Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-08-30
: A STRANGE fraud.
A Man Whose Life Was Spent
in Manning Himself
To Get the Accident Insurance He
Carried.
The Mysterious Explosion on the
S. N. FELTON, Exp aimed.
He Went Too Far and Death Baked
Him.

NEw YORK, August ga Philaielphia
special to the Herald says l; is now rea-
sonably certain that new species of crime
has been developed in this country. The
explosion on the excursion steamer S. NJ.
FELTON, has been traced to man named
Adriance Spears, who carried q large line
of accident insurance. His presumed in
tention was to disable himself seriously 30
that he might enjoy the income of $50 per
week which his policies would have pro-
duced. He was killed, however, and the
loss of $35, 900 on the life Of an apparent
day lsborer has 80 startled the companies
that they have united to fight the claim.
No progress was made in fathoming
The Motive of the Man
until his previous history was inquired into.
Pinkertons men now claim to know all
about the deceased. They say that fifteen
years ago he was mysteriOusly shot. scci-
dentally, as it was declared, while handling
a pistol and his receipts from several ecci-
dent policies suficed to support him hand
somely. On his recovery he went to San
Francisco, where, it is alleged, be drew a
comfortable Income during his GONZALES
ceuce from a wound that he accidentally
received in the street as he was passing the
locality st which a row was in progress.
Indeed, Spears would appear to have
been the most unfortunate of men, or one
of the most industrious seekers OF danger.
If there was an accident anywhere in his
ueighoorhood he usually got it, like the
Prince in The Mascotte" 1t is asserted
that proof has been obtained by the Trav-
elers Insurance Company that he was also
indemni6ed Tor shooting accident which
befell him in New York. Of this, however,
no information exists here.
A Strange Record.
About ten months ago, after several years
of wandering life in Washington, Cali
eornis and the West, Spears returned to this
city and went to live with Frederick Morris,
a ieweler. at No. 1884 Morke street Nor
lis Is distant relative, and gives the Incl
dents that follow: On Christmas morning,
ABOUT o CLOCK, tue JeHeltE Was d"ahCu0u
ly knock at his room door, and Spears
shouted:
There's burglars in the house, Fred; get
up?'
Before Morris could reach the door to
open it, pistol shot resounded through the
house, and on going down stairs, he found
his relative lying on the floor with q bullet
wound in bis right side just below the ribs.
a selfcocking English bulldog revolver, OF
large cahbre, lay beside the wounded man
Spears was perfectly conscious, aud de-
clared that be had been shot by the fleeing
burglar Morris picked up the revolver,
and expressed surprise that the burglar
,hould have thrown the weapon away. No
evidences OF iorcible entry could De found
anywhere about the place. The polio were
called in and heard his story, but after con-
,iGsrable investigation dismissed it as ab-
,urd ard impro5a,l- Night watchmen
Sh5 had been on me street in front OF the
building ~ the momeu, OF the shooting,
,wore positively thai nobody emerged from
ne ffou. door, through which Spears had
1ecisred that .Ie wou'3ce murderer m ide
MS escape The accident Insurance how'
ever virlJed about SIS per week