Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-10-07
An Insurance Murder.

In December last J. W. Hillman, of
Lawrence, Kansas, inst1red his life for
S25,000 in the following companies:
Connecticut Mutual Life, $1,000;
Mutual Life, of New York, $4,000;
New York Life, $500 0. the premiums
amounting semi-annually to about 1913.
One day In the following February he
met Major Wiseman, the special agent
of the Mutual Life, who had taken his
application in December, and asked him
many pertinent questions, which reused
the majors suspicious that Hillman was
contemplated something crooked"
The special agent at once began taking
notes as to the more precise and positive
Identification of Hillman should he in
the future turn up dead. In the majors
survey of Hillman. he noticed tooth
out in his upper left jaw. Soon after
ward 1t was published that Hillman was
accidentally shot and killed by his former
business partner, j. III. Brown, ann the
body buried at Medicine Lodge. Wise
man instantly suspected something
wrong, and accompanied by his lawyer
and Agent Tillinghast, of the New York
Life, arrived at Medicine Lodge on
March 31st, fourteen days after the al
legged accidental shooting. Wiseman
insisted on exhuming the body, and did
not recognize it as Hillman's. The up-
per jaw tooth was not missing. He said
nothing then of his conclusions, but had
the body taken to st. Lawrence, 10 give
the widow an opportunity, he said, to
erect monument to 1t at her home, out
of the insurance money. There he re-
ported his belief to the coroner, who
held an inquest, and after six days care
full investigation, the corpse being
viewed by many who knew Hillmar,
the verdict was that the corpse was a
person unknown to the jury, and, in the
opinion of the jury, it was the corpse of
some man who came to his death in
felonious manner at the hands Of J. H.
Brown
Before the jury rendered their verdict
Brown was sworn, and detailed minute
ly the journey he took with Hillman
from Wichita to the spot where the
alleged shooting occurred how it was
done, and that it was Hillman who was
shot by him. Mrs. Hillman swore that
the corpse she saw was that Of her hus-
band; that she recognized it by the gem
eral appearance, and not by any special
mark. Other witnesses of high stand
ing swore that the corpse was not that
of Hillman. Among these was Hill
mans sister, Mrs. Mccoy. Brown
escaped Immediately after the verdict,
fearing arrest. Wiseman returned to
Wichita, and found number of per
sons who knew Hillman. The major
as armed with photographs of Hill
man, Brown and the dead man. The
dead mans photograph was immediate
ly recognized as that of one Frank
Nicholas, who about the first of March
was offered $40 month and found. by
Hillman and Brown. to herd cattle for
them. He promised to write to his
friends, but they had never heard from
him. Hillman and Brown left Wichita
at three p. NJ, March 5, and went South
instead Of West--a different route from
that described by Brown at the inquest
and met Wellington. as previously
agreed on. The shooting took place
fourteen miles north of Medicine lodge,
and one hundred miles southwest of
Wichita. Under an assumed name
Brown was not long since heard of at
Highly, Mo-, and was reported to be
negotiating, through his father and
brother, for immunity from punishment,
provided he would divulge the whole
job An attempt to capture him failed,
and pretty reliable reports have it that
he has Joined Hillman in the East. He
sent word from Missouri thathe himself
did not do the killing, as he claimed in
his testimony before the coroner's jury;
and that, if assured protection, he would
turn States evidence. Hillman is be-
lieved certainly to be alive, and the in
surance companies have not paid a cent
to Mrs. Hillman, who is not pressing
them by lawsuit.