Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-25
Twelve Thousand Policy Hold
ers Have Insurance Clouded
by Frisco Fire
RECORDS ARE DESTROYED
Mutual Life company's Building
Burned and Records of the Insurance
Policies Believed to Have Been De-
stroyed-Aeents Are Sent on a
Search.

New York, April 25.-The destruc-
ton of the San Francisco building of
the Mutual Life Insurance Company,
which was located at Sansome and
California streets, may involve $4,000
policy holders carrying an aggregate of
$50, 900, 900 of insurance in serious COM
plcations.
All of the records concerning these
$4,000 policy holders were destroyed
with the building. Complete duplicate
records containing all of the late in
formation concerning the Pacific coast
policy holders were not kept at the
home office i'll this city.
Since George T. Dexter succeeded
Robert H. McCurdy as the head of the
agency force of the company, he has
been doing everything possible to COR
rect the abuses which existed in the
management Of the company under the
former regime.
! Asks for List of Insured.
Several weeks ago he directed w. H.
| Hathaway, head of the San Francisco
department, to furnish the home office
with complete records concerning the
10000 policy holders, including their
latest addresses.
1t took some time to collate this data,
as large amount of clerical labor was
involved. On April IL the San Francis
co office telegraphed the home Office
| that the work had been completed and
that the detailed lists would be for
warded by mail the next day, April Is.
| This was the day of the earthquake
and fire, and the Mutual Life building
was among the first structures to be
destroyed.
Since the receipt of this telegram the
i company has not heard a word from
Mr. Hathaway or any of the San Fran
cisco force and it is not known whether
they are alive or dead Inuumerable
| kilograms have been sent them without
eliciting any reply.
| Agents Sent on Search.
Mr. Dexter sent kilograms today to
| the agents at Sacramento, San Jose and
| Santa Rosa, directing them all to pro-
coed at once to San Francisco and dis
cover if possible the whereabouts OF
Mr. Hathaway and his assistants
The loss Of the San Francisco re-
| cords, which included not only the COM
pany's policy holders in California, but
those in Nevada and the Hawaiian is
lands, may make it inpossit'e for the
Mutual life to comply fully with the
new law which requires every life COM
pany to place on file with the state
! insurance department before June 1 a
complete list of its policy holders and
| their addresses.
Partial List in Home Office.
BY searching the records Of the home
office fairly accurate list Of the
names of those on the books of the San
Francisco office can be compiled, but it
will be impossible to furnish addresses
in cases where the policy holders Have
moved since they were first insured.
1t is not believed that the officers Of
the company will be punished for such
failure to comply with the law.
The agents who were directed today
to proceed to San Francisco were also
notified that the Mutual Life had ex-
tended to sixty days the time of prem
ium payments which fall due in the
earthquake district. This unusual ex-
tension affects all payments which fall
due UP to June IS.