The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-06
4 coNrIcr rEs1ifIES ron ms w1FE.
Mr.. Innse On Trial Here for Con.pirIne 20
Drtrnud Insurance JompnnIsy.

Mr.. Lnnse IN Trial Here for Con.pirine 20
Drtrnud Insurance tompnnIes.
Mrs. Minnie LanEe. a young German woman.
was put on trial yesterday in the General Ses-
sons before Recorder Smyth upon an indict-
ment accusing her OF cons piring with her hus-
band, Wilhelm LANCE TO defraud the Mutual
Reserve Fund Life Association ont OF $4,000
by claiming that Lango had been killed in =
driving accident in Germany. though on Sept.
.. when she presented the claim. he was living
with her In Brooklyn. She and LANCE we're
tried In November in Brooklyn for making .
similar attempt to defraud the John Hancock
Life Insurance Company out OF $1,000. LanGe
was convicted and sentenced to three years
and six months imprisonment. but his wife
was acquitted. She was then brought TO this
city and committed 10 the Tom bs TO await trial
upon the indictment against her here.
LANCE. with close cropped hair and wearing
prison clothes, was brought to court yesterday
from the Kings county penitentiary on n writ
OF habeas corpus. When Mrs. LANCE saw him
she burst into tears Assistant District Attor-
ney Osborne. representing this people. proved
that In May 1898. LANCE obtained life insur-
ance amounting to 81. 800 In tho New York Life
Insurance Company. the Mutual Resorve
Fund Lilo Association. the Prudential Life In
surance Company. and tho John Hancock Life
Insurance COMPANY He had been q saloon
keeper. but sold out a few weeks before OBJ
tnlnlnR the insurance. Larry In June he went
to Germany. aud mis- wife became lanitress of
the house at tot Evergreen avenue. Brooklyn.
she told several persons that she eX pected her
husband homo in September. and that he
would have great deal 81 money.
About sept; l. LANCE came to the house. ac-
comnRnled by his right-ycar-old daughter.
who had been living III Germany. and by his
slster:ln- law. His baggage was brought from
the North German Lloyd steam shin dock at
Hoboken. On Sept. y, Mrs. LANCE presented
10 two Insurance companies what purported
10 be certified copies of the records of the
Royal German Health Department to the
object that Iange had been killed on June ~
by Icing thrown from n wagon.
For the defence LANCE testified that shortly
after lie reached Germany he received two
anonymous letters, warning h I'm that his wife
was un faithful and was living with a man in
Brooklyn. The writer suggested that Lange
get some one to send his wife word that he
was dead. and also proofs Of his death. Then
u he went home UNEXPECTEDLY Ee could entrap
his wife. He acted on the advice and sent his
vile what nurported to be- the proofs Of his
death. which had been obtained for him by a
grocera clerk named HatTelburg. Toward the
end OF August he returned to New York. He
put up Mt a hotel at Washington street and
watched his wifc for q week. Then being
satisfied that whit tho anonymous letter
writer had told was not true. he went 10 his
wifes room.
She appeared to be dumfounded and told
him that no had probably got her into a great
deal OF trouble and himself as we'll, because
sho had submitted the proofs of his death to
two insurance companies and had claimed tho
insurance on his life. $1,000. He advised her
10 GO at once to the mpanies and tell them
he was alive. When she went to the John Han
cock Lie Insurance Companys office to tell
them this she was arrested
TN cross-eNamination Mr.. Osborne CONS
PEELED Iange to admit that his wife sent m oney
for his passage over.
Mrs. LANCE told the same story in her own
behalf The trial will be continued to-day.