The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-18

her life insured 2 He said he would
swear before God he did not have a pol
icy on her life and was rot able to carry
one.
Sam Williams said to Mr.. Massey, one
of the lawyers for the prosecution, 81
have got that bottle to show right now
what I gave her. People say that
killed ny wife, but God knows it amt
true. was as kind to her as | could
he. I heard all this damned talk about
my killing my wife with bromidia and l
put the bottle away and am ready TO
show it at the proper time. | am Just
as dead certain to get my money as the
sun shines above us"
In contradistinction to this statement,
according to the evidence of Mr.. Benia-
min L Robinson, Deputy Sheriff of Car
/ teret county, and one of the most re
spectacle citizens Of the town of Beau
fort: son the 18th of this month,
March, / think it was, | was in my gar
den planting Irish potatoes, and Sam
came in and got to telling me his
troubles. He said be had 10 woman
about the house. | says "Why don't
YOU got married. He said Il don't
want to get married now; for suppose
was married, before court, Hinsdale
would get up there and say he knows
killed my wife because he has married
so soon afterwards. | said 'the reason
you amt married nobody will have
you" He said 'thera amt but one
woman in this town l will have" | said
''well, God help her" ! asked him who
it was. He said he would not tell Says
I, chow do you feel with court pretty
near here2' He says II am going to tell
you, if nobody knows but me. | have
not seen a minutes peace since my wife
died. Many night | lay in that house
all night long and never shut my eyes. -
| said Don't you wish you were clear
of insurance, like | ana / know moth
ing about it and never attempted to get
insurance in my life" He said Eyes,
if l was clear of it like you are, and
knew as much as / do now, $50, 900
wouldn't get me in. | would rather be
without house, home, clothes and some
thing to eat, and be clear of insurance,
than to have $50 900 and be like am. p"
Previous to this, Robinson, speaking
to Frank Longest, said Frank, this tale
is ridiculous they have started around
here about this life insurance Of Sans. "
/ said, sit is not so; for he has just been
here and hoped God might kill him if it
was So" He says, "He has just been
around there to me and Bill Johnson and
said the same thing" Bill Johnson said,
"You are such liar, you have got to
hold your hand up and swear to it," He
said this to Sam. And Sam held his
hand up and hoped God might kill him,
if be had had his wife's life insured. The
evening before she died and when they
thought she was dying Sam was stand
ing and talking over the fence TO me. 1t
was getting dark. Sam stood there and
talked to me over an hour. | wanted to
get rid of him. People would be passing
by and they would say, "she is dying"
l said to Sam, why don't you go in as
your wife is dying2" He said they don't
need him Yes" said l, ''but that is
your place." He stood there and talked
to me for an hour or SO. 1t was shortly
after this that Sam swore that her life
was not insured.
These are some of the colors that play
about the personality of Mr.. Samuel
Williams, who shuffl3s along through
life with his over-shot trousers, small,
well knit frame, one shoulder higher
than the other, and pair of CLASSY eyes,
his slovenly suit of black burnt red by
the sug, and a white Cravat adorned
with little red flowers His hair hangs
| forward over a brow slanting back aud
a smile is rarely seen in the gloomy re
cesses OF his face.
The Rouutree case referred to in the
letter of @. r. Hassell to Mr. Hinsdale is
that of a young woman, the wife of W
J. Rountree, and the daughter of an old
boatman by the name Of Steve Turner,
who has been a familiar figure about
Beaufort for nearly half a century.
If Steye's life has not been altogether
blameless, the wicked acts in it date so
far back that he had come to be known
throughout the State in the minds Of Wis
itOrs to and from this summer resort as
an amusing and odd character, but a
man to be trusted and the fact is his
character stood exceptionally high among
all that knew him. But now it comes to
pass that long, long agoSteve was involved
in some seduction case and now comes to
the front as a co conspirator in these in
surance frauds. That he aided in get
ting forwarded applications for insurance
on his daughter after the facts presently
to be recited, are noted.
The girl had married a man and gone
off to place called Jasper; had seeming
ly been badly treated; had been brought
home an invalid durir which time she
was insured, in the following companies:
National Life, $4,000; Mutual Reserve
Fund, $4,000; Life Insurance Clearing
Company, st. Paul, So, 200; National
Capital Life Association, $1,000;
Massachusetts Benefit Life Asso-
citation, $1,000. Deceased was in
sured as Of ''the American race to OBJ
scure the fact that she was a negro. The
fact tlat an extraordinary sum Of insur-
auce had been secured on her life had
! oeeu concealed in both the application
and proofs Of death.
The first and principal feature is that
the deceased was in q dying condition at
the time application for insurance was
made This is proved conclusively over
the signature Of her father, Stephen /.
| Turner, on two postal cards mailed May
/ 4th, 1894, and directed TO Mrs R0untree