A Romantic Life Insurance Case.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 156, 12 June 1886, Page 1

A Romantic Life Insurance Case.

An interesting if not a romantic life insurance caae waa lately decided. The lady on whose life the disputed policy was effected was the widow of Dr. Haffenden, a medical man in the West of London, who commited suicide under very painful circumstances two or three years ago. The action on the policy, which was for three thousand pounds, waa brought by a surgeon-dentist named Dennan, who had effected the policy under peculiar conditions very shortly before the death. The story told by the plaintiff waa that after the death of Dr. Haffenden the widow deshed to go out to America to reside with her sister, and that it was arranged between them that he should lend her three thousand pounda to make up her income to two hundred a year. Apparently the three thousand pound's was not actually to pass ; but he waB to become her creditor for that sum, and in return was to allow her the income specified by way of annuity, insuring her life for the amount arranged. The policy was effected, on the plaintiff's application, in July, 1884, and in the following November, having received one quarter's payment only of the promised income, Mrs Haffenden died. The insurance company refused to pay, and at the trial boldly charged Mr Dennan, through their counsel, with- " one of the most wicked frauds ever attempted on an insurance company." Their case was that Mr Dennan had never agreed with the deceased lady to grant her an annuity in consideration of £3,000, nor had ever become her creditor at all. On the contrary ie was said, that he had got from her, after the death of her husband, all her available cash, amounting to at least that* sum ; and that the annuity, if everprtomised^, at all, , was in* the shape of some return to her for these loans. It waB further said that I she was, to the knowledge of the plaintiff, of intemperate habits, that her, health wasj seriously impared by rheumatic gout, and that these facts.had been fraudulently' coni cealed from the insurance company when the' policy was granted. „ - > In cross-examination the plaintiff admitted I that he had, received from Mrs 'Haffenden twp sums of one- thousand pounds, anj sixteen hundred .^pounds, besides/ smaller amounts ; but,, he- stated that he received' this money either to take caije of or to invest for her, and positively declared that he had repaid the twp larger sums to her >" in bank noteß" long b.efdre her death., It was'stated ,that the, plaintiff had twice- compounded i with, his creditors', paying a shilling and eighteenpehce in the pound— the last time in the years before the policy was taken out —and yeti, when pressed, in cross-examin-ation, as 'to the bank-notes with whu*h,h.e profepsed 'to 'have/, paid Mrs Haffenden, he asserted that he had been in the habit of keeping £2,000 and more ih'hia house at atime. That he had in fact, great influence over the 1 unfortunate woman, and that his intimacy with her had excited the hostility 'of her relatives and friends; was apparent frohi his* own admissions. "> The only satisfaction to' be' got 6\it ofjthe^case ig tjhafc it shows how difficult* it^jya to carry "Out- a scheme of this kind WccesefullyV* The plaintiff failed not, from want of ingenuity or , 'cleverness, tfutfrbm the inherent difficulties of hi^bpera'txons, JjJ •- -' j ■„> ; - .\ s < ■ >