The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-13
AN INSURANCE MYSTERY.
ONE OF THE STRANGKST CASES OF
ALLEGED ATTEMPT AT FRAUD.

From the ST. Louis Globe. Democrat
TOPEKA, KAN. May So.-The recent de-
cision Of the supreme court reversing the
judgment Of the court below and sending
the suit back for a new trial has revived
public interest IN the celebrated case of
Hillmon agt. the insurance companies, per-
haps the most remarkable case In all the
annals OF insurance liti cation. About
twelve years ago Sally E. Hillmon began a
suit against three of the largest insurance
| companies in this country to recover
$25, 900 insurance on the life OF her
husband The suits were brought in
the United States circuit court for
| the district of Kansas aud they
were tried together. The first trial was
at Leavenworth, in June, 1882, before
Judge Foster. The jury disagreed. The
second trial took place in 1885, the jury
again disagreeing. This time 1t was tried
| before Judge Brewer. The third trial took
place In 1888. This time the jury agreed
on the second ballot and gave judgment
against the insurance companies. Each OF
these trials occupied something more than
four weeks. The amount of testimony was
enormous. 1t Is hardly possible to tell the
story without saying something that one
side or the other will deny. The list of
''undisputed facts" would not be very long.
The attempt, however, will be made to state
In bare outline what the evidence was.
Hillmon was born in Indiana in 1915, and
was, therefore, about "a years old at the
time of his alleged death near Medicine
Lodge. Kan, March II, 1879. He came to
Kansas with his father and settled near
Valley Falls, Jefferson county, where he
attended school. He became cattle herder
aud farm laborer, and worked for several
men in Leavenworth and Douglas coun-
ties. In 1868 he entered the army aud
served about q year. In 1874 he went to
Colorado and worked in the mining dis.
tricts, most OF the time about Central City.
Two years later he returned to Kansas and
resumed his occupation as cattle herder, In
the same year however he left Kansas again
and went to Reynoldsviile, Tex. where he
engaged IN killing buffalo, gathering bones
and hides and hauling freight. He returned
to Kansas by way of New Mexico and Coll
oradc, selling his OK teams and Texas out
ut at various points on his return trip,
reaching Lawrence in August, 1877. For a
time he bought and sold hogs at Lawrence.
In December OF 1873 he left Lawrence for
O trip to Wichita, Dodge City and other
Western Kansas points for the purpose, as
be gave out, of finding a cattle ranch. In
handwriting above the average aud in a
style which proved originality of thought
aud acuteness Of observation he kept jour-
nal of that journey.
Aside from the regular recital Of the
commonplace incidents of the journey, the
journal contains couple of sentences
worthy of quotation. Under date of Jan.
g. 1879, it is written: 81 think something
very strange will happen so0n;" and on the
25th Of the same month Hillmon notes his
arrival at Lawrence, and states that at
Topeka he met Mr.. Wiseman of the Mutual
Life Company.
In 1878 Hillmon had married q girl
named Sally Quinn, who came to Kansas
from Columbus, O., at an early age, and
had been employed In Lawrence as family
servant and as a waitress in restaurant.
In the winter Of lS7S-'79 Hillmon, who was
poor man, insured his life for S26, 600 Ia
favor Of his wife. The premiums amounted
to 5000 yesr. On March 4,
1879, Hilmon started on trip,
accompanied by one John II. Brown, Civ
ing out that they were going to locate a
cattle ranch in tue southwest part of the
state. They travelled overland from Wichita
in a lumber wagon. In the course of time
there came word to Lawrence that Hillmon
had been accidentally killed, and 1t is uu-
disputed that at O camp on Crooked creek,
near Medicine Lodge. Barbour county
Kansas, on March II, 1879, at about the
hour OF shutdown. a man was shot through
the head and killed. Brown the companion
of Hillmon. is the only known witness to the
transaction.
Brown notified farmer named Briley of
the killing and said that the dead man was
HilImon. His story was that in taking the
gun out Of the wagon, in preparing for bed,
Brown had caught the hammer on tie
wagon box, or blanket, and the gun had
L. L i
and saw Hillmon stagger and start to fall !;
he ran and caught him in his arms and
swung him around away from the lire. He
then took horse and went for the nearest
farmer. When Briley came up he found
the body lying with the feet toward the fire
aud the head supported on few fagots.
The dead msn's hat was burn
ing in the flames. The follow.
ing morning an inquest was
the body was carried to Medicine Lodge,
where a second inquest was held. After
this the body was buried, and John II.
Brown and one Levi Baldwin, a relative of
Mrs. Hillmon, prepared to fence the grave,
when Theodore Wiseman aud Mr.. Tilling-
hass, insurance agents, arrived from Law
renee and insisted upon exhuming the body
for republication. Wiseman and Thing
bass insisted that the body was not that Of
Hillmon, although Levi Bald win said it was,
aud Brown had sworn TO like effect. Before
the parties from Lawrence had reached
Medicine Lodge Brown wrote to Mrs. Hull
mon letter breaking the news. The letter
was as follows:
MEDICINE LODGE. KAN, March 10, 1879.
Mrs. S. T.. HttiD1on:
am sorry to state the news have to state to
you John was shot and killed suddenly by a
gun as went to take it out OF the wagon, about
fifteen miles north of this p ace. l had him
cine Lodge graveyard. shall wait here until
Mr.. Paddock hears from you. II you will leave
me to take charge of the team will dispose OF
them to the best advantage aud take the pro-
ceeds, and when come back to Lawrence
will relate the sad news to you. Probably you
have heard of it before you get this letter.
Yours truly. JOHN H. BRowN.
After the disiuterment at Medicine Lodge
the body was taken to Lawrence, where it
was receiv ed by an undertaken and laid out
in the undertaker's establishment. Mrs.
Hillmon exhibited considerable hesitation
about inspecting the body, but she finally
went and looked at it, and declared it was
the body of her husband. A great many
people saw the body. A third coroner's in
quest was held at Lawrence, and the jury
retured verdict to the effect that the body
was not that of John w. Hillmon, but the
body OF an unknown person feloniously shot
by John Brown.
The body was buried in the cemetery at
Lawrence, aud it was atterward taken up a
second time and carefully examined and
photographed. When the body was first
brought to Lawrence a number OF persons