He Changed His Opinion

HE CHANGED HIS OPINION

After Settling With a Detroit Insurance Company

DID JOHN SLATER

Now He is Trying to Remedy the Bargain He Made – His Case in Court

The question of whether John B. Slater, a negro who lives on Miller avenue, is entitled to $137 from the United States Health and Accident Insurance Company of Detroit, or whether the $45 settlement made with by the company last July, is all he is to get, is interesting to the jury in the circuit court today.

The Insurance company is represented by Attorneys Martin J. Cavanaugh and Arthur Brown. What they didn’t do to Slater was a plenty. They insisted that the latter considered he had a good thing in the $7 weekly benefit that the company gives its policy holders in case of illness, and that he was not over anxious to appear in particularly good health while he was drawing the indemnity from the company each week. He insured in the company somewhere about 1894 and according to Attorneys Cavanaugh and Brown, he has been ill many times during that period. In fact, from what the lawyers said, Slater has seldom been a well man since his policy went into force.

His latest trouble, it appears, was in the region of his kidneys, and it is said that he narrowly escaped shuffling off his mortal coil. It was when this latest illness came upon him that the company, it appears, began an investigation. Their representative came here and saw Dr. H. J. Pearson, who was attending Slater.

The physician was asked how long he thought it would take Slater to recover from his illness and he is alleged to have said about three weeks. The Insurance company's agent then went to Slater and agreed to pay for the time he had been sick and for the three weeks it was said it would take him to recover. The consideration was $45, which Slater accepted and relinquished his policy.

After getting well it appears Slater concluded he had made a poor bargain. He went and saw Attorney Storms and the present suit was begun.

Mr. Storms made a strong plea for his client, which was somewhat vitiated, however by the scathing rebuke that was administered by Attorneys Cavanaugh and Brown, who declared repeatedly that Slater had taken the Insurance company for soft marks and was busily engaged in seeing that he did not pay more into the company's treasury than he was getting out.

The case went to the jury late this afternoon.

John B. Slater, who began suit against the United States Health and Accident Insurance company, of Detroit, for $137 alleged to have been due him on a policy in the company, was Friday given a verdict for the amount by a jury in the circuit court.

Attorneys Jones and Storms represented the plaintiff, making a splendid plea on his behalf.