Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-30

on them. He had applied for 100000 of
insurance, altogether, but the fact Of his
heavy investment in that line seemed to
have frightened off several companies, and
some also recalled their policies before
they had reached his hands. Charges of
false representations on the part of the
deceased. with limitations of suicide, were
at once set afoat by the insurance com
panIes, and every ingenious device was re-
sorted to in order to prove that the poll
cies were obtained through fraud.
Col. Dwight left remarkable will,
which, also, was executed only a short
time prior to his death. It BEG ueathed
large sums to surviving relatives of him
self and his wife, and smaller sums to
children, serva nts and friends. Ten
Thousand dollars were left to the needy
of Binghamton, the income of which was
to be expended each Christmas by trus-
tees, in providing dinner for every poor
and needy family in the city. An annual
dinner was likewise provid-
ed for the benefit of the
Binghamton editors, and handsome sum
was left to the fremen. These requests
the announcement Of which. seemed to
show the deceased to have been actuated
wholly by sentiments of considerable be-
nevolence, we're held up by the insurance
companies as a mere adroit scheme for
propitietipg public sentiment to their dis
advantage.
Only one or two OF the companies in
volved have yet paid the policies taken out
by Col. Dwight, and his widow and heirs
have at length succeeded in getting their
claims against the other companies before
the attention of legal tribunal. On the
18th of the present month the Judicial in
vestigation was begun at Norwich, N. Y,
before judge and jury to determine
whether the insurance shall be paid, and it
is still in progress. The case is beyond
doubt the most remarkable in the annals
both sides. Every possible point has been
made by the contesting companies to show
fraudulent conduct on the part of the de-
ceased. Notwithstanding that the corpse
had been at the outset dissected, buried,
exhumed, and dissected again, there
have not been lacking assertions from the
insurance experts in the case that the
body thus frequently handled was not that
of Col. Dwight at all, the intimation be-
ing that that gentleman has been alive
through these five years, waiting patiently
for the fruition of his ghastly scheme
against the insurance companies. But
this startling proposition has been pretty
thoroughly disposed of by the testimony
of credible witnesses who were intimate
with the deceased and who saw him on his
death bed. The most significant move of
the defense during the present investiga-
ton was an attempt to show that Col.
Dwight did not die a natural death, but
that he hanged himself! This theory too
has been exploded by the evidence origin
ally taken before the coroner's jury. Col.
Dwight left many friends who are bound
to protect his memory from the aspersion
cast upon it by the insurance companies.
They have made the strong point that the
whole theory of the defense i5 that Col.
Dwigh. committed rascally fraud on the
insurance companies. but was at the same
time noble enough to sacrafce his life for
the purpose of making princely gifts to
his family and bis friends. From what
ever standpoint it is viewed the case is a
very singular one. Bat so far as the testi-
mony taken at the trial has reached US it
seems as though, unless the contesting
insurance companies have some more CON
elusive evidence in reserve than they have
TINS far produced, it would have been a
more prudent policy for them to pay the
insurance in full at the beginning than to
enter upon contest which cannot fail to
weaken public confidence in the adyan-
tage of life insurance Investments.