The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-19
Evening.

Another sensational feature was
added yesterday to the disclosures
made last week by L. A, Lyons, an in
spector OF the Metropolitan Lie lnsur-
ance Company, of New York, OF the at
tempts to defraud that company by
false insurance certificates.
Early in the afternoon q rumor was
in circulation that DR.. r. l. AshbrooE,
the well known physician, who was
under $500 bond to appear last evening
to answer to these charges, had lett
town and forfeited his bond, AS soon
as the rumor reached the ears OF Squire
Ankle, before whom the hearing was to
be held, he set out to investigate, and
soon ascertained that there was consld-
cradle truth in the rumor, and no trace
could be found OF the Doctor No one
seemed to know just where he was.
At q late hour the squire learned that
the doctor had transferred his property
through we'll known attorney on last
Sunday, to the keeping OF trustee for
his wife, and also drew all the money
he had placed to his credit in tho bank.
This is supposed to have amounted to
a good round sum. AS soon rs this was
learned, officers were sent to Marshall
| county, near Cameron, where his father
in-law resides, also to Claysville, Pa,
where his father resides. The only
clew the constable had to work on was
that he paid toll to the Pennsylvania
line over tho National road on last Sun
day night, the last time he was seen in
| tho city.
The general supposltion is that Dr.
Ashbrook became very much frightened
over the charge preferred by Mr.. Lyons,
thinking that il might result seriously
to him and ruin his reputation and
practice, and to escape testiiying in an
swer to the charge he departed. His
friends express q hope that he may re-
turn.
On last Saturday, after tho dismissal
OF B. A. Mhitson, the late agent OF the
company, on the charges preferred
against him, Mr.. Edward Lyons, tho in
spector, made the following complaint:
That on tho 18th day OF December,
1892, in the county of Ohio, 3. A.
Whitson and Il. l.. Ashbrook did I'M
lawfully, feionousty and falsely repre-
sent to the Metropolitan Life lnsur-
ance Company certain papers and writ
ings, purporting to be applications for
insurance in the Metropolitan Life In
suranco Company, purporting to be
signed BY Martha Brinkman, Isabelle
Kiger, John Kiger, John Craven, Henry
Hellman, Emma Leiner, Anna Jane At.
kinson, James II. Kiger and Maggie
Fogg, and embracing what purported
to be medical examinations OF the sew
eral applications, and purporting to
have been signed by the several appli-
cants, and certifying that the said K. l.
Ashbrook had made physical exami-
nation OF the several applicants, where:
as, in truth and in fact, all OF
the said writings were false, were not
signed by the applicants, but all the
said writings were false and were not
signed by tho several applicants; and
whereas in truth and in fact none OF
the said applicants had been examined,
all OF which the said b. 4. Whitson and
X. L. Ashbrook, then and there well.
knew. By means Of which false repre-.
sensations the said 3. A. Whitson and
r. L. Ashbrook, did uulawfully and
feloniously obtain from the said Metro.
politan Life Insurance Company, the
sum OF 800 so OF the money OF said com.
pany, against the peace and dignity OF
the state, and he the said L. Lyons
thereupon prays that the said B. A.
Whitson and Il. L. Ashbrook, may be
apprehended and held to answer the
said complaint and be dealt with in re-
lation thereto as the law requires.
Captain B. B. Dovener and ]. j.
ConifF appeared for the defendant B. A.
Whitson. Prosecuting Attorney John
A. Howard and Col. W. W. Arnett acted
for the company. Only two witnesses
were heard, L. A. Lyons and William
Groves. the local superintendent.
Mr.. Lyons was on the stand for two
hours, undergoing a critical cross.ex.
animation OF the methods and style OF
business pursued by the company. The
main point in his evidence was that
Whtson had confessed his guilt 10 him
while in Jail,
Mr.. Groves said that tho territory oc.
cupiod by the local company included
all besween New Cumberland and
Moundsville, all the surrounding towns
on both sides OF the river. Five assis.
tants are employed in this district and
these in turn employ sub.agents.
Among these the name OF William
Brown appeared on the books last De-
cember. This man the company held
was mythical. Mr.. Groves testified
that he did not know whetherapplicants
werc residents OF the city. On Janu.
AIRY II Mr.. Whitson delivered TO him
vouchers supposed to come from Brown,
and he paid him the money, to be de-
livered to Brown in Wellsburg. Whit
son afterwards returned the vouchers,
signed by Brown, as receipts for the
money.
During the cross examination Of these
witnesses the attorneys had some lively
word confession points. A largo num-
Der of other witnesses were present but
did not testify.
The hearing will DO concluded this
evening, and considerable interest is
evlnced in tho outcome, Whitson ia out
under $1,000 bond TO appear this oyen.
ing,
FACTS speak louder than words. Sim.
mons Liver Regulator does cure bowel
disorders.
IInlIko fhn nuTnh pYnnncn