The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-01-18


aey by Which Insurance. Adjuster, In
League With lneendaries, Rohs Com
panies % Great SvHs on False
ciaims--Lives Saerifie%.
"A frebug can be bought for Ave
dollar bin and 10 per cent Of the In
suancc collected TO set Gre TO furni-
ture. with no regard for human life
whatever" was one of the allegations
IN statement issued &C the district al
ioney's office IN New York city,
short time ago. following the arrest OF
an insurance agent. who was anaigned
in the Harlem court on charge Of ar
son in the second degree and locked up
I'm default OF $4,000 bail
The arrest was one of the develop
ments of the confession OF Samuel
Gold, who pleaded guilty TO arson be
fore Judge Grain I'm the court OF gen
eral sessions. After his plea Gold made
n statement TO Assistant District At
torney Weller. I'm which IL is stated no
laid bare the most astounding rcvela.
tions with reference 20 crooked insur-
ance brokers and adjusters."
Evidence reached tire district attor-
ney's office that lives have been lost
through the operations OF the gang OF
frebugs besides the money losses OF
insurance companies In the last two or
three years.
Inexpercncc OF the fatal velocity
with which excelsior and kerosene can
work destruction has entrapped the I'm
cendlaries several times. In these In
stances the ones TO suffer have been the
youngest IN large families OF children.
The flames burst out with too sudden
strength. and I'm the scramble some one
occasionally was left behind.
Agent Helps PIotters.
The charge TO which Gold pleaded
guilty was that OF hiring one lsidor
Stein, better known as "Izzy the Paint
err" TO set fire 10 his furniture In an
apartment upon which Gold had $1,000
insurance. Stein was tried last month
and convicted and Is at present In 4
Sing Sing prison, serving sentence
OF from twelve to twenty-four years,
IL was learned also that on Dec. 1.
1910. Gold had another fire In which
his insured furniture was slightly |
burned. At that time Gold lived at
574 East One Hundred and Thirty |
eighth street. In the Bronx.
From the investigation OF the offiJN :
of District Attorney Whitman IL ap-
pears that nm agent posing as n life as
l.rnfr ha
fig red In the adjustment OF many fire
losses. II is stated that he was able
TO 20 10 one or two fire insurance com
panies with which he transacted most
OF his business and after filing n sched
ule for n total loss, say, OF $1,000 for
damages TO furniture by fire would Of
fer and was abe 10 effect a settle
ment ON a 30 or 10 per cent basis. In
these cases. Il + charged. the compa-
MICS representative would make nm ex-
animation and ascertain that the Gre
was OF suspicious origin. report the
matter 10 Fire Marshal John +. Prial.
take less than the schedule called for.
would be quick to procure a settle
ment AMI take up and cancel the poll
Icy Of insurance and call Il good SET.
Element
Human life was held cheap The
fires are most numerous I'm the thickly
congested tenement houses on the east
side, where there are six 60 eight fam.
HES living on one floor. 10 is not In
tended that the ncendiary should do
anybody else the favor of starting a
fire except 20 make fire of the furni
ture OF the man who employs him
District Attorneys Ststemsnt.
The formal report Is as follows
investigations by the fire mhfshars
Office show that great many 9f these
fires are confined 60 the rooms Of one
apartment that 500 worth OF Manage
20 furniture. clothing and bedding N
swelIed into $500 or a $1,000 claim.
The insurance companies do Dot con. J
slider that this claim IL large enough 10
fight through the courts. elther to take
the matter up with the authofities. ~
20 contest the claim In the civil "a
Not infrequently is life lost -.
frebug never thinks of otlH us
touches match 90 a clotheo a eu
cd with rags and old clothio@ osos
with benzine or gasoline, w. - -
the windows slightly frc ns ons on
slips out OF the apartmcnn 'ne 80
quickly and then croso<s pu'e. ,hs
other side OF the strec{.3 ~ - go.
rette and waits TO see az 49, - ths
FIRE department come no' ~. ,hs
street" M
WOULD FLY ACTSS TtyE ALPS