The record-union., 1892-11-23
BEATING THE INSURANCE GAME.
Richard Reeves Held to Answer for
Alleged Fraud.
Two Ladies Who Swear They Were
Asked to Personate his
Dying Wife.

policy obtained by false representation,
came up in the Police Court yesterday.
The prosecution was conducted by City
Attorney L. G. Hart and Charles Z.
Jones was counsel for Reeves. A large
number of witnesses were present, but
only few were sworn.
George Kroner, agent for the insurance
association, was called to the stand, but
before he had begun to testify MIR. Jones
entered an objection to the complaint,
which he held recited no offense for which
Reeves could be properly tried and
asked that he be discharged.
He contended that under the section
t529l upon which the complaint was
founded, that there was no provision un-
der which the otIenese alleged could
come, contending that the section was
formulated for fire insurance matters,
and not life insurance.
Mr.. Hart argued the validity of the
complaint under the section cited, ana
Judge Cravens decided that the meaning
and provision Of the section was broad
enough to cover any fraudulent transac-
uons of either kind of insurance.
In reply to questions put by the City
Attorney Kroner testified that he met
Reeves first in July or August at the
railroad shops in this city, and APP
preached him to insure in the company
represented by him, but he did no pusi-
ness with him until September 9Th,
Labor Day. on that day Reeves came to
his residence with lady, whom he
REPRESENTED AS HIS WIFE,
And a child apparently years old.
Kroner described the woman as being
of medium hight, and a woman appar-
emily in first-class health.
After filling out applications for policies
on himself and his wife, they went with
the witness to the office of DIR. Glow to be
examined, as required by the rules of the
company. Reeves and the woman he
represented as his wife walked from Thir-
teenth and p streets to Sixth and X, and
the woman carried the child most OF the
way.
Reeves and his alleged wife were ex-
amined by DR.. Glow, and the necessary
certificates filed out by the physician and
forwarded to the company's agent in San
Francisco.
KRONER testified that Reeves was very
much in hurry and had told him pre-
viously that he preferred coming to his
tkromer's) house, as he lived over in
Washington, Yolo County.
VERY sHoRT-LIvED.
The papers were forwarded, and
Kroner heard no more from Reeves
until October Tth, when he applied to him
stating that his wife was dead, and asking
him to make application Tor the money
from the insurance company.
The application for the policy on Mrs.
Reeves, the physician's certificate, and
the policy issued by the company were
submitted in evidence, and identified by
KRONER.
Mr.. Jones objected to the introduction
of the application for the policy, but the
objection was overruled.
on cross-examination Kroner said the
policy on the life of Mrs. Reeves was
made payable TO Reeves. The policy was
issued September 9th, and Mrs. Reeves
died on October 23d. He had not known
Mrs. Reeves. The woman Reeves intro
duced to him as his wife was in robust
health.
THE REAL MRS. REEVES.
DR.. G.. NJ. Dixon was next called and
testified to having been called to attend
Mrs. Reeves about the 18th or 10th of
September. He found her suffering from
tubercular consumption of the lungs.
She was very pallid, emaciated and weak,
and had all the indications of a long
siege of the disease. She was hectic and
teverish, had a persistent cough, and
could not, he thought, have weighed over
eighty pounds. He did not see her again.
Reeves was not there at the time.
IN the afternoon Miss Anne Soule was
called to the stand and testified to being
lSuDOI Ol lnG b66NGS ldlllllY. she had
known Mrs. Reeves for some time, and
saw her in September. She was in very
poor health, and said she had consump-
tion.
About the last week of the fair Mrs.
Reeves visited them and she was so weak
as TO be scarcely able to get down the
steps. She was tall and thin said she
weighed eighty-five or eighty-six pounds.
and she coughed very much. She died
the 23d or 9th of October. The Reeyeses
had three children-a boy and two girls.
a DYING MOTHERS DESPERATION.
Did Reeves ever come to you with
proposition to impersonate her?'' asked
Mr.. Hart.
This question was objected to by Mr..
Jones, but the objection was overruled
by the court, and Miss Soule replied:
''Mr. Reeves never did, but Mrs.
Reeves did. Mrs. Reeves said to me:
What do you think Dick wants me to
doP He says am going to die and leave
him with the children, and he wants YOU
to come up with Miss Sullivan and rem
resent yourselfa as his wife to an insurance
agent who is going to CALI l would not
do 1t, and replied that l was not crazy
yet"
A COMMON THING TO DO.
Mrs. Josie Dodge Of Washington next
testified. She had known Mrs. Reeves
since june, and she was very sick
woman with consumption; she couphed
g great deal and had fever. Witness was
at Mrs. Soule's when Mrs. Reeves was
there, and after Mr.. Reeves had gone
Mrs. Reeves asked her ii she would 90
over TO Sacramento and be insured as
MIR. Reeves wife. She said it was moth
ing uncommon TO do. When the wit
ness refused Mrs. Reeves exclaimed:
81 am SO glad! | thought you would
not do such thing, but Dick worries the
life out OF me to get some woman to do
this ~
When asked if she had told anyone
about this, she said she had spoken Of it.
while angry, when an express wagon was
sent for Mrs. Reeves body.
DIR. G. b. Glow testified that he exam
ined Reeves and the woman represented
as his wife, at the request of KRONER.
The woman, on September 9Th, was ro-
bust and healthy, and as near as he could
remem ber she was OF medium hight with
brown hair and gray eyes. He took her
hight and chest expansion, and found her
lungs to be sound. He identified the GER
tificate filled out by himself as to her
physical condition.
NO DEFENSE OFFERED.
At the close of the cross-examination of
DIR. Glow the case was submitted to the
court, no witnesses being produced by
the defense.
Judge Cravens briefly reviewed the
case, holding that the evidence given was
p9-iHlG fGcte and sufficient to warrant him
in ordering that Richard Reeves be COM
mitted for trial by the Superior Court
He held him to answer with bail fixed in
the sum OF 1000.