some of the answers he
had made to the questions of the ex-
aminers were false.
The usual investigation of the case
had been ordered, but now the presi-
IL. He intended to pay at once.
But i was concerned now as much
Tor myself as for the company. I had
made positive statement TO the pres
ident. and | believed il was the truth.
AT any rate, 1 meant to satisfy myself
i told him, therefore, that I should
not be at my Office the next day, and
took a night train for the nearby city
where the young man had lived Early
- inc 7
who had signed the notice that had
been sent to us.
He was a stiff one. He refused alb
soiutely to say word about the case
as soon as he found out that | repre-
sented an insurance company. All he
would do was TO refer me to the young
mans father, and was convinced that
that was useless.
4 knew, however that there must
be municipal record of the death. and
III the Office of the bureau of vital sta
tlStlcs l finally came upon the certifi-
cate To my surprise and delight it was
signed by two well known physicians
of the city, one of whom was an old
personal friend.
Il went at once to see HIM and told
him frankly that I was investigating
this case because had become person
ally involved with the president of nv
company concerning it. This man. I
should say, ha6 nothing to do with the
insurance of the young man. he had
simply been called in TO treat him at
the last
He told ne what he knew of the
case, and then said that some years
before the young man had been treated
at well known sanitarium in another
state. 1t CHANGED that the physician at
the head of this institution was a
friend of his, and he agreed to write to
the sanitarium doctor and get from him
statement as to the condition of the
young man at the time he was under
that doctors care.
The letter was written while I was
with my friend, and ] came back to
New York feeling very good about the
prospects. The matter hung along for
week or two and there was no meet
ing of the directors to pass upon death
claims. or the loss might have been
paid in spite of me and what was do
ing.
But before there was a chance to
pass the claim a letter came from the
Sd nitariun physician TO whom my
friend had written, and it was fer
had thought. The young nah had
grossly misrepresented things on his
examination, and this letter gave proof
that would upset every policy that had
been issued on his life.
That night I went back to the city
where he had lived. Next morning [
was at the office of his father. ready
for business. with the letter from the
sanitarium physician in my pocket. I
was waiting for the banker when he
came in. We met in his outer office
Well, sir he said, what can 1 90
for you
I gave him my card, which showed
whom l represented, and said:
I came to get the policy We bad
issued on the life OF your SON.
Did you bring a check he asked.
No, 1 replied, there will be no
check
What DO you mean. sir? he ex-
claimed. Don't you intend to pay it?'
Not a dollar 1 answered
He looked for an instant as if ev-
cry drop of blood in his body had run
to his head.
Get out of this office. you swindlAr,'
he shouted Get out of here before I
have you thrown out
Then l was mad.
I'll get out quick enough I said,
but I want to tell you that you'll he
the sorriest man for this you ever
were. I'll show You up for the scoun-
drei and thief you are. You1l have
plenty of chance with the courts be-
fore this is finished, and you won-r
want to talk so loud then either
He looked at me an instant and he
saw that I meant business. He recog-
nized that he had made a mistake
and changed his tack.
Come into my private Office he
said.
We went into a large room behind
the other Offices 1t was superbly fur
nished, and in a corner sto0~ a small
safe, where. 1 guessed. he kept his pri-
vate papers. He sat down at his big
desk and smoothed some papers down
as if he were trying to get control of
himself again.
81 waited for him 10 speak. At last
he looked up and sa q
Well. sir, what do you mean?
mean, 1 answered, that / know
your game. I mean that you are try
ing TO sSindle my company out of
$4,000 as you have already swindled
other companies out of more. And I
mean, unless you give up that policy,
10 show you and your crowd up in the
courts, where you will get what's COM
ing to you and what you 50 well de-
serve.
Then I pulled out the letter / had
in my pocket and showed it to him.
That will show you what mean
I said. III hold it here but you may
read it
He stood up to read the letter and
as he read his appearance changed so
much that 1 was almost tempted to lie
sorry for him. For ne was too good a
business man not to realize what The
letter meant, and to understand how
completely he was in my power.
He turned so white and shook so