The morning news., 1889-05-31
A STRANGE INDUSTRY.
Pretended Deaths to Get the Lite In
surarcs Money.
IRON, the Neao York Sun.

strange industry has sprung up among
certain class Of our people, that OF beating
Nfa insurances. 1t is comparatively easy
10 heat fire insurance company, although
thev are becoming sharper every year; but
10 get ahead of life insurance company
there must be a corpse as proof posltlVe
that death has occurred. Only the keenest
roscaIs or honest men driven to desperation
for the want of money attempt TINS swln-
dIe and it is rare that a company has been
Laaten. | worked on two notable cases as
a detective, and am certain that the details
will interest the general reader.
About fifteen years ago merchant in an
Ohio town, who was supposed to be solld
business 60 an, took out policy OF S3o,OUO
IN a well-kuown eastern life insurance
comnauv. He was in the best of health
ord wa; readily passed by the examiner.
Eightv dqys later he was dead. The local
agent called a, q matter of form, the doc
Tor in attendance certified to the death, and
hosts of people attended the funeral. The
remains were viewed by at least 500 people
who had known Mr.. Harris, as we will call
him. in his lifetime. ard the coffin was de-
nosited on a slab in a vault for week pre-
I,ious TO burial. There could not have been
the slightest cause for suspicion and it was
not until several weeks after the money had
been paid that anything came to the sur
face. | was SEM uONu " llANeStlSdOS, anu
the POINTER / got was this: A servant girl
in the doctors family-the doctor who had
attended MIR. Harris-had seen the doctor
have lots of money, and the family were
making extravaganza purchases. Ihey ire
frequently quarreled, and during cue of
these ouarrels the wife said:
you dare not refuse me monyl Don't l
know how Yen got it Wouldn't y11 be
sent to priscnit it came outF'
got an interview with the girl, and she
reDeated all that and more. The doctor was
poor before Mr.. Harris death. After that
he suddenly had plenty of money and was
very extravagant She did not connect the
money with the insurance, but had got 1t
into her head that the doctor had killed and
found that Mr.. Harris was head
over heels in debts, and that his wife re-
pudiated every obligation. [ believed from
the first that l had a case. but | had to go
slow One hasty move would set an alarm
he'll to ringing. | Swallowed the doctor uD-
til l found that he was flush. lie was also
addic ed to drink, and after a little ma
neuvring got him to the point of his cash.
lie claimed that he had about $1,000 in
ready money. His practice scarcely
brought him living, and felt sure that
his money had come from the life lnsur-
ance.
called, as a real estate speculator, to
to be very reserved and uncomulunlcative.
She was nervous and i'll at ease, and l
Judged she had a fear of me. She did not
want any investments, saying that she was
thinking of gong to town in Indiana
Were she had relatives. The doctor had
certified that Mr.. Harris died Of rheuma-
tis1D of the heart. When | began to ques-
tiou the wife about symptoms she was
much confused, and made a poor show of
answering my questions. When | left the
house / knew that she was a party TO the
conspiracy. She lad been told what to say
and what to avoid saying, but the burden
was proving very troublesome. My next
move was 10 hunt ont and interview people
who mad attended the funeral. | did not
let my object be known, but reached my
point in g roundabout way. l soon ascer-
tanned that number Of those who attended
the funeral had been surprised at the
change in the facial expression OF the de-
ceased. His whiskers had been trimmed to
adifIeFent shape, had more gray in them,
and lis face seemed fuller and broader.
They would not haverecognized him at first
sight, but it was Mr.. Harris, Of course; who
else could II be!
l spent a full month in making cautious
inquiries, and 1 was then perfectly satisfied
Mr. Harris was alive and in hiding some
where 1t was not to be expected that he
would write directly to MS wife, but l was
pointed before his death, and that she " as
informed as to his movements. l could
have had the body taken up, but how was
! to prove that it was the body Of some one
elsei To unravel the case / must first find
who the dad man was when he was
alive A body had been substituted. Where
had 1t me froM! .1r. Harris had been
SICK only two days. lie had died at II
o'clock at night. On the opposite side of
the ailsy from his barn was another in
which the coachman slept. l went there
10 asa LIS opinion about horses, and during
my visit the death Of Mr.. Harris was
brought up.
That was queer night" he said in re-
ply. About 10 o'lOck at night some one
Il drove W TO his barn with a horse and
wagon and opened the side door. l heard
II them fussing around and go up but when
got out they were driving down the alley.
q My wife says it was death come to bring a
4 coffin for the dying man, andI sometimes
\ wonder if | didn't dream it all"
/ was now satisfied that the body was
brought there by vehicle. If 80, it must have
have only short distance. / got a team
and drove out to the country house, anl
IRON the moment 1 set eyes on the superin
tendent l knew ne had something to con.
ceal. l, therefore, went right to the point
by asking:
What was the name Of the subject you
furnished to DR.. LawtOn on Aug. l4l'
he turned pale, and began to tremble.
You know you can be sent to state
prisons"
"Au-all county houses do it," he pro-
tested. If l hain'5 sold him, tbs doctors
would have dug him up"
What did you getp
Ten dollars.n
DO you mean to tell mo that you only
Yot S.O out Of the $30,0O0p
lat $50 OU0W
lLs harris Insurance money"
l dld not even know that Harris was in
.rea. DR.. LaWUon wanted The body for O
Eeton, and | sold it 70 him. He sent and
u IN the evening"
" hat was the mans namep
Jcsepn Shearer. He had been here 0
y, and had no frieuds.n
hen did be di. =
p. IN, ana chey took him about g. y
ouid you know the bodyp
oA a thousand. The left arm had
o.e roSen. There were many scars. Tue
s,stse On the right foot had been am
lid not know that the body had beer
t.aSI for that Of Harris, and when
. '- = ue was very indignant and offered
~ Lsine in my hunt. He admitted that
80 . great reiemblauces between
~ LNnen, but that Shesrrr was th,
NtA-I l-eVnraI vaure I s-rg frll ON fnt