Connecticut western news., 1878-11-27
Death by Slow Degrees.

The charges by the Insurance com
 panies against Walter Dwight, of Bing-
 hamton, who procured insurances upon
 his life in September to the amount of
 $256, ,O0O. suggest 8 number of cases in
 which attempts were made, with various
 results, to recover large insurances on
 policies issued but short time before
 death. One noted case was that of Baron Bella Olnyi, of Pesth, Hungary.
 In 1874, owing to a series of reverses,
 his possessions, which a few years before had been worth $2, 100000, were lost,
 and even his house was mortgaged to its full value. Determined that his wife should never know of these misfortunes,
 he insured himself for 5OO,O00 guilders in five different. companies, stipulating with them that the money should be paid over to his family in case of his death within a year. Since he was but forty y-five years old and man of power full frame and in excellent health, the companies were quite willing to accept from him the 2,OOO horins necessary to
 bind the conditions. He had become fomous as 8 horsenan and hunter, and while his means lasted had been enabled to gratify his sporting proclivities.. But from the day that he obtained possession of the last policy he led a different life, although his house was still maintained in it's usual elegance. He was no more seen in the park, at his club or at, the hunt. Every morning he left home directly after breakfast and did not re- turn until sdinner-time. After dinner he disappeared again and remained until midnight orslater. No one knew where he. kept. himself cd His full figure be- came attenuated, his eyes lustreless, his horid color a, sieldy hue, and his strong voice, cracked and feeble.a His family and friends attempted to dissuade him from his seclusion0 and medical treat ment was urged, but all to no purpose. One day he was unable to leave his bed. Physicians examined him and declared that he. was hopelesslyo afflicted with quick consumption. Within fourteen days he died. His will bequeathed to his wife the insurance policies, and ac- ttquainted her for the first time with the loss of his entire fortune. The in surance companies refused to meet the claims designated in the policies upon the general ground that Baron Bella had procured the insurances with theI inten- tion of deliberate suicide. They searched for his place of retreat to substantiate sucha theory. After prolonged search, it was ascertained that in January, 1874, ten months before his death, he had rented for one year 8 small apartment in dirty, unfrequented street. The room was opened. A sofa, table, two chairs and two chests constituted the furniture. One of the chests contained few articles of clothing and dozen long tobacco pipes. In the other were I about tive hundred cigars, worth about two kreutzers each, and half pound of smoking tobacco. From the wrappers found in the chests, it was estimated that 3, 500 of these two-cent cigars and about hundred pounds of smoking tobacco had been consumed within ten months. Chemical and medical examinations were made by both parties, and the absorp- ton of poisonous quantities of nicotine into the system by sucking was finally assigned as the cause of death.