Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-23

all necessary steps were hurried through
with dispatch. At the first meeting of the
directors of the Universal in September,
claim duly authenticated was laid before
the board by Mr.. WeDber, for the payment
of e10, 900 on a policy executed on the life
of Pierce Wharton in the month of April,
1867.
Mr.. Weber in laying the necessary docu-
ments before his board informed them that
he thought the death occurring so soon after
the execution of the policy and the large
sum at stake were elements of suspicion.
He had accordingly dispatched their private
inquiry agent, Mr.. Doggett, to Gorlington
to make inquiries. He produced that
officers report which ended by declaring
that no ground of suspicion existed in the
matter. The Universal intimated to the
firm of solicitors employed by Mrs. Wharton
under her brothers directions, that the
claim was admitted, and would be met at
the expiration of the usual period.
But the matter was not allowed to rest
there. 1t turned out that several other
offices had been BADLY hit" by the early de-
mise of Mr. Wharton, and after a careful
comparison of notes had taken place be-
tween the offices affected, it was discovered
that eig hit other offices had been induced to
issue policies on the life of Mr.. Wharton in
the months of April and May, and the total
sums insured for amounted to no less than
a3O, 900.
This was what Doggett called "a face" 4"
There could be no doubt in the judgment of
persons most competent to form an opinion,
that the companies were the intended vic
tins of cleverly-constructed fraud. There
was nothing very out of che way in the fact
that rising young stock kbroker in the city
should insure his life for Ell, 900, but e30, 900
was another matter.
The Universal, though the heaviest suf-
ferer by the fraud, if fraud had been perpe-
trated, was indisposed to stir in the affair
unless the suspicious entertained by the
other offices received some degree of corrob-
oration.
This seemed hardly possible in the face of
Doygett's report which recorded that every
thing in connection with the death and
burial of Mr.. Wharton had been en- regle.
When the Star and Garter suggested that it
might prove to be case of sham burial they
were laughed to scorn. Doggett had inter
viewed the undertaken, who provided the
coffin, and the men who screwed the body
down. There was no room for doubt that a
genuine interment had taken place. The
notion that the deceased might have met
with foul play was even less tenable. Who
was to benefit by so great a crime? Dr.
Westlake? The doctor was a specialist of
the highest repute, whose own honor was
not even called in question when one of his
patients fell victim to Howgate's brutali-
ty. On the face of the will the doctor de-
rived no benefit from the death OF his rela-
tive. Besides that the terms on which he
had lived with the deceased were shown to
be of unusual affection.
Suspicion was born solely out of two facts;
the suddenness of the death after effecting
the insurances, and the large amount at
stake, much larger than anything the posi-
tion or circumstances of the deceased seemed
to warrant But afterslong delay the Uni
yersal reluctantly gave way to the prevail
inc wish that some steps should be taken to
set the matter at rest, and agreed to fall in
with anv agreement that might be come to-
Application was made to the Home Sec
retary for an order for the exhumation of
the body, and this was granted after fur
ther period of delay, and the Coroner for the
district was communicated with. In addi-
ton to the legal representatives of the vari-
Gus Offices, Mr.. Doggett was sent down to
watch the progress of the inquiry.
The body was exhumed and independent
medical testimony was forthcoming to show
that the deceased had died from natural
causes. The post mortem appearances cor
responded with DIR. Westlake's certificate
that death had resulted from cerebral apo
plexy."
The time was not expired when payment
of claims must be made, but the Offices in
terested felt that after the scandal they had
raised the best thing to do was to back out
of false position with the best grace pos
sible.
The money was paid over Immediately