New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-28
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
4 Il N

comment in insurance circles during the last two weeks
was made the subject OF strict and searching invesuga
ton by the Equitable Life Assurance Society, No.
10 broadway, this city, and interesting account or
the method employed and the result arrived at given
below 1t will be remembered by all newspaper readers
that short time previous his death Colonel Dwight
secured policies from companies, which made
the total amount Of insurance his life at the time OF
his death over S255,0OO.
10 has been generally supposed that until recently
Colonel Dwight had large amount OF insurance on
bis liie This. however proves to be erroneous i'm
preston, for ten years ago he took out n policy
for $4,000 the Equitable Lie Assurance
Society in favor of his wife, A few years
after he ncreaed the amount in this company
by taking out additional policies amounting 10
10000. At the time he insured for over
100000 In other companies. subsequently, he allowed
large part of this insurance lapse, among which
$4,000 In the Equitable This left with that company
polcy Of 10000 in favor Of Colonel Dwight's VIE
During the present year, while Colonel Dwight was
Increasing his policies In the companies he
cured new policy for 10000 in the Equitable Life As
surance Society This with the $4,000 he already had
made $4,000 in policies Of this company which he held
few weeks reached tue Equitable Society
that there evidences of bad faith the part OF Mr.
Dwight in seeking 30 large an amount OF insur-
ance and IL az once determined 10
learn the truth in regard to the case.
special representative OF the society was fully
instructed with reference to the which had come
to the knowledge OF the officers and he was told 10 p-o-
coed at to BinghamtOn, where Colonel
Dwight resided and 10 investigate without delay
the truth OF these allegations. No expense was
to be spared to secure the desired knowledge.
lie given full power TO call to his and members of
the legal aud medical professions should he nd the
investigation advanced that their services would be
necessary or valuable
During this time the other companies which had is
sued policies Colonel Dwight had not been idle. The
OF fraud having reached them they had set
foot an inquiry SIMILAR to that OF the Equitable The
agent Of the Equitable reaching Blngnamton found
the representatives Of the other companies and the re
sui, was that searching inquiry was madeintoth the
life past and present Of Colonel Dwight. Friends and
enemies were applied to for information, and no
practicable mode of arriving at truthful result was
left untred Several days we're occupied IN this search
and great mass testimony collected, the sub
Of which reported TO the Equitable Society
wnen the special agent OF the society returned to this
city, he made an additional verbal report TO the officers
ana medical directors. No tender OF the pre-
miums which he had paid was made to
Colonel Dwight "a had been contemplated when
the investigation begun, the officers at that time
supposng that the stories which were ahoat would be
substant ated. The inquiry. however, only confirmed
tho correctness OF the examinations which were
made previous to the taking OF the Insurance.
and Colonel Dwight 30 far rs the Equitable Society
was concerned. was exoaerated from the shadow Of
susp,con OF dishonest motives In taking out large an
amount Of insurance.
The very night OF the day on which this
decision OF the company was reached, Colonel
Dwight died suddenly He had been comparatively well
and cheerful during the previous afternoon aud several
Of the physcans decided that his death the result
Of congestiye chill OF great severity. As soon as the
officers OF the Equitable Life Assurance Society were IN
formed Of MS death they together with the officials OF
some OF the other companies which had issued policies
70 Colonel Dwight secured the services or Dr. Francis
Delaaeld the eminent pathoogist, who went immedi-
stely Binghamton 10 make an autopsy. when the
specaI agent OF the Equitable Society, who
arrived ut BinghamtOn before DR.. Deafed, Informed
the family Of Colonel Dwight Of DR.. Deaned's mission
they not only consented afford every facility for hold
ing the post-mortem examination, but stated that
IL WAS their desire that thorough inyest
CATION should be made They also said that
Colonel Dwight himself had expressed desire
for an investigation when he ascertaued that charges OF
dishonesty and oSd f.In ha t Dor d sSythin be
fall him OF any time In the future postmOTtem
ISLANDERS which had been spread abroad against ms
narle al honorable man.
DIR. DELAFIELD's REPORT
The following il the substance OF Dr. Delahelds report
,the medical history OF the case and the autopsy:
JAMES n A6tx x.srasee f sSt,e nc
SIR: In accordance with Your request ! went to
RiuRhRtntOn the nlgil OF 10 cH NONcHn-
Der II saw DTs. BUR, sr. anu IL; VINO m were
the physicians in Attendance on Mr. DIw s
There a an uncertain history Of his having raised blood
once two years ago and of his having had attack Of
@ Tor these reasons there ia no history OF disease until
me present attack The account given by the ps Burr
octnber II, 1873, when he was taken sick.
Prom November 2 until November he was more
cnmfortspIe but sun vomlted frequently From Nov
en,per until November the PAIN 10 the abdomen was
very severe. From November unth November II less
.g,gu. IipHl D.
Snvembcr Ii-pan again severe; morphine WAS given
in large doses much as TWO grains at dose Dat-
hsr IL IN the afternoon and evening he
was more comfortable. About IL y m' ne
always normal His intelligence was good During the
first week OF his Illness be took dunlue but yomited II.
Durng the last two weeks hs TOOK Fowlers solution
In i've drop doses four times IN the twentyi9ur houis
except Que day when he ooI the o same uo'e d
~, Rmrr be,ieyed that he was suffering from maaral
poisoning and that he died in congo tive chill.
DR. Ortou's report was similar IN the main features.
He saw Mr. Dwight last on N9vsmber i2 AZ p VI.
uent began To take Fowlors solution on No
yeI0er GIVEN - p@rnf aree e0 doses by the mouth
and hyp1dermcaly. There were no esi ,,ne,i
pared, unless moved bv medicine DE- Orton's opinion
j. that these paroXy,m were coDgesVe chulS, hhu nat
the patient died IN u cungestYe emil Al, .,o ma,
IL is evident from these statements that the case
was q very obscure one TIE prominent Smp,,
tom. were: First. loss OF appetite, nausea ana
vomiting OF food; second, slecpessness; third.
pain over the abdomen. worse on ihursuay
and Friday OF each week: fourth ,wO attacks OF *
IRENE dyspnga aud Iyldity OF the face. The INST
attack NoyomDer /. OF snort duration 1ne secona
attack November 10, whcll proved htal Ihe puse
was never over 40, nor the temperature over oS2
The bow els were cOustlpatcd. . .,,
These dla are sufficient for DIAGNOSIS oi ul5edse
But IL seems plain that the two attacks on November
and November ID were not cOngcstlye ohus put "sIo
due 10 sudden feebleuess ~ the hehrt Ill Tue
SECOND attack the heart ceased 10 .bot'
m il hardly possible for any severe FORM
OF remitrnt or Intermittent fever To continue Tor three
weeks without any change IN the pulse or temperature
Tue three mentioned were III constant aticud-
auce seeing the patient every few hours Ihey enter
famed no suspicion ts illness or death belLg uue 10
any except natural causes. - -. -, a.
Tue autopsy was entirely made by myself' 10 the
presence Ot Drs Barr, Ortoh, S"inDuthe' Hyue'
Aver, ChittrndcD, EcbaluSI 'oo'..