The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-05-29
[Elrom the st. Joseph Herald, May 22.l
A BOLD ATTEMPT.
The Mysteries of Life Insurance
The Most Remarkable Case
on Record.

cupied the position of agent of the Life
Association of America ut Fillmore, An
drew county. lie was to all appear
ances straight, honest man, and ranked
high in the community where he resi-
ded. lie enjoyed the perfect confidence
of his employers, and no one of those
who had known him long and well,
could, until recently, have possibly be-
lieved that he could be guilty of a dis
honorable, much less criminal, act.
In January, 1873, Mr.. Bethuren, as
agent of the Life Association, forwarded
to the company what purported to be
the application of u man named John
Adams for policy of $4,000 on his
life. The papers were regular on their
face; the risk seemed to be Il desirable
one; the application was received; the
premium paid: the policy WAS issued in
the March following; Bethuren brought
the applicant to st. Joseph for exam
ination, and thus far the transaction
seemed to be fair and honest one In
April the policy was assigded to
Thomas Hedrick." for value received,
| and due notice given to the company.
All seemed to be straight as yet.
In November, 1873, the company re-
ceived notice that John Adams had been
| drowned while crossing the river at Ne
| braska City. in skiff, in company with
a man named Levi Sigman, and the as
signee of the policy, Hedrick. requested
that blank might be sent him that he
might make proof of death. The blanks
were sent. and soon after returned to
| the company. The proofs were not
considered sufficient, and Special Agent
A. X. Fassett. being in the northwest,
made some slight investigation into the
matter. the result of which satisfied the
officers that it was better to withhold
the payment of the $4,000 until morc
facts were brought 10 light. No further
evidence was sent in: but Mr. lIedrick
| became impatient TOR his money, and
| threatened To brin- suit for it. The
whole matter was finally placed in the
hands of Special Agent FaSSctt, aud he
proceeded to work up the case. On
the 9TH of April last he took hold of it.
and came to ST. Joseph and then Went
IN 10 Nebraska CITY 10 find out the
| VIII rca5outs of lIe,lricl. Ii looked ct
frs: like 4 "wild goose chase" There
had been rs yet nothing to excite the
slightest Suspicion. and yet somehow or
other the experienced detective iclt c,Sl-
viRced that all was not right. lieSi-
rick had written two letters from Ne
brlSka City, and then disappeared.
No one in that place knew or had ever
heard of such man. Here WAS Il start
ling point, and III IN instant IN idea of
the facts flashed across Mr. FaSsett'S
mind. He went 10 Northwest Missouri
| and secured the country to find either
of the men who had furnished the proof
| of the death, out after diligeut search,
could find no one who had ever known
either of them.
In the meantime IIedrick had quit
writing to the Company. but wrote TO.
! the agent ,BrtlIurcn, from Running Creek
| Colorado. The proofs of the death oi
John Adams had been sworn to before
| Thomas Il. Stevenson, notary public
| of Nebraska City. on the ith ol Dcccm-
| her. 1878. On that day two men regis-
tered at the Barnnm Hotel III th;Ir place.
| for supper, remained over night. and
then disappeared. They registered as
| William Woods and H. \. Cook, Col
| orado. The writing in the register was
| quite smiiar to that of the iledrick letter.
and the proprietor OF the hotel kindly
permitted the sp .cial agent to cut the
leaf ont of the book. The writing WAS
examined and. compared in Nebraska
City, and also in ST. Louis, by experts.
and was pronounced to be the same rs
that in the letters ssent 10 the company
and it was also discovered that the sig-
nature of III. \. Cook was written by the
same hand that had written several let
terS in the possession of the company.
Here was another CLEAN of daylight.
On the morning of the allcdgcd drown
ing OF Adams and Sigman. IN article
appeared in one of the Nebraska City
papers giving the particulars OF the ac-
cident. The careful detective scanned
every word of this carefully, and anoth-
er clue the very slightest in the world,
was obtained. The account was too
much detailed. and single sentence
served to confirm suspicion already
strong. He went to the printing Office
to ascertain who had sent the article in
for publication. None knew save the
printers devil, as seedv and ragged
looking an urchin rs human being ever
placed eyes on. He had received the
copy, and gave n sufficient description
Of the author to satisfy Mr.. Fassett that
it was Bethuren: and he was positive
he would know the man il he should
see hsm again. Mr.. F. asked him to-
come with him to St. Joseph. The boy
had no clothes to wear. A new suit
was purchased promptly, and he was
brought to the office in this city. appear
ing US an applicant for employment. In
the meantime an appointment had been
made with IBethure,l to meet the Special
Agent at tue, same pk.ce, aud while they