Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-06
Is WALTON DWIGHT DEAD,
A New Theory Advanced I'm the FamOu
Life insurance Case.
AN EFFORT BEING MADE TO PROVE THAT DEATH
WAS SIMULATED THROUGH THE AGENCY OF A
pRUG-A SINGULAR CASE AND A sINGULAR
THEORY.

| a
pRUG-A SINGULAR CASE AND A SINGULAR
THEORY.
The fact that at the coming term Of the New
1orK supreme court, TO be held at Norwich,
New York, one Of the famous Dwight insurance
| cases win probably be selected for trial. and
| that the result will put an end to long litiga-
tion' mas revived interest in q celebrated case.
AIter alton Dwight's supposed death at Bing-
namton, n. l., In November, 1873, the insur-
ance companies contested the claims made
against them on the ground of suicide, COM
mitted 10 defraud the companies. Dwight was
insured in several companies to an amount of
s25O,OO0 He had been wealthy, but In various
| ways had lost his property. He died
suddenly on the night Of November
Ioth. The premiums for the second
quarter of his life insurance came due four
Gays later 1t is said that he had no money
with which TO pay them. In the suit brought
against the Germania company the defense
sought TO prove that Dwight com rnitted suicide.
put failed. 1t is alleged that this defense will
be abandoned at the coming trial, and that
some of the contesting companies are endeavor-
ing TO substantiate theory that Dwight is not
elaborated this theory to newspaper cor
| respondent This person says that on the 31st
panies entered into written agreement with
certain parties-one of them a famous detective
Ss Nn ERE the companies stipulated to pay
$4,000 "tor the production within six months
OF w alton Dwight alive" or upon the produc-
ton of evidence that the said Dwight was
| allve at least one year subsequent to the 18th
OF November, 1873, such fact TO be proved to
| the satisfaction OF court and jury i'm some one
OF the cases now pending. As this agreement
has expired by limitation and as the pending
cases are reserved generally and could have
been put forward in the calendar at any time
Is iair to presume he was not found, but 1t is
not fair to presume that the insurance COM
panies have relaxed their efforts, or that they
are not In possession OF valuable clues.
An autopsy performed after the reported
death was attended by physicians representing
the insurance companies, besides q number of
Binghampton physicians who were familiar
with the coloners features His brain, lungs
ana heart were examined. His funeral took
place on the 10Th. His face was exposed to
view In church and recognized by thou
sands OF persons who had known him in life.
His body was placed, not in a receiving vault,
but in a brick-lned tomb More than month
after Dwights supposed death, il is stated, he
was seen and positively identified In the streets
OF chicago by gentleman and his vile who
Knew him well,
Dwight's body was exhumed and examined
after it had been buried five months. Physl-
! clans representing the insurance companies,
who examined the body carefully, aver that
certain gun-shot wounds received by the colo
mel at the battle of Gettysburg were not found
upon this body, corresponding with d record OF
MS wounds in the surgeon generals office at
washington. They also declare that the teeth
of the body, which was very even and perfect,
Ola not correspond with the noticeably irregu-
lar and prominent teeth of the colonel. Other
discrepancies were alleged to exist. One OF the
olncers oil Il New York insurance company, who
Tor twenty-five years had been engaged in un-
earthing frauds against insurance corporations
and who had been successful in many very
complicated and celebrated cases. was con-
WINGED, after a close analysis of all the circum-
stances, that Dwight had never died. 1t is
freely admitted by those who take this view,
that If Col Dwight is alive il is one of the most
extraordinary cases of cunning and imposture
On record; but it is likewise conceded that Col.
Dwight was a very extraordinary man and pos
sessed of such resolution, invention aud adrot-
ness that il lie once undertook to defraud insur-
OF failure.
Charles A. Hull. who sat up with him the
night OF MS supposed death, Swears that he was
the only person present in the room when
Dwight died. He testified that he was sitting
within eight feet seven incile, the had meas
ured the distance) of dwight, who was IN bed;
That the gas Was turned ON, showing everything
PLAINLY in the bed. when, without premoniiory
symptom and just alter taxing Il piece of
cracker and making jocular remark, the coll
onel suddenly gasped and called: Charlie"
and before the Latter could go next door and
call assistance ana return to his bedside he WAS
dying, and III n few moments was dead.
1t Is alleged that Il bottle found beneath a
funeral was examined by experts, who dis
tlnctly recognized what Was left OF its contents
as gel>enIium, u vegetable poison. Ii is but lit
tie known to the general public, and only re-
Gently used by regular practitioners in some
KINDS OF fever, though its peculiar virtues as a
fever ant1dote have been known among the
planters and negroes of the south tor many
years. 1t is extracted from the common Jim
son weed So abundant in the south and SOUTH
west. Taken i'll sufficient does it produces a
temporary paralysis of the motor nerves with
out loss Of consciousness. The eyelids close
tails, the body turns cold and ciammy and
there is complete stimulation Of death. This
condition may last for hours.
Ii the body upon which a pOst-mOrtem eX-
animation was made was the body of Dwight,
there was nothing discovered in the organs OF
the body inconsistent with the theory OF death
by geisemium. II is asserted 10y medical *
perts that death from a large overdose OF geise-
MUM would leave the organs of respiration in
Anon fis,rs hayr s-fNarl6 q
death were produced by strangulation.
But Is there a reasonable possibility OF Dwight
being still alive? Could he, with the aid Of
faithful confederates, be delivered from the
brick-iined tomb, constructed under his per-
sOnal supervision, designed after a model made
by himself? Could he, under the influence of
gelsemium, lie with face exposed in church
during the funeral ceremony without betray-
ing any sign OF animation? Could a body be
with his features had satisfactorily viewed mis-
real body and operated upon by New York
physicians who did not know Dwight in life
the first operation requiring tue scalp to be
pulled down over the lace, with, perhaps a
physician there to unobstructively aid appear
ances? Would it be reasonably possible 10 Sc
cure body at all resembling Dwightse
at is worth while to note" says the gentle
man quoted by the correspondent, "that the
was recently charged with being one OF the
principals in the violation of the Phelps grave
IN Binghamton: Richards, the lawyer, Who
was convicted OF the charge and sentenced to a
years imprisonment in tue county Jail, very
manfully took all the blame upon himself, and
the undertaken, Ayres, was acquitted. IL may
also be added that the celebrated Cardiff giant
swindle originated in Binghamton, and that
the live confederates in that deeply-laid scheme
mouths closed for years, Or until the affair be-
came joke"
De Witt CIinfOn's Old Slave.
FUNERAL OF coLoREB MAN WITH AN INTER-
EsTING HISTORY.
Harr of e. N clox