Pardee v. Mutual Benefit Life Insurance

This action is brought to recover upon two policies of life insurance issued by the defendant upon the life of the late Jesse Homan Pardee. The policies were payable to his estate. His will has been probated. The executors therein named are his wife, Mary McClung Pardee, and the M & T Trust Company. Together they constitute the party plaintiff in this action. The answer admits the issuance of the policies, and pleads, as an affirmative defense, that they are void because the insured committed suicide. Concededly, the burden of proof is upon defendant to establish this defense. It has given…