The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-09-01
ONCE TOO OFTEN.
SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS CON
NEcTED WITH THE EXPLOSION
vi the Steamer FELTON, at philadelphia
The Victim of the Explosion
Bester" of Insurance Companies
His EIodus Operandi.

NEW York, Aug 3L-A Philadelphia
special to The Herald says: 1t is now
reasonably certain that nav spscies of
crime has been developed in this country.
The explosion on the excursion steamer s
M FELTON, has been traced to the act of a
man named Adriance Spears, who carried a
largo line OF accident insurance. His pre-
sumed intention was to disable himself seri-
ously 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 1856, 900 on
the life of an apparent day laborer has so
startled the companies that they have united
to sight the claim. No progress was made
In fathoming the motive of the man until
his previous history was inquired into
finkerton's men now claim to know all
about the deceased. They say that fifteen
years ago he was mysteriously shot, acct
dentally as 1t was declared, while handling
pistol, and his receipts from several
accident policies sufficed to support hin
handsomely. On his recovery he went t.
San Francisco where, 1t is alleged, hs drew
comfortable income during his GONZALES
cence from a wound that he accidently Re
cality at which a row was in progress. In
deed, Spears would appear to have been the
most unfortunate of men or one of the mos
industrious seekers of danger If there wa
an accident anywhere in his neigh
borho0d he usually got into it, Xix,
the prince in "The Mascot" 1t il
asserted that proof has beel
obtained by the Travellers Insurance com
pany that he was also indemnified for
shooting accident which overlook him il
New York. OF this, however, no intorma
ton exists here. About ten months ago
after several years of a wandering life il
| Washington, California, and the west
| Spears returned to this city and went to liv,
with Frederick Morris, jeweler, at 1870
Market street Morris is a distant relative,
and gives the incident that follows
| On Christmas morning, about O'Clock
the jeweler was awakened by
knock at his room door, an,
Spears shouted: there's burglars II
| the house. Fred; get upl" Before Morri
| couli reach the door to open it a pistols o
resounied through tine nous, and goin,
down-stair, he found his relative lying d
the fi,or with bullet wound in his RICH
side. just below the ribs A seli-cockini
English bulldog revolver of large calibe
lay beside the wounded man Spsars wa
perfectly conscious and declared he hs'
been shot by the fleeing burglar. Morri
| picked up the revolver and espresso.
| establishment that the burglar shout
| have thrown the weapon away
No evidence Of forcible entry could b
found anywhere about the place. The pc
lice were called in AMI heard his story, bu
after considerable inye ;tigation dismissed
As absurd and improba bic Night watch
men who had been On the streets in front G
the building at the moment OF the shooting
swore positively that nobody emerged frot
the front door, through viii h Spears ha
declared that the would-be murderer mad
his escape. The accident insurance, how
ever, yielded about SIS par week.