The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-03-27
ROMANCE AND INSURANCE.
A PLOT TO SECURE $4,000 THAT
WAS FINALLY EXPOSED.

He Had Been Mourned For by His Best
GirI-The Doctor and Matilda overshOOt
the Mark.
About eight years ago man living in
Pecatonica, Ills, who may be called
Burns for short. insured his life in the
Provident Savings Life Assurance COM
pany of New York for $4,000. He made
the policy payable to a young lady for
whom he had developed singular de-
gree of fondness, but had never married.
Shortly afterward he took out an addi-
tional s., 900 policy in another company,
and proceeded thereafter about his regu-
lar business. He was in good health, and
one dav in December he went to the river
for a season of skating, declining any
company. He went skimning over the
smooth surface of the river till l1e reached
n point three miles from town, where he
passed a group of men loading wood,
shouted greeting to them, and passed
out of sight. They recognized him, and
remarked on his grace as a skater, but
they never saw him again.
A CLEAR CASE.
Burns never came back to town. His
Pecatonica friends never saw him again
and his loss was incurred bitterly. In a
day or two 4 groupof boys came up from
the country along the river. four miles
from town, and said they saw man
whose description answered that Of Burns
come skating toward them the morning
of his disappearance while they were at
tending to some muskraJ traps; that he
was performing some marvellous gyra-
tions and that he suddenly disappeared
in an opening in the ice. Burns friends
found the marks Of his skates from the
very point where he had put them on
down 10 within 200 yards of where the
youthful trappers had freed a muskrat.
Here they found hole about ten feet
across, formed by spring, which pre-
vented the water from freezing. The
skate marks led to the very edge of the
hole, and there were lost.
1t looked like accidental death, and
Miss Matilda, the charming beneficiary
under the policies Of life insurance, asked
that the money be paid her. But until
the body was produced and Identification
fixed beyond 4 doubt the soulless cOrpor-
alton declined TO contribute. Along in
April the ice was well out of the river,
and the bed was dragged for the body of
Burns. Tie body of man was found
some distance down the river. He had
on Burns clothes. Burns skates were
on his feet, and in one of the pockets was
found Burns open faced watch. The
Identification seemed complete.
But chief among those who examined
and identified the body was Dr. Pills,
who had passed upon Burns application
for insurance. He seemed exceedingly
interested in the case, making many
trips to Pecatonica and comforting Ma
tilda by almost daily visits. He cheered
her so effectually that Oh the Fourth of
July they were married, and the girl laid
aside her weeds the day she was wed.
For some reason the company still OBJ
lected TO paying the insurance money,
and suit was brought to compel them.
They found Burns had made a viii by
which the doctor inherited all his little
worldly wealth, and this, with some
other facts, still induced them to ques-
ton the validity of the claim. The case
did not come to trial until the following
winter, and then the defendants attor-
ney asked for an adjournment until the
following day. Was he going to offer
compromise?
Next morning the court room was
filled and every one was on tiptoe to see
how much of the SO, 900 Matilda secur-
ed. Bill Evans, . barber, was placed in
the witness chair by the defense.
Were you acquainted with John
Burns?" he was asked.
Il was, he replied. -,.-..y.s4ss,,s
is he living
HE Is. 5s-G21 sssg3sss
"How do YOU know"
Because I am looking right at him
howl
WHY BURNS TURNED UP.
An eyes followed the BARRIERS keen
glance. Judge, jury, lawyers. witnesses,
everybody rose up and gazed in Mortified
interest at an apparition near the door,
There stood John Burns sound and well.
The barber was discharged and he took
the stand. His Identification was in
Simultaneous, complete, unquestioned.
Even Matilda broke down and wept,
though something more than jov at see
ing him may have moved her. The doc
tor grew white and red and white again,
then tainted outright
Burns told his story. He and the girl
and the doctor formed the scheme to get
$4,000 from the insurance companies.
He was young and careless. and willing
10 take some risks. The doctor was TO
take $1,000, the girl $1,000, and he was
TO have the balance. Then he was TO
marry Matilda, and with her leave the
country. He passed the wood haulers
on the ice, and almost Immediately after
took OF his skates, went ashore and
struck off through the woods, which
were bare of snow, and got train at
station ten miles from home and went
10 Chicago. Then he went up 10 Wis
consin ana found work in q sawmill. He
corresporded with the doctor, taking an
assumed name. When the company de-
manded the body the doctor wrote ask
ing for his skates, watch and the clothes
he wore on that fatal morning. He sent
them, but saved the letter, which was
now produced in court, and in which the
statement was made: Il have q good
stiff about your size which can use"
Burns accidentally learned that DR..
Pills and Matilda were married, and he
at once returned TO Fecatonica. He said
that he would not have cared if his girl
hadn't married, but her weakness and