The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-08-08
BIG INSURANCE FRAUDS.
ASensational Trial Of Prominent Peo
pie at Morehead City.

pie at Morehead City.
A special from Morehead City says:
The third day OF the sensational trial
for conspiracy in life insurance was
devoted to proving the physical and
financial condition of Charles Arthur,
one of the alleged victims. If the
evidence of the prosecution is not re-
butted Arthur is proved to have been
a pauper and almost Q living skeleton.
Fraud is proved by the evidence as it
stands, but as yet there is no proof OF
conspiracy. :!
W. L. Arendell was put on the stand
Wednesday morning. He testified that
Charles Arthur was walking skeleton
and the nearest to dead man he ever
saw alive. The Justice said this did
not show conspiracy and further evi-
dence was ruled out.
It is matter of record that Arthur
was pauper and received So a month
from the county fund, and that he was
an object of charity for the citizens OF
Morehead City and Beaufort.
DR.. L. W. Perkins, the last man ar
rested, is mayor of Newport and ex-,
town constable of Morehead City. At
the beginning of this season Perkins
was in charge of the police department
of the Atlantic Hotel. Here and in
Beaufort people are discussing the
sensational arrests, but seem to with
hold their opinions until all the evil
dence has been brought out. They
say prominent citizens should not be
condemned as guilty Of these dark
crimes until strong proof has been Of
fered. The prosecution claims to have
this proof. The attorneys for the de-
fence say there has been no evidence
to prove conspiracy and as yet no case
has been made out.
On the fourth day of the sensational
cases of conspiracy to defraud lnsur-
ance companies the evidence brous ht
out was in the line with that of the
day before, butwas much more explicit
and conclusive. Fraud was proved con-
clusively in one case after another.
The following shows, first, the actual
ages; second, the age named IN the
policy, and third, the real physical
condition of the parties named below,
who were alliusured for good amounts;
Hattie A. Davis, first 70, second 40;
condition, in6rm.
Sarah NJ. Gabriel, very old, 45;
infrm.
Shepard Davis, first 70, second 76;
infirm.
Emma J. Casey, first 70, second so;
inirm.
Melissa Gurhtir, tirst 70, second So;
infi1m.
John Boyd, physical wreck.
VIM. J. Rice, said to be good risk,
lunatic.
Mary A. Longhurst, first IS, second
So; poor health.
VIM. H. jones, good risk, consump-
ton.
Sarah A. Lewis, first over so, sec
ond 40.
Rosanna Washington, first 50, Sec
ond So; laid up with rheumatism.
Samuel Windsor, first IS, second So;
in6rm.
Thomas Davis; consumptive.
Florence Chadwick, in very bad
health.
The prosecution attempted to prove
that the money received on the benefit
paid at the death of Wigfall was divid-
ed between four relatives Of the dead
man, and that these four relatives in
sured man in the last stages of con-
sumption eleven days before death,
swearing that he was good risk, that
the insurance agent in Beaufort certl-
fed that Wigfall was q "good risk. !"
Most of the day was taken up by
wransles between counsel as to the
admission OF testimony. A large num-.
Der of letters, affidavits, applications
for insurance policies, etc, were ad-
mitted and seven of the hundred wit
nessas were examined orally. The
court room was filled with interested
listeners.
The trial of the alleged coDspirators
was on Friday continued until We'd
nesday morning by agreement Of the
the counsel. On Thursday proof Of
fraud was presented in testimony OF
witnesses not directly interested. On
Friday some of the very parties whose
lives were fraudulently insured testi.
fed on the stand to the frauds COM
mitted. Apparent forgerics were shown
in one case after another and several
fraudulent applications were intro