The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-20
LAST EDITION
INSURANCE SWINDLE.
Sensational DeveIopments-..Yas Pit-
Eel Really Killed?

Bu he Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Nov. z0.--It has been
learned that the exposure OF Howard PITT &
zol insurance swindle came about through
Marion Hedgspeth, the Glendale train X
robber.
Hedgspeth sent the following letter:
'ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Oct. o, 1904.
"Major Larrigan, Chief OF Police.
"DEAR SIR-When III. M. Howard was in
here some two months ago he camo TO me
and told me that no would like to talk to
me; that he had read great deal
OF me, etc. He told me that he had q
scheme by which he could make 10000,
bat that he needed some lawyer who
could be trusted and said that II ccnld
Introduce him TO one he would give
me 5000 for SO doing. He then told \
me that b. Y. Pitzels life was
were going TO Work the insurance com.
pany for that SUM. He told me just how
they were going TO do 1T, even going
into minutest details. He said he
was an expert at it., and that he
nad worked at it before and being
druggist he could easily deceive the ir-
france company by having Pitzel fix
himself up according to his directionsN
and make 1t appear that ne was mortaily
wounded by an explosion, and then put
corpse in the place of Pitzels body, ETC.,
and have 1t certified as that of Pitzsi.
told me that Howard had come to him
and introduced himself, saying recom-
mended him, and that he (Howard) rad
laid the whole plot open to him. Howe
said he never heard of a finer OF smoother
piece of work--that ii was sure to work
and that Howard was one Of the smartcst
and slickest men that he had ever heard
Of etc.
"Howard told mo that he would see Z
got my 1000 II it worked, and that
Howard was going east TO attend&
to IL at once. Howe told me ii was the "A
Fidelity Mutual OF fphiladelphia. lie told
me every two or three days that eyery-E
thing was working smoothly, aud notices
appeared in the newspapers of Pitzel'6.y
death. Howe came down at once and told
me it was now only matter Of few
days until we get the money, and the
only thing to keep the company from pay-
ing it vas that howard aud Pitzel were "a
hard up for money that they could not
pay dues on the policy until day or
SO before 1T was due and then had
to send it by telegraph and that
the company might claim that they did
not get the money until after the lapse Of <
the policy, but they did not claim thinf
and SO Howe and little girl, think PITT
ze's daughter, succeeded in having thor
body recognized and identified as that 81
B. 4. Pitzes.
GLOVE told mo that Pitzel's wife wa
privy 10 the whole thing. He says now
that Howard would not let Mrs. Pitzel
go TO Philadelphia to identify the body ol
her husband and that he (Howe) feels
almost certain that Howard deceived
PitZel and that pitzel in follow iuxS \
Howard's Instructions was killed aud
that it was really the body OF Pilzcl.
"The policy was made out to the wife,
and when the money was put into thoz
bank Howard stepped out and loft tho
wife TO settle with Howe for his services,
She was wiling to pay him $1,000, but ho&
wanted $500 So $3.50 is held until they
get over squabbling about it.
" 1t Is hardly worth while TO say that III
never got the $500 Howard helc out to me 4
for introducing him TO Howe. This, AUDI
n lot more / will swear TO. I wish YOU
would see the Fidelity Mutual Life and
see il they have been made the victims OF
this swidle, II so, tell them / want to seed
them. Yours respectfully, M. X. h
Mrs. Pitzel and che Detectives.
Boston, Nov. 20.--Careful inquiry and
Investigation discloses that there Is "a
peculiar and mysterious combination sur~1
rounding the arrest OF Mrs. Pitzsl iInA
this city, charged with being an
accomplice of II. II. Howard, alias Holiness
in swindling the Fidelity Mutual Lif0I
Insurance Company of Philadelphia. ltI
was given out last evening that the wo~<
man had been decOyed from Buri.ugt0u]
VT, by the police, and that upon her ara n
rival in the city was immediately tran8<3
ferred 10 New York train in company5
with Howard. IL is now known thao]
Mrs. Pitzel was in the city yesterday1
mcrning, and that she was in the come
pany of Pinkerton detectives during the n
day The party visited police headquar~
tiers where il is understood trade was
entered into by the woman on one hanq{
and the detective on the other by whlch{
she is to aid them in their efforts to-
convict Howard. Just what method Is to
be pursued 10 bring about this end is not/
known. The police and detectives navo/
both made strenuous efforts TO keep Mr8s
Pitzel's identity and the fact that she MAJ
in this city all Gay yesterday secret.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 20.-Mrs. Benja<<
min L. Pitzel, the wife OF the man
upon whose supposed death $1,000 were
fraudulently collected from the Fideilty/
Mutual Life Association OF this city
together with her io-year-old daughter(
MEDIA, and n. III. Holmes, alias tlJrmau
Mudget, arrived IN this city today frou<
Boston in the custody OF Detectjv@
Crawford ana two Pinkkerton mer
Mrs. pltzel was 40 worn out by the stra1I
OF the pss, fen oays that she had 10 be a.
sisted from tile railroad station by 81
officer and Detective Crawford. HoimQ
aud Mrs. Pitzel were taken 10 the Certt1
station, where they were cioseted Wit
Superintendent Linden. The conferonc1
is still ia progress.
One of Holmes wives also arrived In III
city today, but was spirited away by ~
detectives, who refuse TO allow her ploG
OF abode 10 be made public at present.