This is an age of life insurance swindles. (The age of fire insurance frauds has always been in progress). Holmes and Hyams, and others of their sort, although highly successful, have been obliged to resort to the cruel, old – fashioned method of selecting victims, insuring their lives by cajolery, and the corralling and slaughtering them in death – traps. The pitiful death – groans of the dying victims of these arch – fiends have filled with horror the hearts of the whole human race. The killing of the poor little pitied girls was one of the most heart – swelling incidents on record, and has no parallel in all the tragedies on the stage.
To Dr. Francey of Whitevale, the world will gladly accord the honor of inventing a plan by which more money can be made than by the operations of the most ruthless of murders. This brilliant young physician has organized a plan, and has demonstrated as well that millions can be made without as much as hurting a hair in the subjects head. He simply goes round and picks out all the dying mortals in the community, effects large risks upon them on a share – up basis, and then awaits results. They linger along for a time, it is true, and some hold out for a provoking long spell; still they all croak in good time.This scheme has the additional virtue of being planned so as to admit of the nearest and dearest relatives of the insured participating with right good will, and splendid profits. If there is anything which should tend to console a bereaved heart, it would be the receipt of a good round sum of money, and especially so when the deceased was a sad burden. One becomes reconciled to such a loss – with a pot of money added.
There appear to have been a great many people in Pickering Township who were willing to less lighten their sorrows in the loss of dear ones who are prematurely called away. From many parts of that township we read that those with one or both feet in the grave were enrolled with the insurance companies, and that “friends and acquaintances” were quietly awaiting the intimation.
The only suffers from Dr. Fancey’s great insurance scheme are the insurance companies, to victimize which is always regarded as an act of merit, in greater or less degree, according as the sum secured is large or small. So many people have learned to regard insurance companies as the proper subjects of robbery, that such an act carries with it the full sanction and free pardon. We cannot for the life of us see what the authorities mean by arresting Alger for doing what leading moralists and religionists do every chance they get, both in fire and life insurance.
