New-York tribune., 1878-11-21
COLONEL DFIGHTS ASSURANCE.
CouurNTS ON THE CASE.

PARALLEL INSTANCES OF LARGE INSURANCE AND
SUDDEN DEATH-A PROBABLE REFUSAL TO PAY
TIE INSURANCE BY THE COMPANIES.
The insurance on the life OF Colonel Walton
Dwight who died BInghamton on Saturday Is iounu
10 De larger than at first supposed by about S1ooo Az
agent Of one the interested companies mas oD'aheu
from Mr. Dwights attorney in Binghamton, "a
LIST OF policies in twcnty-one companies, aggre
eating $4,000. He says that all except $4,000
NJ this winch IL included In tho Equitable
Life risk was taken ont within the last three months on
Dwght'3 life. The authority says that MI DWlsht
had an accident policy in tho Travellers Company Tor
Sc 900 and an old pad-up life Insurance policy amount
ing e. 80 UOo. In general assurances "ctIS spoke !"
more moderate terms yesterday OF the suspicious aspects
of tbo case. Dr. Francis DeianeId had not made his
speca report on the autopsy held IN the presence Of
fourteen other physicians Monday. He ~ reported
however a. saving that the immediate cause OF death
WAS paralysis OF the heart lie dd not detect the pres
cnce OF poison thinks II could not have been used
during Mr. DwIchts long sickness without discovery.
His physicians had prescribed arsenic In small qnanr-
ties believing their patient suffering from gastric
naloria fever All of the vital organs were fUuud more
or les, conge5tcd. showed 10 trace OF the action of
poison which will De revealed, II at all by the chemical
analysis. Traces Of old iunammatpry lung diiculues
were observed.
''Ny private opinion" sod an officer Of prominent
company Yesterday" "l. tHat Colonel Bvi-it drd Of
ordinary progress Of disease. NrvcrtGrlcs there a'c
many suspicious circumstances ihe case. We bav"
heard stories Of his conduct during the last two months
such as OF swung the -usquchanna and exposing him.
self in various ways, hut have no d.rcot evidence
that he d any o. these thugs, and no Information from
trustworthy source 10 sustain the theory That lac de-
IbIatcly set 10 work 20 o,-truy himself don't be
lev, that they VIII Dee ab!, TO prove that no took
poIsnn This company riI contest the validity Of
its policy on the ground that Ir Dwight
concealed from ne that ne had suffered
from hcinorrhasc OF the lungs " find ha' ten year,
Two attac'- OF nru.IJano OF tbr lung. 40 Hie. '.8 e.
yc,r. Wc are always careful TO nui" any href-
pi,'Ii,H % Ii 'f' he ~, r i t T. - lfs own lung
troubles PutuE thi- with the Tact of hcrcd'a1 trud-
cucv, / don't think Soc would have Issued poicy Tor
$500 su l. he was noble spcclmon OF manhood six
feet three inches tail, wciGht225 pouud-.'
W learn" nc continued, " that once whom colonel
physicians Informed HIM tia; Il be had another attack
Of the kind he would probably die. Tho thought has
suggested itself TO that be NAV have known Of some
weakness in his apparently robust constitution, and
that he took advantage of MS knowledge that certain
eNccsscs would induce the o'd dlW'ulty 10 g't lhl-
heavy Insurance As rule no man thnEt mat
death Is directly impending II he were going
10 take out large insurance ne would take ms Imc'
uyning himscif of handy opportunities Moro sure
tnan DEATH perhaps = hc NE n-ui ahor ns'nt %hsn ne
pursued literally pursued The gent. Ir made perhaps,
$4,000 last spring III sncce'su, ilmnrI 'uinyn, ~ m
Insisted on having payable quarterly lie lived In an
CNpeuBYe style, ana was very muth chdI drs hu"h-
Colonel Dwight was of q aauguiuc temperament"
the gentleman continued aud IL n hard To believe
that he would kII himself 10 tnTi'h h's ihhn'l;
But there numerous INSTANCES In the history OF
life iuCc which show that men. Whether insane or
not have sometime thought thHt the insurance money
OF more value TO their family thah inrir me re-
call tho OF Samuel y. Wellington OF Nr"-Jcrfey,
wnO fifteen twenty year. az. took pOiHou-oi TINS
there questlOH-icaNnE 10000 or NE Insurance
policies for ms family. The companies alter contest
compromised the claim at 30 cents on the dolaf.
more celebrated Cnsc ana dimo the COuntr part OF THIS
ID wight case, the famous CO dtdf,sN contest, Tour
or five years ago. WAcn Dr. Russ, one OF the
Phll-lIceucs, was in Greece, he picked up "A
bright little Gr,cian anl brought lin to thl7
for hat was the lads nanc the Naval Academy,
during the attained 10 the rank OF commodore
Amer the rebellion lie took 90 spccun'Ins In Wall street
and lost his property. la Colonel DwgAts manner, lie
suddenly procured policies OF lie insurance amounting
s32j 900, and may paiG tw0 quarters pfomums
but tnnk he only paid one Iii, family WAS AyluL at
with bag satCntl, which II was ayerrcd contained
valuable securities. lie was found near Bridgeport
dead from pistol wound, and bis bag Of securities
rned The pistol soon after found some distance
from the body and the theory formed that he had
shot himself, and had strength enough afterWard 10
throw the pistol 10 the place where II was found After
IA legal contest. the COmpa les defeated In their at
tempt to shIk the whole obligation, and compromised
for 80 cents on tue dollar
tIs not believed that the companies Will combine TO
contest The claim Of Colonel DNighPs widow though
having small claims do The president Of
the Manhattan Lille Insurance Company says that the
cOmuany Will act independently, ana oppose payment
the ground that Colonel Dwight concealed the fact OF
previous hcmOrrhage Of the lungs. A gentleman
with Office of lie Htna Life said
panics would probably act independently OF another
HIS company had heretofore acted on he principle that
1t was wiser to compromise and give the widow the
money than 10 go To law and curIcn the lawy lie
thought the present case 4 YcrJ suspicious
The following complete list OF tue companies
ing policies to Mr. DWigAt and The amounts eac 40
furnished by the dead mans attorney: