Sharp County record., 1879-10-09


Pay-The Body Alleged to be Hillman's
Proves to be That of One Frank Nichols
Especial Cor. of the Chicago Tribune.l
LAWRENCE, Kas., Aug 25.-Last
March there appeared simultaneously in
several of the Kansas and Missouri news
papers, as well us in the columns OF the
ChicagO Tribune through the medium of
the telegraph, a paragraph stating that
man named j. w. Hillman, who had
formerly been resident of Lawrence,
Kas., had been accidentally killed, IA
miles north of Medicine Lodge and that
Hillman had, but a short time previous
ly, obtained insurance upon his life for
the amount of $4,000. When this news
reached the City of Lawrence, where
Hillman was well known, serious doubts
were expressed as to the truthfulness of
the newspaper reports.
WHY THESE DOUBTS?
In the month of December last Hill
man, resident of Lawrence, applied
for an insurance upon his life for the
snug amount of 5000, in the following
companies: Connecticut Mutual Life,
$4,000; Mutual Life of New York, S10,-
600; New York Life, $4,000, the pre-
miums amounting semi-annually to
about 1913. Hillman applied for this
insurance of his own volition. He rep
resented to the agents of these compa-
nieS that he was engaged in the business
of a stock-dealer, purchasing and ship
ping stock in large quantities from the
frontier. After the usual medical exam
ination of the applicant, he passed, be-
ing graded as acceptable in every par
ticular; and paid his first semi-annual
premiums us soon as the policies were
received. Hillman was a married man;
and, of course, in case of death, the loss
was payable to his widow.
Time passed on 1t was in the midst
of winter, and during the winter Hill
man and man named H. Brown
made several journeys to the Town of
Wichita, which is about 20 miles south
from Newton, on the line of the Atchi-
son, Topeka e. Santa Fe Railroad. From
Wichita Il trip was made through Bar
bour and Kingman Counties, returning
via Dodge City. Last February Hillman
returned to Lawrence.
SUSPICION AROUSED.
While he was at Lawrence he met
Maj. Wiseman, special agent of the NIu-
tual Life Insurance Company, who had
taken Hillman's application in the
month of December previously for $1O,-
600 (Wiseman knew Hillman welD, and
conversed freely upon many topics.
Casually Hillman asked the Major many
pertinent neutrality-suspicious. which
aroused the Majors suspicious that Hill
man was contemplating something
"crooked." The special agent at once
began taking notes as to the more pre-
else and positive Identification of Hill
man, should he in the future turn up
dead. In the Majors survey of Hillman
he noticed tooth out in his upper left
jaw; which fact eventually proved of
very material importance in this case.
Hillman, in short period after this
visit to Lawrence, returned to the Town
of Wichita; and shortly afterwards
Wiseman was made aware or the pur-
ported accidental death of Hillman.
Hillman had
A BUSINESS-PARTNER NAMED ]. II.
BROWN,
and Hillman's death was said to have
been from accidental shooting at the
hands of this partner; and it was further
said that the body of the deceased was
buried at Medicine Lodge. Wiseman
instantly suspected something wrong in
this reported death of Hilman. 1t was
but brief period after Hillman had
made those pertinent and suspicious
queries at Lawrence, and only short
three months after Hillman had obtain
ed the large insurance upon his life.
The insurance agent began a most thor
ough investigation, with the view of as
certaining if Hillman was dead as as
serted. WiSeman proceeded to Medi-
cine Lodge, the alleged burial-place, ac-
companied by an attorney (Col, Walker,
a well known attorney of Lawrence),
with the determination to have the al
legged body of Hillman disinterred, and
prove beyond doubt that twas Hillman.
Wiseman, Col. Walker, and Mr.. Til
linghast, the General Agent of the New
York Life Insurance Company, reached
Medicine Lodge on the Slst day of March
last-just fourteen days after the date it
was alleged the accidental fatal shooting
of Hillman occurred. On their arrival
at Medicine Lodge they met three per-
sons-Levi and Albert Baldwin, and j.
H. Brown, the partner of Hillman, and
who, it was alleged, had accidentally
killed Ilillman by shooting. The Bald
wins were from Lawrence, and had cone
to Medicine Lodge to look into matters,
Hillman being Il friend of theirs.
WHAT wIsEMAN DISCOVERED.
Wiseman insisted that the alleged
corpse of Hillman should be taken from
the grave. All the parties then proceed
ed to the graveyard, and in Il few min
utes the coffin was raised, and the corpse