Wertheimer v. Independent Order Free Sons of Judah

The defendant is a fraternal order, and one Edward Wertheimer was a member at the time of his death. The constitution of the defendant provides that upon the death of a member a sum of $500 shall be paid to the widow of the deceased member, but that the member may, by a designation in the manner and form prescribed by the constitution, bequeath the sum of $250 of his death benefit to his children. The deceased died, leaving a widow and no children. He also left a will, which has been duly admitted to probate, by which he bequeathed $250 of his death benefit to his sister, Annie Blee. The…