St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-30
A Steamer Explosion Caused by a Man
Who Carried Large Line of Acct
dent Insurance.
Remarkable Career of Adriance Spears, a
Most Daring and Successful Seeker
After Danger.
Conclusive Evidence That n Kansas
Woman Was Poisoned For
Heavy Insurance.
The Alleged Oakes- Nj erriam Burglars
Taken to ToIedo--BoId Work of
Gang of Outlaws.
4 Bold Trick.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 29.-It is now
reasonably certain that a new species of
crime has been developed in this country.
The explosion on the excursion steamer s.
NJ FELTON, has been traced to the act of Inan
named Ardiance Spears, who carried large
line OF accident assurances. His presumed
intention was to disable himself seriously.
so that he might enjoy the income of $3.50
per week which his policies would have
produced. He was killed. however, and
the loss of IS, 500 on the life of an appar-
ent day labOrer has so startled the cOmpa-
MES 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. Pinkerton's detectives
now claim to know all about the deceased.
They say that fifteen years ago
HE WAS MYSTERIOUSLY SHOT,
accidentally, as it was declared. while
handling pistol, and his receipts from sew
eral accident policies sufficed to support him
handsomely. In his recovery he went to
San Francisco. where, it is alleged, he drew
comfortable income during his GONZALES
eence from a wound he accidentally re-
ceived in the street, as he was passing the
locality at which 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 neighbOr-
hood he usually got it, like the prince in
The MaScOtt." 1t is asserted that proof
has been obtained by the Travellers InSur-
anee company that he was also identified for
a shooting accident which overlook him in
New York. OF this, however the infOrma-
ton exists here, and about ten months ago,
after several years of
\ WANDERING LIFE
in Washington, California and the West.
Spears returned to this city and went to
live with Frederick News, a jeweler at
No. 1854 Market street. News is a dis
tant relative and gives the incidents that
follow: On Christmas morning about t
O'Clock the jeweler was awakened by 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. going down stairs, he found his
relative lying on the floor with bullet
wound in his right side, Just below the ribs
A self-cOcking English bull dog revolver of
large calibre lay beside the wounded man.
Spears was perfectly conscious and
DECLARED He HAD BEEN SHOT
by the fleeing burglar. Morris picked up
the revolver and expressed establishment
that the burglar should have thrown the
weapon away. No evidences of fOrcible
entry could be found anywhere about the
place. The police were called in and heard
this story. but after considerable investiga-
ton dismissed it as absurd and improbable
A night Waterman who had been on the
street in front of the building at the mo-
ment of the shooting swore positively that
nobody emerged from the front door through
which Spears had declared that the would
be murderer made his escape. The Acct
dent insurance, however, yielded about S35
per week.