MAKING INSURANCE PAY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13913, 22 November 1905, Page 2

MAKING INSURANCE PAY.

(By ALEXANDER BOYLE.)

Little Pete was a full-blooded Climes©, and the greatest financier who ever le'ft the coolie lands. Had he been born with a white skin instead of a yellow, h© would have been a great ■politician. ,H© was gifted by Nature and inclination for that form of intrigue which flourishes in municipal politics. Some cynic of the day says that the successful man must be able to make other, men as inaccurate in their judgment of him as he is accurate in his judgment of them. This sounds the keynote of Little Pete’s character. The closer your association with him, the greater the probability that you would be deceived by him. Little Pete, born of coolie parents, arrived in San Francisoo ignorant of ■ English, friendless, and with empty 1 pockets. In twelve years he was the ' master of excellent English, rich, and • a man of consequence within and without the Chinese colony. i His home in Chinatown achieved the ideal of sumptuous Oriental luxury. His wife wore jewels that a millionaire’s wife might well covet. The most fashionable tailor made hie American clothes. He was a connoisseur of wines. His cigars - were manufactured for him from a special mixture of his own selection. And yet Little \ Pete was solid Chinese. With an original capital of brain, he combined American enterprise with Oriental craft, and collected a luxurious income as a dividend. . One scarcely could pick up a San Francisoo newspaper without seeing his name. He was interested in. a score of ventures usually considered- exclusively Caucasian. He owned stock in street railways and a department store, was interested in horse racing, and had invested in a daily newspaper. He sold his stock in the railway just before an company paralleled its tracks', disposed of his departmentstore interests for five times their worth to a Chinese syndicate, kept his interest in the newspaper, and mads dose upon 90,000d0l in the greatest racing swindle that ever disgraced the sport in the West. It was this man, this Chinese gamin, this gambler, corrupter of police, and speculator in shady transactions, that tried fhe seeming impossibility of making a lawful profit out of life insurance ..vyithout the usual preliminary of dying. Durng the period *of his greatest prosy irity, when his name was as farm liar to San Franciscans as that of ti/i Mayor, Little Pot© presented hie card at the office of a well-known atj.torney. : “ I think I insure my life,” said the ' Chinese, after the handshake. “I - think I like your advice.” ; Advice upon what?” queried the attorney. “ How I get my life insured. I know very little ’bout life insuring. I know nothing ’bout rich, sure-pay companies. I think it more cheap to pay for good advice now than maybe lose all by-and-bye. So I come to see you. I think I ; insure my life in two companies—- ! 25,000d0l each company. I want you 1 find best companies, and get best price ' for me.” “ Nothing could be simpler,” replied the lawyer, naming two well-known concerns. “Very well,” said Little Pete; “ I will bo much obliged if you speak to companies and make papers right, so no hole left in bargain. I suppose they want doctors see me? Yes? Very . well, I see them any day this week. I not detain you longer. Good-bye.” B* closed the door behind him as he

