News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-08-01

VI 1IIllILltu WIS really :llI Illtlb ICllliLIIIGN
of that remarkable person. The facts
IN the case are briefly these: In 1885,
Hillman was living with his wife IL
Lawrence, Kan, and was notoriOusly
short of money. But he insured his
life for S25, 600, and before the second
premiums were due, Mrs. Hillmar
claimed the money and produced proofs
of her husbands death. Her story was
that Hillman and n nan named Brown
left for the Indian Territory, where they
were to start a cattle ranch. At Wichita
they hired u tall young man named
Walters to accompany them, offering
him suspiciously high wages for his ser.
vices. Then Mrs. Hillman received d
telegram from Brown, who was at Mcdi,
cine Lodge, to the effect that he had &c
cidcntly shot her husband, and asking
what he was to do with the mule team.
Naturally the insurance companies
weIp suspicious and sent an agent to
make inquiries. His report was that an
alleged inquest had been held at which
the only witnesses we're Brown and a
man purporting to be Walters. The
body was exhumod, and proved to be
that OF n alderman than Hillman, whose
clothes were ON the corpse, but were OBJ
viousiy too small for it. Hillman had q
scar on his thumb which the corpse had
not, and there were other points of dis
similarity. The inference was that
Walters had been murdered, and that
IIillmau had escaped and was i'll hiding.
Brown confessed that this was so, al
lcging that Hillman first v~accinated
Walters and then shot him, a plot hay
ing been arranged whereby Mrs. Hill
man was to draw the insurance money
and divide up. Twice the alleged
widows claim against the insurance
companies resulted in a hung jury, but
finally a verdict was given for Mrs.
Smith, she having married n Leaven-
worth barber of that name during
the litigation. 1t is now reported that
Hillman was found ut Tombstone, Ariz.,
and arrested on a requisition from tho
Governor of Kansas. Since the alleged
Hillman has been in the hands of the
detectives the mystery surrounding the
case has heightened, and no imme-
diatc solution seems probable.
Insurance frauds more remarkable
than that alleged to have been attempt
cd in the Hillman case have been at
tempted in Germany. There is the
case of the man Kumf, who was impris-
oned for collecting insurance money on
his own life. This man was n skilful
impersonator, and, disguised as a wom-
an, heapplied for an insurance on hisOwn
life. As the husband of the applicant
he presented himself for medical exam
i~nation, was accepted, and the policy
issued. In course of time he feigned
sickness and was attended by q short
sighted old physician he had selected
as Il man easily to be duped. One day
during this spell of sickness he got up
quietly, disguised himself once more as
his wife, went to the insurance office,
paid a premium about due, and tear.
fully announced the grcvious sickness of
the insured. The company seem to
have suspected that this line S was not
all straight, for, having casually asked
the name of the attending physician,
they sent to that gentleman, whose re-
plies to their questions allayed their
suspicious.
One day this doctor was called in
great haste and told that Kumf was
dead. The old fellow does not appear
to have been very conscientious or pains
On his arrival at the house he
was met by Kumf, this time disguised
rs the wife or alleged widow, and taken
to q darkened room in which lay a
His examination of this must
have been nominal, for in a short space
of time no quit the house, leaving be-
hind him the desired death certificate.
AS the bereaved widow, Kumf attended
the interment of what purported to be
his own body. Still, as the widow of
himself, he obtained the insurance mon
nv n his own Iifa oDd his littla Dlot
had answered admirably. Unfortunate
ly for him, however, he got intoxicated,
with success and then with liquor,
.whereupon he neglected to keep up the
disguise, went about as the dead man
redivius, was detected, and still Ian
ouishes in ail.1Globe-Democrat