The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-08-14
THE WIFE WINS.
The State Supreme Court Makes
An important Decision.
A Complicated Insurance Case as to
Who Should Receive the Benefit

The State Supreme Court has JUS
decided case that is of much impor
tance to all people who carry insur.
ance policies. The supreme court has
reversed the lower court in the case
of Mrs. hattie K. Speegle against me
Woodmen of the World, suit for in
surance money under the member
ship in the order held by the late J.
z. Speegle, out of whose administra-
ton of the Office of county supervisor
of Greenville so much sensational
matter developed a few years ago.
Mrs. Speegle wins the case before
the supreme court and is held to be
entitled to the sum of $4,000.
Inc opinion of the supreme court
is written by Chief Justice Pope and
briefly recites the facts in the case.
On June 19, 1895, J. E. Speegle be-
came a member of the Wood
men of the world and re-
ceived benefit certificate for $4,000,
payable at his DEAN to his wife, Sus-
an Speegle, and subject to ne consti-
tuition and bylaws of the oruer. Mrs.
Speegle died in March, 1900, and
thereafter Mr.. Speegle married Miss
Hattie K. Goodwin, the marriage be-
ing performed at the Jerome hotel
in Columbia. There were seven chill
dren by the first marriage.
After the death of the first Mrs.
Speegle no new beneficiary was nam
ed in the certificate. Mr.. Speegle
died Oct. IT, 1905, his wife, Mrs.
Hattie K. Speegle, surviving him. me
began action on March %, 1906, to
recover the amount of the certificate
The defendant cooperation led a pc
tition for interpleader alleging that
there was dispute between the
plaintiff and the children of tue first
marriage as to who was enIl.led to
the benefit and prayed tnat it be al
lowed to pay the fund into court, and
that the children be made parties de-
fendant and contest with the plain
tiff the right to the benefit. LIE
petition was granted and the children
appeared and answered. Judge
Watts held that they were entitled to
the fund, and plaintiff appealed.
Chief Justice Pope the quotes the
constitution and bylaws of the Wood
men of the world organization, Sec
ton 3, stating the regulations IN re-
gard to payments of Dement'S. 1t
is provided therein that in case bene-
fits are payable to a relative also
deceased at the time of the members
death, and no new designation has
been made, the benefits shall be due
and PAYABLE to the members next
living relations in the order named N
this section-to wit, wife, children,
adopted children, parents, orotners
and sisters.
The Chief Justice discusses the
of the word next IN TINS
section, admitting lat there is
shade OF difference in meaning be-
tween next" and nearest, but con-
cluding that in this connection the
word means nearest" The purpose
of the order, he says, is clearly 10
provide by these benefits for depen!
dent relations of the members, and
it is held that the wife is the hrst
IN the OTQSE uduSu.
TIE respondents set up the con-
tention that on the death OF the nrs1
wife here interests in the benefit re-
verted to her children. 1t was fur-
ther claimed that the failure to name
a new beneficiary exhibited the IN
teption that the children should be
the benefciaries. This, says the
chef Justice, is not sustained. spec
gle had the power at any time 10
change the beneficiary under the oy.
avs of the organization, and until
his death no one could be SAID 10
have vested interest.
Even if there had been no second
wife the children could have had onl!
an expectancy or contingency IN the
benefit. 1t is just as probable that ne
intended by the failure to name
new beneficiary that the Denent
would fall to his wife. The cnlel
Justice holds that by his second mar
riage he practically named or ratnea
made, in the light of the bylaws,
new beneficiary, and this caused tne
eypectancy of the children to cease
On these grounds the judgement "
the circuit court is reversed.
TI,r7 NNAfJNEE