left .the office, then reopened it and spoke from tho doorway: ■ “I forget tell you,” fie said, “to have papers made good if I have accident or die suddenly any way. I go much on railways and it is good tq look out for everything.” Little Pete was thirty-seven years old at that time and in perfect health —a "good risk.” The policies were speedily drawn, the premium paid, and the ufe of tire Chinese became worth 60,000d0l to ' two American tions. t It was just a fortnight later that the managers of tho insurance companies opened their papers at breakfast and found Little Pete’s name staring at them from the head-lines of the first page. _ , A highbinder war was raging in Chinatown. The Hop Sing Society had shot down a member of the Suey Yings early oh the preceding evening. By midnight the Suey Ying hatchet-men had retaliated by killing two Hep Sing men as they left the theatre. The Hop Sings, in their fury, placarded the fcoa r n with posters, offering 5000dol for the death of Little Pete, president of the Suey Yings. The latter was besieged at his home and an extra platoon of polio© was on guard to prevent further bloodshed. It was at this point in the narrative that the thought of , the newly-made 25.000d0l policies. chilled the spines of the insurance men. Telephonic communication with the police verified the newspaper accounts, and furnished the additional information that a volley of bullets had just been fired into Little Pete’s front windows from the roof of a building across the street. ' An inspection of the policies convinced the insurance managers thn+ theii companies were liable, beyond hope of dispute, if Little Pete died by a highbinder's bullet. , That some chicanery lay beneath the strange coincidence of’ the large policies and the closely following attack on Litle Pete’s life seemed obvious. But how? " We don’t have to pay unless he is killed, and there will be no fictitious death worked oh us,” . the perplexed managers assured themselves. " Things look funny, but the fellow certainly won’t get himself killed for the sake of the policy money. Where can the trickery com© in?” A visit from Little Pete’s attorney enlightened them. This attorney, the same who had-at-tended to the drawing of the policies, was summoned to Little Pete’s homo by aii urgent message. He found the doors and windows of the house barricaded as if for the onslaught of an army, and only gained admission to the room where Little Pete sat after having passed through three doors, each of which was locked and barred beMnd him before the next was opened. “ Quite warlike here,” said the Chinese in greeting Ms visitor. " But I must be careful, very careful, or they get me, sure.” Pete pushed a box of cigars toward his guest, and proceeded with the business of the conference. “ My friend,” he said, “ you are iuy attorney in this business. I am going to tell to you, and you are bound, sure, ©h, to keep secret close?” "Of coarse,” answered the lawyer. “ Very well,” continued Pete. “ First I explain why they offer oOOOdol tor my blood, then I tell you your work. " Do you know what caused the three killings last night? Do you know why I lie behind these three doors and, tight windows? Just 1.40d0l is why. “Funny, eh? I don’t mean that 1.40d0l or 14,000d0l will stop fight now. But it would seven weeks past. “ I explain to you. Two months ago, member bur society lost T.40d0l in fantan club. He says fantan dealer robbed him. I don’t know—maybe so,' maybe not. Anyway he t-Mnk it, and he demand his money back. Club refuse. Then our society, as CMnese society has to do, sent his demand to Hop Sing society, which has for member the man who own gambling club. Hop Sings refuse pay 1.40d01. I know that sure before wo send for it, but I ask it jus’ same as president should. " Then I give our -member 1.40d0l out our treasury*; and tell him let whole business drop. Not so. He is too big fool. He want revenge, so Mds in doorway opposite fantan club, and kills game dealer who robs Mm. That was six, maybe seven, weeks ago. You maybe read ’ bout it in newspapers. " Hop Sings hold meeting 'right ’way, and send for' all their fighting men. I don’t want fight. I ask for talk. My society offer lOOOdol for fault of our member. They refuse. We ask what they*’want. They say, £ oOOOdol and surrender murderer to police.’ " W© can never do that. Highbinder societies settle troubles without judges or policemen. No highbinder, I guess you know, ever been punished for murder in any court here. We cannot give up our main. That sure break up our society. We offer 2000dol, then SOOOdol, then' SOOOdol to settle trouble. All offers they refuse, and with last answer comes word that if w© not surrender the man by next sunlight sheeting will begin and reward will be posted on all wails in Chinatown for head of Suey Ying president—that’s Little Pete’s head. .... " Then I know that this ” (pointing to tho barred doors _ and steel shutters on the windows) ■“ is good thing to have. It was that day, my friend, that I tell you to gefrt these life-insuring papers. First 1 stop fighting for two weeks by pretending do what Hop Sings want, ‘ hut say man was out of city. Inside two weeks I say T bring him back. "The insuring papers signed and stamped all right, the twq weeks pass without, me giving up our\ man, and now I am in here, with highbinders waiting for me outside, and down-town insuring companies ’fraid like everything for fear next evening paper tell how they kill me.” ■ * v • “ But what have I to do with all this?” inquired the attorney, whose amazement bad become more manifest at each turn in the narrative. "Just coming to that,” said Little Pete. • "I think this war last long time, sure. Hop Sings want fight. They wait long time get chance fight me. Jealous, you knew. Very well. I must he protected day and night. _ I must have bodyguard close at my side. Hop Sings know how to wait. Maybe one month from new, maybe on© year from now; but if I stay here they get me sure. I can’t go ’wav for one yea* yet. Then I go back Chink and live like king’s prince. But while 1 stay and close up business I must have armed man—good, quick, sure shot, too-— always at my arm. Maybe they kill me, anyway. Nobody know; but bodvguard 1 must have.” He leaned forward, smiling, and laid bis long, slender fingers on the attorney’s knee. " Insuring companies must pay foi bodvguard. That_ is your work.” he said. /"Yen explain to them. ’ attoruev gasned. " Not be hard work,” continue© Litt 1 © Pete. "You tell them talk t< I chief of police. Then they’ knew he™, much less +han 50,000d0l ray life worth I When rhlrt «ov he can’t”keep nnhcemai always with me,, and companies knov look, of one sure cost them 50.000d0l they be willing pay cost of bodyguard Sure. I teltyeu.’’ kittle T*cto rubbed nalms with thj movement of a man having achieved : pet'design. "I laugh,” said be, exultlngly. ■ " t< think bodyo-nard will 'cost *hp»n mr what I paid for papers. Insuring i R "' ’ l ’’ *h. but free insuring stil better, eh?” “ But did you go to all thistroubh for the sake of saving the price, of i

bodyguard?” asked tlie attorney aa be was about to depart. "Ob, no; not jus’ for that,” said bis client. “ For long time I keep/60,000d0l in cash laid in bank for my wife in case : I die. So I think that if I insure my life for 50,000d0l I have that 50,000d0l in bank for myself. Jus’ same finding money, eh?—6o,ooo dol for me now when I’m ’live, 50,000d0l for my wife when I die, and free bodyguard, all .price insuring paper. Bure, insuring is ( good busiI ness—for me.” ! It was eight months later that Little ; Pete, arm in arm -with a man whose coat pooket bulged with a revolver left Ms home and sauntered to a Chinese barber-shop half a block away. The highbinder war apparently was forgotten. The Hop Sings had mad© no sign and Chinatown * long sine© had taken on its accustomed aspect. But Little Pete had not relaxed his caution. Not once in those eight months had he showed Mmself without an armed man at Ms elbow. Littl© Pete chatted with Ms bodyguard as r the barber lathered Ms forehead. As ho lay in the ohair a newsboy reached the comer fifty feet away with the sporting edition of the evening paper. “ Bulletin' h-e-yer ! All de winners in do races. Pa-a-per!” shouted the lad. " Say, Jim,” said Little Pet© to his bodyguard, " jus’ go out and get paper, will you? I put big bet on last race.” I The man rose and went out. Five seconds later as he reached the corner two CMnese ran down the steps of the barber-shop and drew revolvers from the sleeves of their blouses. Both guns cracked and Little Pete sank back in the chair with a hole in his forehead i while his murderers disappeared in the rear of the shop. The bodyguard, rushing back- with tho paper in hits band, found Little : Pete dead and the murderers gone. | His enemies vigilant, patient, silent, Implacable, had seized the first unguarded moment in eight months and earned their bloody reward. I Chinese vengeance may be slow, but 1 it is certain. ! Little Pete’s widow, collected the 50,000d0l insurance money, and there is • a curious item in the exjpenße accounts of two insurance companies labelled for protection of client.” i Also there is an inviolable rule in the offices of these two companies which prohibits the issuance of policies to Chinese.