National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-02
a FEMINLNE UDDERzOOk.

ANOTHER ALLEGED INSURANCE. FRAU
A case of accidental death that recently OF
CURED at Ypsilantl, Michigan, has in it crcum
stances curiously reminding one Of some oil IN
features of the Undertook insurance frauds. 1
seems that on the 10th Of last month Mrs
Stephens was married at Gpsilanti to William
Robinson, a resident of Centreton, Ohio on TN
18th instant, about o'clock in the evening, mrs
Robinson rose from her seat in the sitting-room
her husband and two neighbors being present
and went out the back door hurnning tune, ant
apparently in excellent sp.<ts. She did not re
turn, and in q few moments Robinson went II
search Of her. Pretty soon he came In hurrieuly
and said he could not md her. Mrs. Robinson'i
mother went to the back door with lamp in hel
hand, the others following. As they reached the
door, the lady saw her daughters dress in
cIstern. and Robinson pulled her out. When
found she was quite dead. verdict of death by
drownn; was rendered by the jury at the coro-
buried. Since her death five insurance policies
have come to light, follows: 900 each, In the
Michigan Mutual, New York mutual, and Home;
in the Massachusetts, Mutual. These policies
were all obtained during the past three months.
The premium rates In each instance were made
payable quarterly, so that on each policy but .
Jingle payment has been made. The policies are
all in favor Of her children, and by the terms OF
custody and guardianshipof her chi Idren ts vested
IN her lately married husband. Suspicious CIR
cumstances concerning her death were taken IN
connection with this, and II Is now thought by
some that it is q case of fraud upon the insurance
companies.
tanned about three feet of water and Is so shallow
that, had the deceased stood upright on the bot
tom, she could have reached the opening; II Is also
80 roomy that If she had fallen in head hrst, es
the position Of the body would seem to indicate.
she could easily have reversed herself, The ex-
ceedingly brief time of five minutes between the
disappearancs of the Mrs. May Stevens oofnson
and the discovery of the body with life extinct
also occasions strong suspicion. Such facts con-
cerning the woman's life as have come to light
are also made use Of to bear out the theory Of
fraud.
The deceased was nearly thirty years Of age
name was Barlow, and at the age Of sixteen she
married q man named William Stevens, q resi-;
dent of Wayne. With him she lived for several
they were divorced, she retaining the custody OF
their children, boys, aged respectively seven and
five years Leaving these with her mother, che
went to Ohio, and 1t is claimed that for several
months she wassacting detective in the United
States secret service, her field operations being
principally in that State and Northern Indiana II
Is also stated That during this time, and Since she
was a contributor to the columns Of New York
literary papers. She came to Ypsilanti, where
,nS i tas aps
Inns been stated. Her husband explains her. mo-
tives for procuring the life insurance policies, in
this wise: A young man named Barr, with whom
She became acquainted while living in Ohio, had
shot ut her on three separate occasions, which
caused her to move to Ypsisand. Fearing that
Barr would finally kill her, she got her life in
sured for the benefit of her children. Exactly
what the cause of Barr senmity was is not stated,
but II is limited that the deceased as q detective
worked up a case wherein Barr was directly con-
ccrned, and the exposing of which was to his in
jury ,, ,,,., ,...,,s ,n.nr,,.. man ,,v. ,r,uss
the following theory: I" She was accustomed to
travel and to dsguises-n fact, very clever at Ii,
and had, at various times and places, passed un,
der assumed names-one of which Mrs. Eldridge)
appears in the evidence taken before the coroner.
A woman of her shrewdness soon mastered the in
tricacies of life insurance, and being novelist,
soon constructed o plot to better her condi- !
tion. She obtained policies of insurance upon
only the first quarter Of her installmcnt, trihEg
tum. Then the job Of procuring the body of dead
woman, dressing il In some Of her garments, and |
pitching 1t in the cistern was oil that was neces
sary to be done in order to successfully deceive
the insurance companies and recover the amount |
ance mems theory, confederstes were taken into |
the plot, who lent their assistance, obtained the
body, and everything was ripe for the execution |
Of the plot Thursday night. Preparations had |
p>en made for flight Everything was in rcadi- \
63ss, and the testimony before the coroners jury
The examination before the coroner WAS formal, 1
there being no reason to suspect fraud in the mat
ter, and without any close examination the Jury i
assumed that the body recovered from the cistern
WAs that3of May Stevens Robinson.
The recent date Of the supposed death would,
We think, afford opportunity for positive identif-
Datfon Of the body. Another theory is that the |
leoea sed committed suicide which would explain |
he suspicious circumstances under which the /
body was found The business 81 defraudnx in
.urance companies has come to be one Of serious
eisk.