The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-01-03
An attempt 10 Swin5le an Iusu-
rance Company Arrestofafi tho
Parties TO The Fraud.

1
death Of a man near Lebanon. Ohio.
aud his hasty burial at Eaton, seem
to have come tolieht and we present
them below in detail. The whole az.
fair reveals a long premcditatcd plot
of fraud, on the part Of heretofore re-
srectable citizens Of both Eaton and
tho vicinity Of Lebanon, and al
Though the parties Implicated may
not be convinced Of crime, their crim-
inal intentions seem yery strikingly
manifest, and no one will envy them
the reputation they have made for
themselves in this natter.
On Monday, tho 9th ult.. man
who gavo his name rs w. L. McFad-
den, rode out from Cincinnati, in the
omnibus driven by Abnor j.. Ross,
aud got out az Frank Richardsons Is.
near Lebanon, having complained Of
beiug sick on the,vay out. IN the
evening Frank Richardson went into
Lebanon, reported that McFadden
had died with cholera within twenty
minutes after stopping AZ bis house,
telcgraphed Mary MoFaddcn, care Of
b. NJ Batchelder, Eaton, that her
husband was dead, and boughs cof.
fin which he took home with him
Tho undertaken wished to 20 with
him and eucofHn the corpse, bit his
services ere persistontly declinod.-
II has been aseertaiued also, that Mr..
Richardson purchased some chloride
of lime and peppermint drops, when
he was in town after tha coffin, the
use Of which will appear 30 tho So
quail. 4sib bt4
On Tuesday morning, whom every
body was supposed to BIO absorbed in
Christmas festivities, Mr.. Richardson
called in few neighbors, as they sup.
posed, to lay out the corpse. but they
found the coffin closed, aud they we're
only asked to help lift it into a spring
wagon. On asking to sec the corpse,
their attention was directed to The of.
fenaivc SMELL coming from the coffin,
and warmed of the danger Of catching
tho cbolera, and the lid was not re :
moved.
Or. N. S. Ri,haidson, brother Of
Frank Richardson, formerly surgeon
of tho 18th Ohio Cavalry, and a prac-
icing physician of Eaton, was the
only person present during the repor.
ted death Of McFaddcn. In reference
to his part in the affair, il is said that
on Monday he left Eaton with the
declared intention ofmceiing McFad. |
den at Lobanon, to close a contract
for tho sale, to him, Of tract Of land |
in tho West. |
On Tuesday, DR.. Richardson. re-
turned to Eaton, and stated that he
net McFaddon according to agree
ment, but that immediately after his
arrival upon an omnibus at Frank
Richardson's, he was taken vioioatly
III with an attack Of tho cholera and /
died.
DIR. Richardson then engaged an
to 20 to Lebanon with
hearsc, tp bring tho coffin containing
the lrcmainsto Eaton for interr,ent.
lle also visited a clcrgym N, and ro.
luested him to hold b irf burial
service at tho Methodist Episcopal
Church IN tho evening, which, owing
TO other engagements, the minister
gas unable TO perform, Thl under.
.akor started for Lebanon, aud whom
our miles beyond middlotown, mot
frank Richardson, wi.h the coffin said
0 contain tho corpse,in n spring wag-
n. The coffin was transferred to the
earse, which was driven. rapidly to
,aton, b, NJ. Batcholder, who accom-. Is
anied the undertaken, urging him to r
pply the whip. The collin arrived 0
4 tho evening about six o'clock, and
lr. Richardson, securing the assis.
lnco Of three or four citizens, had 1
ho supposed romans Immediately a
onveycd to the burial ground aud ia. f
or cd. Il.s h
a woman porsonating Mrs. Nc. I
'addon, was present when the corpse o
rrh cd, aud w.s loud in her passion b
to cries to see her dead husband, but Il
he stoneh from the coffin and C dan S
or Of contagoon were urged upon her t
nd tho qualification ct her wish, $ a
ere denied. ~f c
On account Of the suddeuncss of o
10 reported death, aud tho secresy $,
ith which the corpse was encofHued e.
nd removed, suspicion was aroused Il
/ the minds Of the citizens Of Leba- (,
on, that ther- was something wrong
/ tho affair They telegraphed to
lrties in Eaton, and officer Waump. Il
r and an assistant started over t, s
atom, with warrants to arrcst DIR. 4
richardson aud Batchelder. They n
rived about midnight, and learning d
. circumstances of tho interment, .g
eir susplcions were strengthened, 81
ID they made the arrests. i
Early on Wednesday morning the Isl
was sent 90 disiner the q
mains. Upon opening the grave 1t 9
as found that other parties had pre- |
dcd them; the cofIin had been bro n
IN open and its contents re- y
owed during the uight Hers
as more mystery which was not
lyod till Dir. Richardson, seeing the /,
OF would all come to light sooner or r,
ter made a confession tho same day N
the Prosecuting Attorney that Mr.. a,
cFadden held life insurance poli- W
ia favor of his wife for s20,OO0i a
at Batehelder, who is an agent for Il
hfe insurance company, McFaddon ia
ID himself, had enterad into plot
publish McFaddau's death, whilst
GLADDEN. should secrote himself, aud
us SECURE the. 500, 600, which was to I
} divided among them that the eof- !,
/ contained broom cofh seed, which q,