The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-26
THE DEATH DODGE.
BOGUS BOSWELL

bO0OO bOS w Ia.
IN THE RESURRECTION HE Is GENERAL HOWE
his CAPTURE AT eALEsBURG-HE LIGHTS
OUT WITH NIECE (?)-PERILs OF INsUR-
ANCE COMPANIES.
In the Sentinel yesterday was a notice of
the Boswell swindle on the Franklin Life
Insurance Company and its unravelment.
The Galesburg, (Ill.,) Register gives full
account of the case and describes the cap
ture Of General Isaac Stewart Howe by
President Hubbard as follows: Daniel h.
Boswell, in view of the uncertainty of life
and in order to properly provide for the
wants of his family should they survive
him, contracted as follows: Franklin Life
Insurance Company. of indianapolis, s., 900 (;
Travellers Accident Insurance COMPANY of
Hartford, $1,000; and third company (the
n anne of which we failed to obtain) IS, 600
all payable to his wife in case of his decease.
We do not know the exact dates at which
these insurance policies were taken out
but in 1871 they had all been issued in
due form, and the value of Mr..
Boswell's existence was enhanced
$4,000. The preliminary arrangements
having been completed, Mr.. and Mrs.
Daniel X. Boswell made trip TO st. Louis
The next heard of the couple was the APP
pearanee of Mrs. ID. K. b. in Indianapolis,
who set up claim for the insurance money
due on her deceased husband. And here is
the story she told: Arriving in St. Louis
the couple took passage on steamer down
the river. This was on the 22d day of Sep
TENDER, 1871. She claims that her husband
shortly after the steamer left the dock, was
taken wretchedly ill-so ill, indeed, that he
went to the gunwale of the boat to vomit,
retched himself overheard, and sank to rise
no more beneathth murky waters ofthe Mis-
sssippi. bereaved widow, she had re-
turned to claim, as a means of support, all
he lad left her-the three s., 600 policies in
surance on his life. The first application
was made to the Travellers Accident COM
pany. of Hartford, and while they doubted
the truth of her story, to avoid litigation
and trouble, they effected compromise by
paying her the sum of g, 500. She then
| went for the
| FRANKLIN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY,
OF Indianapolis, but they refused point blank
to either pay or compromise. A lawsuit fol-
lowed, in which the tears of the lady, and
eloquent pleadings of the lawyers, so
worked upon the good men and
true that they rendered a verdict
fer the plaintiff for the full amount OF
IS, 900. The line OF defence adopted by the
company involved two points. First they
established the fact that his policy in their
company elapsed on the 10Th day of Septen-
showed that her husband was drowned at IL
o'clock at night on the I'D OF September
1871 two DAYS after The expiration of the
policy, and therefore they were not liable.
The second point was that he was not
drowned at all. A new trial was granted, and
the company Immediately put detectives at
work on the case. The boat at st. Louis was
visited, and the chambermaid declared that
the woman came on board as stated, but
that she was alonei Then commenced
search for the missing husband, and now we
enter upon the part of the story which par
takes more particularly OF local character.
The scene changes. and Galesburg becomes
the theater of action. Last Tuesday morn
ing there arrived in this city Mr.. William s.
Hubbard. president of the Franklin Insur-
ance Company, OF Indianapolis. 1t appears
that through information received from
Tennessee, the company had been
advised to look for their man in
this city, and a dispatch was there
upon sent to City Marshal WerfZ, giving
description of Daniel X. Boswell That Off
Ger commenced working up she case, and
finally spotted the person he supposed to be
his man, aud telegraphed description of
him to the company. This they considered
even better description OF Boswell than
they had sent here. This accounts for the
presence of Mr.. William s. Hubbard among
us. The man they were after was known
among the people Of the city as 4@
eENERAL ISAAC STEWART HOWE.
Mr.. Hubbard consulted the law firm
of Hannaman & Wilioughby, when
the matter was discussed in all its bearin gs
and line Of action agreed upon. After
viewing General Howe, Mr.. Hubbard was
not personally well acquainted with Boswell
to be able to decide whether he and Howe
were the same person or not, and consequently
.telegraphed ex-Sheriff Swaine, OF Mum
Gle, Indiana, who was intimately acqu ainted
with him. Sheriff Swsine arrived
hereon Thursday. Messrs. Hubbard
Swaine and Wetrz then 90 sought
an interview with the general at
his boarding house. Swaine at first disguised
himself, but subsequently, on advice of coun-
sci, decided to face his man and make clean
statement of the object of their visit. Ar
irving at the house, the general made his APP
pearance and saluted his visitors. Sheriff
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