Public Ledger

Verdict In Favor of a Life Insurance Company.

[From the Buffalo Courier, June 26th.]

Dellecta Bickford vs. New York State Life Insurance Company. This case came on for trial at the Erie county Circuit court, Thursday, before Judge Lamont, presiding, and a jury. It appears that on the 10th of October, 1867, the defendants insured the life of Lucius B. Bickford, the husband of the plaintiff, who, in the month of March following, died very suddenly, and, it is alleged, of delirium tremens. Per contra, the plaintiff claimed that he died of heart disease. The defendant claimed that in the application for said policy, in answer to the question, "are your habits correct and temperate, and have always been so," Bickford answered "yes." Upon the trial, the defendant proved that previous to the date of said application the habits of Bickford had been intemperate and that he was addicted to the excessive use of intoxicating liquors. After the evidence was closed, the court, upon motion of defendant's attorney, ordered a verdict for the defendant, upon the ground that the application and answers therein constituted a warranty which must prove strictly true, and defendant had clearly proven that the answer to said question was untrue.