Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-03-01
THE HILLMAN CASE.
Sensational Suit Filed Against In
surance Companies.
MRS, HlLLNAN CHARGES CONSPIRACY


TOPEKA, Kan, Feb 27-Tho cele.
brated "llillman case" with which
every lawyer and newspaper man in
the west is familiar is to be aired be.
fore the department OF insurance OF
Kansas Late this afternoon Sallie Il.
llillman filed u sensational suit against
the Mutual Life Insurance Co, the
Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance
Go, and the New York Life Insurance
Co, charging fraud, oppression, Grim.
inality and unfair dealing. Its alleged
in the complaint that In 1873 the New
York Life Insurance Co. issued tn the
husband Of the complainant, John W.
Hillman, two policies for t5, 900 each
payable TO the complainant, and the
Mutual Life Insurance Co, issued u sim
liar policy for e., 900 to the same person
the same year, and that the year fol-
lowing the Connecticut Mutual Life
Insurance Co. issued a similar policy TO
the same person for t5, 900.
The plaintiff recites the story OF the
alleged killing OF John w. llillman In
Barber county, Kan, on March IA,
1879, and charges that the defendants
her out Of insurance mono due her by
mutilating the body Of her husband so
rs TO make Identification difficult
She alleges that upon the arrival OF
the body at Lawrence, her home, IL
was seized by the representatives of
the companies and taken to the cor
oner's office in Douglas county, where
one j. II. Stuart, IA physician of the
company. clandestinely cut from the
arm OF her dead husband a piece Of
flesh containing two vaccination marks
by which those who knew him well
could have positively identified him.
She also attacks the validity Of the
coroner's inquest which followed, alleg-
ing that no report of the proceedings
appear ON the records Of Douglas
county.
She further alleges that John H.
Brown, the only person present at the
time of the alleged killing of llillman,
was induced, after tostifying to the
facts, To sign n statement To the effect
that the man killed was not llillmnn,
but one Bcrlcly or burgess The de-
PENDANTS, the plaintiff says, started u
report that Brown was 10 he arrested
for the murder Of Hillman. This fright
ened Brown and he went to his home
In Wyaudotte county to consult his
father 1t was decided that legal adj.
vice was necessary, and w. j. Buchan,
of Kansas City, Kan, was employed
Buchan, the plaintiff alleges, after
ward entered into conspiracy with
the defendants, and accepted employ
ment at their hands for the purpose OF
procuring from Brown the statement
alluded To- After obtaining the state
ment II Is alleged, Buchan told Brown
that he would not be prosecuted by
the defendants II is further alleged
that Buchan showed the plaintiff a
copy OF Browns statement and ia.
duccd her TO give him tIiuchan) an
order on the attorneys for the poll
icics against the defendants, and that
IN order to keep her from seeing her
attorneys he induced her to remain at
his house and afterward obtained for
her pass and sent her to Colorado,
and later on TO Missouri II is alleged
that the defendants violated the state
law by concealing and compromising
what they claimed were felonies II
Is alleged that Buchan got $500 for the
, part he took In the case.
The plaintiff is very severe on Bu-
chan, alleging that he obtained the
order for her policies under false pre-.
lenses She alleges that he told her
that she could not collect the insur-
, ance without the testimony OF Brown,
who could not become her witness.
Buchan was q state senator She be-
lieved him on that account IL is also
\ alleged the defendants In the case OF
several trials Of the "llillman case" In
, the federal courts circulated at great
expense through the newspapers stories
10 the effect that Hlllman was moi
dead for the purpose OF preJudicing the
. people and preventing the plaintiff
from getting fair jury.
, The plaintiff prays that the matters
|, alleged DO inquired into, and that the
superintendent of the insurance de-
f partment take such action ms may be
= necessary TO protect the policy holders
1 In the companies named In Kansas
and the people OF the state from the al
= legged unfair and fraudulent acts OF the
defendants in the future.
The complaint contains twenty-five
pages Of closely typewriter matter
Superintendent Snider set he case for
y hearing March 3, at $3.50 a. IN. The ut.
torneys for the plaintiff are l.. h.
Wheat, Samuel A. Rigg, c. 4. Hutch
ings Quinton & Quinton and ID. H.
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