Raymer v. Modern Brotherhood of America

157 Ill. App. 510, 1910 Ill. App. LEXIS 319
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided June 28, 1910·No. Gen. No. 5254·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

Mr. Justice Dibell

delivered the opinion of the court.

On March 27, 1906, Arthur Baymer applied for a benefit certificate in the Modern Brotherhood of America, appellant herein. On April 3, 1906, appellant issued to him a certificate which provided that in case of his death $1,000 should be paid by appellant to Myrtle Raymer, his wife, the appellee. Arthur Raymer died on January 27, 1908. Myrtlé Raymer brought this suit to recover the sum named in said certificate. The declaration contained one count upon the certificate, to which was afterwards added common counts for money had and received and for interest. Appellant filed fifteen pleas and four additional pleas. Appellee filed eleven replications to said pleas, each concluding to the country. The clerk has inserted in the record a stipulation, hereinafter mentioned, as to said replications. The parties went to trial. Appellee recovered a verdict for $1,000. Motions by appellant for a new trial and in arrest of judgment were overruled and appellee had judgment, from which defendant below prosecutes this appeal.

The certificate recited that it was issued in consideration of certain payments “and the representations, statements and answers made in the application for membership, a copy of which application is hereto attached and made a part hereof.” It also contained the following:

“This benefit certificate is issued and accepted upon the following express warranties, conditions and agreements.

“1. This certificate, the articles of incorporation, fundamental laws, by-laws, rules and regulations of this society now in force, or which may be hereafter adopted, and the application for membership, including the physician’s report, a copy of which application and report is hereto attached, shall together constitute the exclusive contract between this society, the member and the beneficiary.”

Part 1 of the application, after certain questions and answers, contained the following:

“I declare that I am, to the best of my knowledge and belief, in sound physicial condition, and I further declare and warrant that the above statements, together with the answers made or to be made in the other parts of this application by me to the physician, are true and shall form the basis of my contract for membership and certificate, between me and my beneficiary and all parties who may at any time have an interest therein, and the said society, and any untrue or fraudulent answers, or suppression of facts in regard to my health, personal habits or physical condition, in this application * * * shall immediately make said benefit certificate null and void * * *' I further agree that the certificate hereby applied for shall not be in force until * * * the actual delivery of the certificate to me during my good health.”

Part 1 was signed by Arthur Raymer. Part 2 consisted of questions to he put by the examining physician and answered by the applicant. Among other questions and answers were the following: “4. Have you ever had any of .the following diseases? Answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ opposite each. If ‘yes’ state the date, duration and severity of illness.” Here follows a list of thirty six different diseases, and the answers all in the negative, and among them these: “Consumption Ho. * . * * Disease of the lungs. Ho. * * * Pleurisy. Ho.” “5. Have you ever had any other disease or surgical operation ? Ho.” “9. When and by what physician were you last attended and for what complaint? Hone.” “16. Has either of your parents, or any of your brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts or grand-parents been afflicted with rheumatism, insanity, tuberculosis, scrofula, or any hereditary disease? Ho.” “21. Are you aware of anything regarding your health, habits, circumstances, or family history not already stated that should he known to the fraternity in order to fairly estimate the risk on your life ? Ho.” Under the head of “Family Record” he stated that his mother died of pneumonia and that he had two sisters living in good health. The following was added to part 2: “I hereby further declare that I have read and understood all of the above questions put to me by the medical examiner and my answers thereto, and that my answers are warranted by me to be true, and that I am the same person described above.” This was signed by Arthur Raymer. There was a Part 3, containing questions and answers and signed by the applicant’s medical examiner only, which appellant claims, and appellee denies, is a part of the application, in which was the following: “22. Has the applicant during the past 5 years lived in the same house with or nursed anyone suffering from consumption? If so, state the particulars ? Ho.”

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Raymer v. Modern Brotherhood of America, 157 Ill. App. 510, 1910 Ill. App. LEXIS 319 (Ill. Ct. App. 1910).

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