Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-01-24
Wasbingtan gsntinsl.
Romance OF Life Insurance.
SINGULAR CASES OF FRAUD.

an account OF various means S0metlmeS reSOrted
to by individuals to unlawfully obtain money
from Life Assurance Companies, by false re-
presentations concerning the decease the in
sured. The two following cases are curious
and interesting:
AS the evening Of an autumnal day began to
close, four men might have been seen hiring
boat at one of the numerous stairs below Black
friar's bridge. Their appearance was that Of
the middle order, but the reckless daring which
characterized their air and manner marked
them Of the class that lives by Others losses
By the time they had rowed some distance up
the river, the only light that guided them was
the reflection of the lamps which fringed it; and
no sooner We're they shrouded by the darkness
fthe night, than, without apparent cause, the
boat was upset, and the four were precipitated
into the Thames. They we're close to land, and
while they buffeted the tide and made their
way, they halloed Justify for help, which, as the
shore was now ringing with the noise Of boats
and boatmen putting off to their assistance,
was soon rendered. OF the four who had started,
only three landed together, and great was their
outcry for their lost companion. The alarm
was soon given; all that skill could do to re-
cover their friend was tried, but the night was
too dark to render human aid of much avail.
1t was pitiable to the bystanders to witness the
grief Of those who were saved, who, finding no
thing more could be done, were obliged to con-
tent themselves with offering reward for the
body, coupled with q promise to return early in
the morning. They then went away, and the
scene resumed its ordinary quiet.
A few hours after this, at the dead of night,
second boat, with the same men, pursued its
silent and almost solitary course up the river
towards the scene of the previous misfortune.
With them was large suspicious looking bun
die, which, when they had arrived at spot
suitable to their purpose, they lifted in their
arms, placing their horrible burden--for it was
the body of dead man-where, from their
Judgment and knowledge of the tide, the corpse
Of their friend would be sought. Favored by
darkness and by night, they accomplished their
object again rowing down the stream to an
obscure abode in the neighborhood of Green
wich. When morning began to break, they
messed their mysterious midnight visit, where,
with much apparent anxiety, they asked for
their lost companion. The reply was what
they expected A body had been found; it
was that which they had placed on the strand !;
and this they at once identified as that of the
friend for whom had been offered reward. A
coroner's jury sat upon the remains, a verdict
of accidental death was recorded, and the object
Of the conspirators fairly achieved. The object
was to defraud an insurance Office for very
large amount; for the missing man had not
been drowned-grie was only simulated, and
the body which had been placed on the banks
of the Thames had been procured to consum-
mate the deception.
Against a fraud, planned with SO much art,
and carried out with SO much skill, no official
regulation could guard and when the papers
containing the report of the inquest and the
identity Of the body were forwarded to the
Office, as the groundwork Of a claim for the
representative Of the deceased, not doubt
could be entertained of justice. 1t was true
that the claimant, under his will, was his mis-
tress; that his executors were persons who
perpetrated the fraud, and we're with him at the
time Of the accident but there were the broad
and indisputable facts to be disposed Of, that
the insured man had met with sudden and
accidental death, and this was attested by the
verdict Of Jury. The money was paid; and,
with that portion of it which came to the de.
ceased, he went to Paris. In that gay capital,
with mistress as expensive in her habits as
himself, the cash was soon spent, and so sue
cessful had been the first attempt in this line,
that it seemed q pity for gentleman thus ac-
complished, to abandon q mine so rich. Very
shortly, therefore, after the previous fraud, an
application was made from Liverpool to an
Office in London to insure the life of q gen
tleman for $4,000. The applicant was repre-
sented as commercial traveller, and permis-
sion was sought to extend the privilege of trav-
cling to America. This insurance was effected,
and when only few months had elapsed, in
formation was received by the company that
the insured gentleman, while bathing in one
of the great American lakes, had been drowned;
that his clothes had been left on the bank OF
the water, where his body had been found; and.
in veri6cation Of this, all the necessary docu-
ments were lodged in due time.
AS the death and identity Of the traveller
seemed clearly established, the Office intimated
its readito pay the policy at the end of three
months; but three months seemed long period
to those who felt the uncertain tenure by which
their claim was held; SO, to induce the Office to
pay ready money, they offered large and un-
business-like discount This, together perhaps
with some suspicious created by the manner OF
the applicant, placed the Office on its guard.
Inquiries were soon instituted, and discoveries
made which induced them to proceed still fur
ther; but no sooner was it found that close
inquisition was being entered on, than the
claim was abandoned, and the claimant seen
no more at the Office.
About 1889, two persons resided in the then
obscure surburbs Of st. Giles, one of whom,
, was u WOIHdH vi uDOub tWcHty, tiib ObHSi ~ HiuIi
whose age would have allowed him to be the
woman's father. Their position might be
characterized by the modern term shabby
genteel." They kept little company, and little
was remarked Of them beyond the fact that the
man was tall and military-looking, and tho
woman, though handsome, naughty and frigid.
On sudden the latter was taken i'll in the
night. The old man procured assistance and,
on the arrival of the leech his daughter was
found in agony, and soon became insensble,
and died in his presence. The doctor laid his
hand on her heart shook his head, intimating
that all was over, and went his way. The
searchers came, and the coffin and its contents
were committed to the earth. Immediately
after the bereaved father claimed from the
underwriters a sum insured on his daughters 8
life, and left the place.
No great time had elapsed, when the neigh
borhood of Queen Square began to shake its
head at the rather suspicious connexion which
existed between one of the inmates of house
in that locality and q lady who resided with
IL he. ~. ..&fn