The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-12-26
Attempt to Defraud Life Insurance Com
DanV

| 'seo"pt ~ OcIFduu Lie insurance Com
pany.
| The arrest of Timothy w. Fuller and
Richard Raintorth, two notorious conf
| dence operators, i'll Chicago, have brought
to light series of swindles by these
worthless which are almost without par
allel in the annals of crime The Tribune
OF that city gives the following history of
one OF their most daring conspiracies, in
which they attempted to defraud a life in
surance company out of $4,000:
| Fuller is Il man of some so years of age
who would readily be mistaken by a CON
fiding countryman for a grave English
| gentleman of easy humor and agreeable
manners. lie is of rather less than medi-
UNI height, with closely trimmed side
whlskers nearly grey, fine forehead. and
lean snaky lips, unconcealed by that
hlrsute covering described by French
Writer as necessary to the privacy of he
mouth His eyes are blue and stern in
expression, while his manner is cold and
authoritative, the result probably of long
schooling in the art of, self-command
His companion, Richard Eainforth, is al
together different in appearance, being
some years younger. He is neither as
| benevolent nor rs impressive in his APP
pearance as is Fuller, but his manner is
more prepossessing. He is gifted with a
ready intelligence, and has benefited by
a thorough education. Neither he nor
Fuller would be taken for colossal swnd-
lers, but such they are, not by accident
nor periodically. They are birds of Frey,
their talons and beaks sharpened by per-
petual friction until their quarry, once
| sighted, has lost every opportunity of
| escape.
| Their names will be ever memorable.
not only in this city, but throughout the
country, for deed Of boldness and ras-
cality, which was so original in concep-
ton and so perfect in execution that the
| criminal record furnishes no parallel to it.
AS 1t occurred now nearly seven years
! ago, and rs many of our readers are I'M
famllar with the story, we will venture to
briefly narrate the circumstances Of this
extraordinary case.
| 1t was soon after the close of the war
| that the men who have been long together
in harness hit upon the device of defraud-
ing life Insurance company. The scheme
| required much elaboration and careful
preparation to ensure success, and the
two conspirators proceeded slowly but
surely. Rainforth. the Younger Of the
two, insured his life in two companies to
the amount of over $4,000. Having paid
up the premiums regularly for a short
time. so rs TO avert suspicion, Rainforth
then made Il will, in which he appointed
Timothy w. Fuller and one DR.. Kendall
executors. Rainforth had been Quarter
master at one time During which period
he got into some difficulty with regard to
embezzling money!, and had in that
capacity, made the acquaintance of this
DR.. Kendall This gentleman's services
We're requisite to the fulfilment of their
inl1ultous design, and, as all trace had
been lost Of his whereabouts, it was neces-
sary to advertise for him. An advertise
ment was therefore inserted in the Tri-
hnne, advising DIR. Kendall that q piece
OF good fortune had turned up for him,
and requesting him to open correspond
en'e with the parties. 1t appeared that
the unfortunate doctor alter having tried
N VAN to earn comfortable living by
his profession. had been reduced to pau
perlsm, or condition bordering upon it,
and was, ut the time the advertisement
appeared, painting by the ob,-an in
dustry that melted him less than 81 so a
day. On reading the advertisement he
came to town and had an interview with
the conspirators. His wife was at the
time dangerously i'll, and he needed money
to remove her TO her friends in the East,
where she would receive that care and at
lentlon which their pecuniary straits pre-
vented her enjoying. The plot was I'M
folded to the poor man, with the promise
that should he cooperate with them the
money should at once be forthcoming.
The doctor agreed, and the conspiracy
Went on
Raintorth became sick The doctor adj
mnistered lobe!ia until he had the APP
pearance OF man dangerously sick.
Careful dosing laid him on a sick bed, I'M
I'll it became evident that life would not
hold Gnt much longer. The insurance
company was notified. lest at any time, in
case of Rainforth's demise, and the pay
ment OF the Insurance on his life, a ques-
ton should be raised as to the actual sick
ness and death. This forethonght was APP
preclated by the insurance companies, and
a physician was despatched to examine
the patient He made an examination
very carefully, and after a conference
with DR.. Kendall, agreed that the patient
could not live another "A hours. 1t Is but
fair to state that the Company's doctor
denied this at the time, but the testimony
afterwards went to prove his coincidence
(innoeent, of course). in this opinion. He
was fooled, but many other medical men
would have been duped. The twenty
four hours passed, and it was announced
that Rainforth was dead, leaving the in
surance on his life to the daughter of his
dear friend Timothy w. Fuller, to whom
he was engaged to be married. Having
successfully accomplished this feat of
dying and leaving his property, Mr..
Richard Rainiorth decamped for New
York
Meanwhile, his dear friend Fuller and
DR.. Kendall had purchased fresh corpse,
singularly resembling the gentleman who
had taken the train to New York. They
carefully dressed it in Rainfort's under
clothing, arrayed it with the minutest care
TO resemble the dear departed, and, every
thing being in readiness, called in the
representative OF the Insurance Company,
to examine the deceased, and thus once
more close the door against any suspicion
OF fraud. The corpse cost $l5. and on the
anniversary of Washington's birthday the
Insurance Company, in the person of the
medical inspector, pronounced that the
man who had died, Richard Rainforth, to-
wit, was qualified duly to receive the full
value OF his policy. The corpse was
buried with much pomp and ceremony at
Graceland Cemetery. Relatives of the
deceased came from far and near to obtain
their share of the insurance money, and
gazing in simulated affection on the face
OF the dead man. failed, in their anxiety
to obtain the spoil to detect the revolving
deception that had been PLAYED off unOn
them.
There was nothing to awaken suspicion
in all this, and in a short time the matter
was forgotten.
But it began to be suspected that some
thing was wrong, and the Insurance Com
pany commissioned Capt. William Turtle
to work up the case for them. Meantime,
the will had been presented by Fuller to
probate by Judge Bradwell, but had not
been admitted as yet. Captain Turtle
watched and plotted, and nosed around
until, after a series Of successes and fail
ureS he Suddenly tound ont the Vbera