The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-01

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Proof of Conspiracy--The Arch Con-
spirator RasseII Took Ont Insurance
on a Pauper and Living SkeletOn--
The Victim Knew Nothing of the
Affair Till He Received Notice.
Special to the News and Observer.
MoREHEAD CITY, N. O., July 81.
The third day of the sensational trial
for conspiracy in life insurance was de-
voted to proving the physical and tinan-
cial condition of Charles Arthur one of
the alleged victims. If the evidence for
the prosecution is not rebutted, Arthur
is proved to have been pauper and al
most 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
again this morning. He testified that
Charles Arthur was a walking skeleton
and the nearest to dead man he ever
saw alive The Justice said this did not
show conspiracy and further evidence
was ruled out,
Capt Charles Springle, of the naptha
launch Sadie, testified that Charles r.
Hassell asked him to send Arthur over
to Beaufort in his boat and to tell Arthur
that it would be money in his pocket if
he came over to Beaufort.
Capt. Sam E. Wade carried Arthur to
Beaufort that morning. Springle brought
him back that night. Springle was in a
hurry and put him out at the depot
wharf, leaving him to come up town as
best he could. Before Arthur got up
town he fell from exhaustion on the rail
road track and was picked up by rail
road hands just in time to prevent his
being run over by the train.
J. B. Arendell notary public of
Morehead City, said that Arthur came
before him not long before his death and
made affidavit, at the request of the agent
of the Northwestern Insurance Company
OF Minneapolis, that he had never been ex-
amined for insurance; that he had never
applied for or authorized any one else to
apply for insurance On his life, and,so far
as he knew, there was no insurance on his
life; furtt ermore that he felt he was not
a fit subject for insurance and swore that
if anybody had insurance on his life it
was fraud.
DR.. J. A, McIntire, a practicing phys
ician and druggist of Morehead City, was
called to the stand. He repeated in sub
stance what Mr.. Arendell had said re-
gardlng the affidavit and stated that he
himself signed Arthur's affidavit in his
official capacity as Mayor of Morehead
City. While Arthur was here he said
his physician was DR.. z. P. Gates who
now residt at Manteo on Roanoke
Island McIntire had never personally
prescribed for Arthur, but had as mat
ter of charity given him medicines to
alleviate his suffering.
T. D. Webb, Of the firm OF T. d. Webb
& Bro, the largest firm in Morehead
City, next testified. He stated that
sometime in the year 1894, previous to
ArthuT's death, Arthur came TO him one
day with letter from the Northwestern
Life Insurance Company, of Minneapo
lis, and as Arthur could not read, he
asked Webb To read it for him. The
letter scared Arthur terribly because he
didn't know anything about any insu
rance on his life. The letter SAID that
the first premium on Arthur's policy
''for which you have given note, is
now due" and asked for an immediate
remittance. Arthur stated to Webb that
he had no insurance, had never applied
for any, had never given them note,
had no money and that this notice was
the first he had ever heard of any insu
rance on his life.
Webb then took him before Arendell
aud McIntire and had him make the aft
davit referred to.
Frank Joyner testified that Arthur was
very feeble frail man, and not at all a
fit subject for insurance.
John Forlaw, a notary public Of Beau
fort, was then called. The proofs Of death
in one of the Arthur cases were eXhibi
ted to him and identified. He stated
that the proofs of death were made out
in the handwriting of Charles r. Hassell,
who issued the policy and that Hassell
came to his house, took him in buggy,
and they went out together to see Mrs.
Arthur, the widow of Charles Arthur,
and asked her to swear to the proofs
All the witnesses testified that he was
very thin and emaciated and in poor
health. Areudell, the notary public,
stated that he weighed him about
gSdA DC1OI6 AAo QCdt1 anu tL4aC h4S NOA
rect weight was eighty seven pounds.
1t is a matter of record that Arthur was
pauper and received two dollars a
month from the county fund, and that
he was an object of charity for the citi
zens 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 be-
ginning of this season Perkins was in
charge of the police department of the
Atlantic Hotel
Here and in Beaufort people are dis
cussipg the sensational arrests, but seem
to withhold their opinions until all the
evidence has been brought out. They
say prominent citizens should not be
condemned as guilty of these dark crimes
until strong proof has been offered. The
prosecution claims to have this proof.
The attorneys for the defence say there