The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-07-15
TAKING PROPER ACTION.
Wild Cat Insurance Companies to be
Prosecuted.

Recently it is alleged that seyera
wild cat insurance companies have
been operating in South Carolina ant
Comptroller General Jones has beer
besieged with letters from persons al
over the State asking about these
companies and notifying him that
many Of them are operating without
a license.
OF course this is directly in viola
tion Of the law and will be treated &C.
cordingly. Mr.. Jones Thursday morn,
ing issued circular letter which be
mailed to all persons asking as to the
right OF these companies to carry on
business without first paying license.
The letter reads:
Answering your request as to the
company, 1 beg to say
that they are not authorized and have
no license to do buSiaeSss in this
State.
If any one is soliciting business for
them, you can swear out a warrant
against him before magistrate OF
this State, charging him with acting
as agent for foreign insurance COM
pany without license, under section
6OI of the criminal code, which reads
as follows;
Section CO.,. Any person who
Shall transact any business or insur-
ance in this State for any company Of
the United States or foreign state not
incorporated by the laws Of this State
without having first obtained license
by law required, or after bis license
has been withdrawn, or shall in any
way violate the foregoing provisions
in relation to license Of insurance
companies or agents thereof, shall up
on conviction in any court Of compe-
tent Jurisdiction, be tined for every
such ofense not more than slO0; pro-
vided, that nothing contained in this
section shall release such company or
companies upon any policy issued or
delivered by it or Them
Upon your making the affidavit
before the magistrate, it is his duty
to issue his warrant for the arrest of
the party and bring him to trial be-
fore him. Each time the person
solicits insurance and issues policy,
constitutes separate violation of
this law, and they can be prosecuted
for each seperate violation.
This is the only law for the punish
.uent Of the individual soliciting in
Surance.
In addition to this proceeding in
the criminal courts, the company it.
self may be fined sum not exceeding
$1,000 nor less than $500, to be re-
covered in civil action by any party
suing therefor in the court Of common
pleas. This suit is to be brought
against the company issuing the policy
Of insurance, and the amount recover
ed is to be retained by the party suing
for same. The State gets no part Of
this penalty.
Section 1893 Of the civil code, Vol.
I, code of laws 1908, reads as follows:
" Section 1893. Should any insur-
ance company or association violate
the provisions of this chapter such
company shall be fined in a sum not
to exceed $1,000 and not less than
$500, to be recovered in any court Of
competent Jurisdiction in this State,
to be recovered by any citizen Of this
State having a policy Of insurance in
said company; provided, that nothing
in this chapter shall release any such
company, companies or association
violating the provisions hereof upon
any policy issued by it or them ~
The inquiries have come from Green
vile, Charleston and other cities Of
the State.