Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-10-13
The Clement Insurance Case.

nOmical Life Insurance Company OF
Providence, has been on trisl before
Judge Fox IN the Circuit Court, Tor the
las. lew days, aud has resulted IN YER
diet for the defense.
This MAS an action upon policy oil
insurance issued by the defendant CON
pauy Sept. =. 1871. upon the lie oil
Joseph l.. Clement oil BrOunheld, Tor the
sum oi 5000. The case has been on trial
tor hye DAYS and resulted in verdict for
the defendants. The defense was want
OF notice ot preliminary proof OF death,
and fraud. The last point was the one
mainly relied upon. The facts we're 50
peculiar that we give them IN iuil. leo.
b. Hartford, the main witness for The
plaintiff, stated that on the afternoon OF
Oe.. =. 1871. hs and Joseph l.. Clement
we're at Cornish. and were together dur
the afternoon; that, they started Tor their
home in Brownhsld at about six or
little before. each riding in his own car
ria.e with Clement ahsad; that the night
va, moOnless aud very dark ; aud that
while on the road Hartford GOT out OF hiS
carriage and got in with Clement and ale
sumu u,lsln.; that before he got 10 Great
Falls IN Hiram. lac returned to bis own
courage; and that At this Time 1t had
grown 80 dak that they could see the
way with difficulty; that when they ar
rived near the head OF the (alls. and at
place where The road approached near tue
bank OF the Sacu river, and while de
,csudiny "A slight decliyily. Clements
started his hUrso up aud disappeared itorn
sight; that ne next heard y splash IN the
water, and driving up he heard cry, sp
pareutly from The riyer. which Was twice
Ataiu repeated, ~ ftOH - person IN DIS
tresS; that running down 10 the head oi
the tails he cr.S led down on the dam aud
out Un the ledge, aud shouted without TO
Div; that he then vent 10 Hiram bridge,
u place TWO miles up the river. aud there
obtained assistance aud returned WIN "A
lantern 20 the head OF the halls where
they found the horse and carriage IN the
river near the bank where be went oil,
The horse lying dead that they found a
white cloth in the road ON tue CORNISH
side ui the place where the horse iay.And
the bat Of Clement on the bank near
where the horse lay; and thai although
search WAS msd. no trace OF Clement
could be found; and thst he has never
been seen 10 this day. Plaintiff also
proved that Clement lett a vile and three
chi dren.
In defense testimony was offered to
prove that Clemen rAss poor worthless
fellow, thoroughly dishonest and Of
speculative turn OF mind, and without
business during the summer prior 10 his
disappearance. and living in an old shantv
claimed by Geo. Is. Hartford; that Glenn
en-, and Hartford were intimate friends
aud much together; that May 10, 1871,
Clement obtained from the North West
ern Insurance Company OF Milwaukee
policy of 5000 on his lie; that prior TO
his disappearance he had repeatedly told
,h.s he WAS going west where his mother
lived. spt had ms goods packed Tor ship
mCat A. CYRUS Durgiu's, The brother OF
ms vile; that Sept. y. 1871, he obtained
ot he Travellers Assurance Company OF
Hartford an accident policy for eighty
ta,s for 5000; and going directly to.
Boston. Sep:. -, 1872. obtained SJOVO
more oi the defendant company, making
81 900 in ali; that he returned 10 Brown
bed. aud obtaining : horse aud wagon OF
has 6ro,her-in Jaw, Cyrus Durgin. went 10
Cornish - stated by Hartford. but that IN
cad OF starting FOR homo about s o'clock,
tins, Clement and Hartford started about
twenty INMATES OF Eve ald lOuugcd on
tue road almost two hOu's IN going Tour
m Is; that Al the tails the wagon track
VS. plAiu 20 be seen where Il went over
tle bsuk; that there was no evidence OF
lli-ht OF the horse; and that the position
oil ,A0 horse IN the TiVeT.tte curve Oi The
wheel, the position OF the cloth from the
Place where the carriage went over, and
the fact that a. that place, track oi the
horse was found pointing from the river
Indicated that the horse and carriage were
purposely backed over The bsnA that n
spo- Was found on the horses bead be
tween the eyes with the skin gone rs II
from a blow that alter the horse went
over The tails the skull was found lr2ct"r
ed and no walter Was found III the lungs
a would have been, had he drowned IN
stead OF being killed before ho went into
the river; that Clement was y man lame
in his LETT loot. which turned out and
heeled down. making u peculiar track and
giving him u hitch in his walk; that the
next morning after his disappearance.
Clement was tracked going towards Cor
uish, where he would cross the river on
the way to WATERFORD; that after his
disappearance and within two weeks, he
was tracked between Durgin's house and
George b. Hsrtiord's, and was seen by
three different persons in the evening al
points between these TWO places, and mp
on seeing them instantly darted into the
bushes and disappeared. Some evidence
WIS offered tending TO show conspiracy
bstween Cyrus Durgin and Clement
touching the sale OF the house and raisln.
money To obtain insurance. but this WAS
denied by Cyrus Dursin. Evidence was
offered, showing the general bad char
acter of George b. Hartford. and his bad
reputation for truth and yeracily, and no
testimony was offered TO rebut it.
After a careful charge from the presid
ing Judge. the jury found verdict for
the defendant COMPANY. thus confirming
their defense OF gross fraud on the part Of
Clement and his confederate. if no had
one.
The case has been closely contested
Messrs. Clifford and Clifford appeared
Tor the plaintiff. and Nathan Morrill,.
/ Nathan Webb and A. A. Strout appear ed
tor the delendAnt.-PreSS.
The REPUBLIC, the new administration
daily in New York, has made its appear
ance. 1t is quarto paper Of the size OF
| the World, but resembling the Times in
u L. IL