The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-23
IT WAS NOT RADLOFFS BODY.
KOSTRAUCH SAYS INSURANCE COM
PANIES WERE 10 BE SBINDLED.
He Was to he Suspected ms Rndion's Muir
derer. TO Prove mn Alibi, and to Join the
Radiofs In Germany. where All Were to
Enjoy the $751; 900 from the New York
Life, the Mutual. and the Equitable.

Enjoy the $685. from the New York
Lire, the Mutual. and the Equitable.
SEATTLE. April 22.-The mystery surround
ing the burned body found in tho house Of
William RadloH near this city was cleared up
to. day by the confession OF ono OF the conspir-
ators against the three New York companies
In which Radloff had his lilo insured-the New
York Life. the Mutual. and the Equitable
Radlofr Is alive. and II he is caught tho COM
panics will probably prosecute him for con-
spiracy to defraud.
Last Saturday morning Radlofrs house.
which is four miles north OF Seattle in the
woods and remote from ncghbors. was found
to have been burned to the ground. In the
ruins were the charred remains OF a man.
The natural Inference on the part OF the
neighbors was that Radlofi. who Ind been
sleeping there alone for q week or two. had
persisted.
Radloff was German. % years old. and had
married two or three years ago an American
wife with whom lie had not been very
happy. For three or four months.
handsome young Austrian. Louis Kos
trauch. lived with the family and was
on very good terms with the wife. At the time
OF the fire she and her baby were visiting her
parents near Tacoma. kostrauch was also
away from tho house. so the authorities jumped
at the conclusion that Kostrauch had MUIR
dered Radlofr in order that Mrs. Radlofr might
be FREQ to marry him.
Kostrauch was arrested. In his possession
was found Il love letter from Mrs. Radlofr and
q money order made out for her by her hus-
band. Kostrauch was ut first reticent.
and denied having talked with Radoff
tho day before the fire. At last
he said that perhaps he might tell what he
knew II ~ were assured that he would not DO
hanged. Tho police were convinced that they
had the criminal in their hands. and searched
The The ea AZ, vas then complicated BY the dis;
tnken out S:55.0OO life Insurance. 100000 in
the New York Life. 100000 in the Equitable.
men ineilned to the belief that KadofT s was not
dead; but had entered into n conspiracy to de-
fraud the companies.
examined. and evidence was obtained that the
body in the ruins Ind been taken from one Of
complete that ut tho inquest to-day tho whole
stHry out BY kost ira
March 9 applied for insurance in tho three
eGpmniaInies named ne and was passed ~ the
Comnany he paid up his policy for. year.
and in tho two others ne arranged to have tho
%@se ivy WEEKS In sss d tS 4S Re-
Tho amount an OF the insurance was considered
able ay all but the R sSets W as rather
this country for over eight years. had dt made
snug fortune in real estate here. and also
protested to have a steady income from
family estates at Mecklenburg. in the old
country: He said his wife had con s ulted a for
tune teller, who had predicted his death. and
her nervousness.
A few days after the doctors had passed him
aGs 10 sSRs
went BY plight to the cemetery and dug up the
same aUe as RaUlOff. who had died nj rop.
sum ption or. Feb. IL, They took out the
closed It, The coffin with tho body wa buried
again in the chicken yard near Radlofrs
house Then the eonsnirntors waited Tor the
ready. Mrs. Radlor was sent ," away "t to
her parents and ltndlof and Kostrauch
dug up the body. stripped it. and put n pair OF
Radlof's old trousers on II and laid 1t III Rid
Lois bed. Then they filed the room with
sharings. poured coal oil all about the house.
placed an axe near tho bed. and set two
Bile materials.
The candles burned down in about three
hours. and tho men who had by this time got
well away from the scene saw tho flames light
up the sky Radlof started the same ight for
San Francisco. but Kostraurh remained be-
hoping to he considereda murderer. and to d.
vert the officers so that no description Of Rad
!oH would be photographed abroad Ho was.
however. prepared to provo an nlibi later.
The grave OF Levi was found empty and the
handle. Of the coffin were picked up in the
they know whore Rndlotr is. Mrs, Iiadloir de-
MOS any knowledge of tho cons rirncy, though
kostrauch says they were all to meet in Ger |
many and enjoy the life insurance money.