The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-23

insurance companies have left the State
of Missouri.
Life insurance statistics show that only
man in forty leaves his affairs in good
condition at his death.
Mr.. John Nolan, assistant superintendent
of the Sun Life Insurance Company, has
resigned his position to accept the agency
for the company with headquarters In this
city.
The Sun Life will give a banquet to the
indianapolis district at the Grand Hotel
on Saturday. Aug. %. DR.. ]. L. Adams,
secretary of the company, is expected TO
be present.
c. d. w Meier and w W. Bond have
been appointed special agents for the
Equitable Life in Indiana. They were both
members of the summer school inaugurated
by the Equitable.
Charles r. Street, formerly assistant
Western general manager OF the Phenix
Insurance Company. of Brooklyn. has been
elected secretary of the Western Factory
Association. a position held by the late
Rogers Porter.
Mr.. Henry Winthrop Gray has filed his
account as receiver of the United States
MUTUAL ACClutul ASSOCldliOU 1hc ANNSAPNS
were $50, $3.50 and the expenditures were
$S6, 634 Il, leaving a balance in his favor
of S2.79 with which to pay liabilities OF
$l26,165.62. The apportionment of this sur
plus among the Indiana claimants of divi-
dends will not swell their bank account TO
any appreciate extent.
The State Life Insurance Company in
tends to celebrate its eighth anniversary
the 4th of September. Agents who have
done a certain amount of business during
the last year are invited from thirty-three
States in which the company has entered,
and over one hundred are expected. These
visitors will be entertained here for two
days, insurance will be thoroughly dis
cussed, and a banquet will be given them.
In the Yocum case, lately ended. the
question of survivorship arose. and it was
decided in favor of the estate of Miss
Yocum the court holding that the youth
and vigor of the daughter would raise the
presumption that she would exist longer
than her father, and that her heirs, who
were uncles and aunts on her mothers
side, would be entitled to her estate. 1t
will be remembered that Mr.. Yocum and
his daughter persisted in the destruction of
the yacht Paul Jones some years ago.
One of the large health and accident in
surance companies doing business in Indi-
per cent. in it's losses from sickness during
the first six months of this year as COM
pared with the first six months of last
| year, while the losses from accidents have
fallen off to a considerable extent There
| Is no reason assigned except that IL is one
| of the usual happenings in the insurance
| business and an experience which might
! be exactly the opposite to that of another
company.
The Interpretation of the vacancy clause
| in fire insure policies is still giving the
courts trouble. One judge recently held in
the Morgan VS.. the Insurance Company of
! Illinois that a house was not vacant
| when the owner went out of town for the
| summer; in the late case of Russell VS..
| the German Insurance Company the SUI
| preme Court of Kansas held that when a
/ house was unoccupied for twelve days the
| policy forfeited, and that reoccupancy
| after twelve days did not revive the policy
| The contracts were not unusual ones, but
were in accordance with all insurance con-
! tracts.
Those who are in a position to know fear
that a great confagration may wipe out
Kansas City. The water pressure is woe
fully inadequate to the needs OF the fire
| department, and there seems to be no hope
4 of getting any new or improved system
! The superintendent of the water works is
! against one system, for the reason that it
|
| asks why that of Kansas City should be
! better than that Of other cities. The city
| could not be rebuilt as Boston and Chicago
were after their great fires, for the city
| buildings and contents are inadequately
| insured owing to their dangerous condi-
ton and the oppressive laws of Missouri.
The Union Casualty and Surety Company
of st. Louis has recently had its charter
| changed so that it can now engage In the
business of life insurance in Missouri and
it has also been licensed to do a life in
surance business in Illinois. From some
| reports this departure from the usual poll
icy of casualty insurance companies is not
so radical as appears at first sight, for
it is said that the object of the company
is simply TO be able TO offer a new general
| disability policy without coming into con-
| flict with any of the state laws. Secretary
Atwood, however, says that the company
| proposes to engage in life insurance with
as much vigor it has shown In its other
branches of casualty insurance.
XXX
Some novel theories are often set out by
the courts, late one which is interesting
being found in Ga S. w. Reporter 9l5, in
which it was decided that contract which
would make the contracting parties con-
spirators was void as against public policy,
! therefore there was no such contract and
there could be no action against the de-
PENDANTS. 1t is not clear whether this would
| exclude them from a criminal action, but
| we suppose not In another case a judge
| held that since the assured hanged himself
! while insane, and since insanity was a dis
ease and was the cause Of the hanging the
deceased did not commit suicide, and there
fore the policy was not forfeited on that
| account.
The chief topic discussed at the conven-
ton of the International Association of Ac-