Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-20
NEW KIND OF GRAFT

"They frame up some new kind of a
grating game about every twenty minutes
over in the old town" said q New York In
surance man who was in Washington last
week. 'but a job that was recently put up
by dissolute chap in. my business, life
insurance, and the sequel OF the job, come
pretty close to making story.
This fellow has been selling life insur-
ance, of and on. for fifteen years, ana
he's a corking good man at the work, too.
when he keeps himself in shape. But
rum and the ponies got him going. so
that he at length found himself unable to
attach himself to any of the companies
as regular man. and picked up pre-
carious livelihood by mailing live ones oc-
casionally for the different life insurance
companies Of New York.
About six weeks ago. after prolonged
jarnboree. this reckless chap found him
self down and out. without the price OF a
shave. Then he began to get busy as TO
his thinking apparatus. One OF his run
ming mates was a dissipated sculptor,
man Of fine talent who has done some
splendid work already and could easily be-
come distinguished were 1t not for his IRE
Quent huge sprees. The insurance man
and the sculptor had been swirling around
New York together on their toots for q
good many years. The sculptors wife had
been compelled to leave MIN on account VI
his irregular habits.
We'll when he awoke without the price
in his clothing the life insurance man dug
up his pal. the sculptor, and found that
talented artist on the water wagon. for
the easy reason that he hadn't SOU
markee wherewith to take the drop from
the sprinkling cart.
"'Chum.' said the insurance man to the
sculptor. I've got a scheme. I'm going
to get you to insure your life for 10000
" Don't mako lanQh-mv HpS are
chapped.' replied the busted sculptor,
gloomily.
For $4,000 repeated the insurance
man. And you can throw that nice little
policy in your wife's lap as peace offer
ing. and II that don't get your happy home
together again I'm a bum guesser.'
Dream on dismally said the sculptor
Its easy said the insurance man.
You're a big. well-muscled and healthy
proposition. and locker You're dis
tinguished sculptor. engaged in making a
big name for yourself. and with the pros
pect of doing whole lot of the sculping
and a man of pretty fair means. You've
got the buds to put up front-top hat and
all that, and can rig 1t up so that they
salaam before you when take you to the
Office of the company to be looked over and
examined by the doctor. You won't have
to pay anything down-good thing, that
eh?-for I'm pretty certain that I'll be able
to get you three months time. on your
itr
"'Any old thing said the sculptor.
1.-The insurance man hiked right down to
the office of one of the companies with
which he had been doing business for a
number Of years. and where he was known
as hustler and digger when he kept
himself right, and told the manager that
he had snagged a toppy live one-sculptor
of reputation designer of such-and-such
statues ETC.. and that he was going to in
| sure him for $4,000 That sounded pretty
good to the manager, for the dissolute in
suran &c chap with the scheme on hand was
manipulation of south wind In class A.
Fetch your sculptor along for examina-
tiOn,' said the manager.
"Tll have him down this afternoon
said the reckless one. BY the way, he's
the house in which his studio is located,
and for that reason it'll come little in
convenient for him to pay anything down
right away. I guess you can handle so
good a mans paper on q three-months'
basis, can't you?
1.-THE manager said that that would be
all highland the reckless one hiked back
to the sculptor's place.
'Tog OUT he said. Put every glad rag
on that you can yank out OF your chest
we've got to get away with this thing
right
1.-THE sculptor proceeded to make an elab-
crate toilet. He had good suit with frock
coat, left out Of the wreck, with silk hat
pretty fine figure Of 1t when pronounced
all ready, being an unusually good-looking
man.
THE insurance chap and his pal, the
sculptor, went down to the Office of the big
company, and the sculptor was introduced
to the powers and made an impression with
his fine presence and manner The doctor
examined him and pronounced him an all
right risk. The sculptor gave his three
months note in lieu Of first payment on
the policy, and the dissolute insurance chap.
who had rugged up the phony scheme out of
pure desperation. being in urgent need Of
change, calmly drew down 500 in cash. his
first commission on the transaction.
Looked like a pretty bad job up to that
point. didn't It? And 1t looked worse when
the insurance man and the sculptor with
the 800, went out and proceeded to paint the
town. They wound up on the following
afternoon, considerably the worse for wear,
at the Morris Park race track, the insur-
ance man being race horse f1end. And
here's where the sequel Of a transaction
that looked pretty dark happened. The in
surance man had little more than $50 of
his 800 left and he put $50 on a horse that
was at 80 to 1 In the betting The horse
romped in an easy winner in the mud and
the insurance man found himself just 81. 900
ming over to his pal, the sculptor. Then
the two took a brace and a few days later
they went to the home of the sculptors
wife's people. = The artist tossed the
SO, 900 life insurance policy into his wifes
lap-he had already visited the office, taken
up his three months note and paid the
premium-and on top Of that flashed his
roll. In addition he promised to be good.
and his wife consented to give him another