New-York tribune., 1895-02-15

WHOSE LIFE THEY had INsURED-TRyiNG
TO SECURE LARGE POLICIES on
Ills SISTERS LIFE.
The arrest Of Harry =. Hyams and DaiAs I.
Hya.ns twin brothers. in Toronto, Canada, where
they doing a brokerage business on the
charge of having murdered William C. Wells on
January l6. 1898. for the sake OF his Insurance.
has caused a great deal IF talk in this city.
where they were formerly known. The family Is
a well-known and wealthy one in louisiana. as
vel rs in this city Chapman H. Hyams. the
elder brother Of the accused men. was principal
owner OF the old ST. Charles Hotel. in New
Orleans. and connected with the Louisiana
Lottery, and Is reputed to be a millionaire.
siorlcy Yuiee Hyams. another brother. has lived
at the Glsey House for the last seventeen years,
and Is we'll known to most men about town. He
Ia also well TO do.
The crime Of which the two men are accused.
according to dispatches from Toronto. ia the kill
ing of William c. Wells t. the insurance
OF s3S. 900 upon his life Fourteen years ago the
two brothers left the United States while under
bond FOR a crooked transaction. and have never
returned. They went to Canada and engaged IN
business and were more or less supported by
their two brothers here. About five years ago
they became acquainted with william and
ada from Somerset. England In 1892 Harry P.
Hyams and Martha Wells became engaged. and
the young brother. william entered the employ
OF Hyams. During 1892 1t is said. attempts were
made TO get young Wells TO take out life insur-
ance policies He first took out 81 900 in the Cow
enant Mutual Benefit Association Of Illinois. and
in the fall OF 1852 application vas made 10 the
New-York Life for $4,000 his life. payable TO
his sister and the half-yearly premium OF 1884
H."ar At
81 900 was taken out in the Illinois company.
In November. 1892. the Hyams brothers rented
a warehouse IN Toronto for the purpose. as they
said. Of dOing general auction business. only
two employees were engaged In the building be-
sides Wells and the Hyams brothers. on JAM
uary l6 the police Of Toronto were informed that
william c. Wells mad been killed in the elevator
81 the warehouse Upon investigation II was
found that Harry T. Hyams was the only person
In the warehouse at the time OF young Weilss
death and mis- explanation was that Wells was
making some repairs at TIE bottom Of the old.
fashioned freight elevator and the oOo-pound
weight which balanced the elevator had become
loosened and had fallen from the third story upon
MS head killing him instantly.
The Coroner accepted Hyams's explanation.
and upon investigation the insurance companies
failed TO find ANYTHING wrong ana psld
s3s Goo to Martha Wells. All OF the policies in
Guiding $4,000 in the Mutual Accident Associa.
ton had been taken out within five months OK
the death Of Wells. In few months Harry +.
Iiyams and Martha Wells were married About
a year ago Hyams and his VIE vent TO Mont.
/
printers ink. -
Nothing more was heard Of the two brothers
until few weeks ago, when II was IotEd tnat
an attempt was being made to insure Mrs.
Harry =. Hyams for a heavy amount-somethins
In the neighborhoOd OF 100000. Applications
were made in the following companies: the
Equitable Life Assurance Society o. New. orn, nx,
$50 600: tho Mutual Life. OF New-York. S5oo0:
United States Life. of New-York. s2o0co; MUTUAL
Reserve Fund. Of New-York. $4,000: the sun
Life 500 600: standard Life ~ Ed!nburgh, sloVo'
and later S75 600: Confederation Life. $1,000
Sorley Yulce Hyams was seen az the Gilsey
House las, night b. a Tribune reporter. ne salo
he could not believe that his brothers were
guilty Neither he nor his brother chapman
had seen the two brothers since they ieit this
| country fourteen years ago. They ndd oi,en as
sisted them during that time. ana ne uiu hUt
| think they ever ackc' fOr money. DaIlas !.
Hams he said had married number OF years
| ago n Miss Harrison. OF this city. " neh ASKER
| = he and his brother would help HAIRY +. an
| Dallas T. IN their troubles he only ,s reps'ea, n
| .Iyood l. tt ECKER than water me hrst news re
| had Of the matter was :. few days ago. and he
| and his hrothe have been in telegraphic conn
| municatio the subject
| ~ the United states Life insurance company
Yesterday il was said that an application Tor
soo o0o insurance on the life OF Martina fyams
had been received by the company secretary
! g. = Fralsieh said that the medical director ot
| tho comt any had decided that she was not
desirable physical risk ana her lam,. p,, S,r u,as
| rejected He said that In the case OF sucn heaVy
| insurance TOR woman the application Is thor-
| 0ughly investigated. ,,, ,.x
/ Mr. Camp Of tne Mutual Reserve runa L,ie
said that an application tor s-';vv, q, nr haa hean
| ~ Mrs Hyams had been made but IL hao oee"
AZ the Equitable Life Assurance Society II wss ss
denied rhat there had been AIRY appiica,lon 70 ~"
| ,omn,nv for n policy on the life OF Mrs ~ ans
| Nothing could be learned at the Mutual A''s