The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-14

Lieutenant liambrough, who was mysteri-
ously shot In Scotland. Monson, who was
charged with numbering him, has been nc
quilted 10y n Scotch verdict Of mot proven
and is likely to- collect the SlO0,O 900 insurance
on the young lieutenant's life. The fate Of
DIR. Meyer who IL accused OF making bust
ness Of poisoning men and women and col
Letting insurance on their lives, has not yet
been decided
A more recent case Is that Of John c.
Austin, whose heirs were awarded &c.
80 in New York the other day in a suit
brought against the Mutual Reserve Fund
Life Insurance association. In the summer
O: 1891 Austin insured his life for $4,000
and three days later was reported drowned
at Coney Island. His clothes were found
in "A bathhouse, but the body was never
found, and there was some unusual-not to
say Observation-Disclosures connected
with the alleged drowning. The insurance
company was not satisfied with the proofs
Of death, and the heirs brought suit. At
the trial the defendants produced IA witness
who claimed 10 have seen Austin in the
Adirondacks year after his disappearance
and introduced photograph of Austin in
hunting costume alleged to have been taken
in 1892. But the jury decided that Austin
was dead.
Up TO date the attempted frauds on life
insurance companies are, first, the very
rare one Of pretended death, which may be
artiicially induced by certain drugs; sec
ond, false Qualifications through bribery or
forgery; third, false personation OF the APP
plicant and deception of the medical ex-
aminer and substitution of a dead body.
The only case of successfully simulated
death on record occurred in England many
years ago and, strange to say, the same wom-
an went through the simulated death per
Torrance on three distinct occasions be
tween intervals of many years, and her
husband or father" or brother" who
was partner in the schemes, was the same
man on each occasion. The pair were sue
cessfu in each instance
In the first attempt the man was pow
erty stricken gentleman Of the suburbs Of
London, then gambling army officer Of
Queen square and finally "a Liverpool mer-
chant Life insurance men in speaking Of
the case say that 50 successful IA series Of
frauds by the same person appears wonder
full at the present day, and that the woman
either possessed that power Of Stimulating
death Of which there have been few re-
msrkable instances in history or that the
physician was bribed.
Ouc 4 RAM I0inutNcheck IN Berlin some
time back was heavily insured. The funeral
took place. But when disinterment was
had the contents Of the coffin were found
10 consist Of stone and straw, and It was
ascertained that IOmatscheck, impelled by
irresistible curiosity and disguised beyond
recognition had attended his own funeral.
Here IS another and most remarkable
ease OF the same kind. In 1865 a wine mer-
chant ia Bordeaux, France, named Vital
Douat, insured his life for 100, 600 francs in
the Paris Office. Then he went to London.
His widow "A little later presented herself
NJ the insurance Office with the legal docu-
mentary proof Of her husbands death.
The company somehow 'smelt a rat" and
investigated. IL seems that when Douat
went TO London he put up at Ford's hotel
under the naEc Of Roberti. While there
he got French waiter TO write him out "a
certificate in English, purporting 10 be
signed by DR.. Critti, TO the effect that Vital
Douat had died on the 29th of November,
1876, of Gneurism of the heart.
This certificate was presented TO the reg
lister Of deaths at plaistow by Douat him
self The certificate WAS registered, it be-