The New York herald., 1873-11-08
A LEGAL NOVELTY.
Attempts to Prove that Colvorcoresses
Killed Himself to Secure Insurance
Money for His Family-Remarkable bic
Evidence In n Court OF Justice.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. Nov. O. /

BRIDGEPORT, Conn.,. Nov. O. 1873
The first OF the Colvorcoresses suits, involving
upwards OF 100000 In their results, was brought
before the Superior Court at Ltchneld on Tuesday
the Attn inst. For the estate are engaged G. c. and
G. Q. Woodruff and f. A. Seymour, OF
Litchfeld, all lawyers OF ability, and Gov
ernor Ingersol, OF New Haven. For the Phoenix
Mutual Life Insurance Company, against which the
suit Is brought Tor the recovery of two policies OF
10000 EACH Will appear Mr. Graves, OF Litchdeld
Mr. X. d. Hubbard OF Hartford; Judge McCurdy.
OF Lyme and Judge Foster, of Boston. Judge
XcCurdy, as is well known. is one OF the leading
authorities on lie insurance in the country. The
circumstances attending the death OF CAPTAIN
Colvocoresses and the subsequent claim OF suicide
on the part OF the companies and their refusal to
pay the insurance, ont OF which the present tiga-
tion grew, have all been published in the HERALD
and do not need repetition now.
The counsel for the defence have been nard at
work preparing the evidence to make good their
claim that Captain Colvocoresses committed
suicide. They rely, Of course, entirely upon cir
cumstantisl evidence, but have prepared what
they think strong case. They will claim that the
company shosld not be compelled to pay
the money inasmuch as the insurance
namely, that OF securing the money
Tor MS family by committing suicide They have
this claim, but rely principally upon two facts
first, that he had no means OF CARVING that IS
PAYING the premium on $40 CO., and IN fact
never paid but small portion or the amount due I;
and second that certain bonds which IL Is claimed
the Captain had were never In his possession. 1t
appears that the Captain left memorandum
among his papers OF certain bonds, among which
we're twelve Connecticut Valley Railroad bonds
This memorandum Will be put Ia evidence by the
prosecution, with other facts, to show that ut the
time oil his death Captain COvocoresges was on
his way 20 New York 70 deposit with j. j. Cisco d
Co. the money with which TO meet the PAYMENT or
one or more premiums on his entire insurance
The value OF al the stocks on the memorandum
men toned was about $4,000.
The strongest point by the defence will be on
the last O! the two facts above stated. Taxing the
memorandum oil stocks the counsel for the defence
have worked upon IL with the most remark liable re.
suits. They have traced every bond OF the Con-
nectlcut Valley Railroad from the time IL left the
once OF the railroad company 10 It's present
every case. They claim that they will show,
after few more depositions, now being taken,
are concluded, a complete history OF every bond
from No. up to the highest number Issued and
that not one or these Connecticut Valley bonds
ever found Its way into the possession oil the late
Captain Colvocoresses. Fortified with TINS testi-
mony the defence expect 10 prove by inference
that, beyond reasonable doubt, Captain Covoco-
resses committed suicide for the purpose Of
securing TO his family this immense sum OF money
The offer to produce the above remarkable piece
OF evidence, which Is both new and peculiar, has
excited an immense amount OF interest IN the
case, both here where the tragedy took place and
resided and where the trial VIII take place. The
case against the Phpnix Mutual Life will be a test
one, involving In its issue the others, which to-
gether carry the large amount named.