New-York tribune., 1896-02-06
SHE GETS THE INSURANCE.
mn MRS. SMITHS HUSBAND HAVE RED
OR BLACK HAIR?
,,,r J1,RY FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THE ALLEGATION
OF THE COMPANY THAT CORPSE WAS
SUBSTITUTED FOR A LIVE MAN

THE JURY FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THE ALLEGATION
OF THE COMPANY THAT A CORPSE WAS
SUBSTITUTED FOR A LIVE MAN.
case Of an alleged attempt TO swinde insurance
ronanies by the substitution of corpse for live
ION similar in many respects to the schemes car
,oa ont by II. II. Holiness charged with many mur-
aors and attempts to swindle insurance companies,
uas nut on trial yesterday in the Supreme Court be-
.ore Justice Freedman and jury. The action in
hitch Il is alleged by the insurance companies that
" attempt has been made defraud them is
.ouqht by Annie Smith as Administrative Of the
.state Of Peter Smith. her husband, against the
nsa,t,al insurance Company of America to re-
o- a 600 insurance on her husbands life. Peter
cn,h who lived at No. 25i West Fifty-frst-st..
s also insured in the New-York Life Insurance
Comnany for $1,000 in the Metropolitan Life In
rrance Company for $1,000 in the John Hancock
Company for $500 and in the Prudential for another
$50
II IS alleged by Mrs. Smith that her husband died
r November 8. 1894. from consumption. The de-
fenaant company admit that a man known as Peter
Smith died of consumption at the place and on the
date named. but deny that he was the man who
admitted 10 the medical examination and was IN
sured by the company ana the o'her companies do
Peter Smith
William o. Campbell. counsel for the PRUDENTIAL
Company in his opening statement TO the jury said
,ha, the man who buried as Peter Smith ana
,,e came He said that they were two men. The
- man Mr. Campbell said was weak consump-
.ro with let black hair while the Peter Smith eX-
mined by the medical experts In his and other IN
,rance companies and subsequently insured was
. s,rong man with good lungs and a chest measure
,nsnt of forty-two inches. This man. he SAID had
.aa hair We claim" said Mr.. Campbell. that
,rere was substitution. that while Peter S"h'i
uos at home suffering from consumption ano'her
- uas taking out policies OF insurance in MS
name ,,.,4, ,,rs
.r,,e smith She identified a policy OF insurance
,ssued by the defendant company for $1,000 on fe,er
smiths life The policy was issued on Marcn 90
1ss, She swore tina. the man insured was he, U'
band and the same man who died anu was
buried. - ~, Cor,nheu Mrs
Smith admitted that her husband n'e was "
sursd in ois ssverai era U.ne' asked Mr. Campbell
q don't know l think about forty-sN years
'"you buried him before you notified any one con-
nected with the companies that he was dead
Mrs. Smith said that she had made CLAIMS on on
,ba other insurance companies for the amount OF
Insurance due on her husbands ne - Tho
Daniel Lane. assistant superintendent ot !ne
New-York Office of the defendant company vas 'he
next witness DIR. Henry r. Mckalb was calieu ,oS py
scal examiner for the Prudential Company ior
years He said that , ne ne. nad examiner fe'e
Charles r. Roberts inspector in the employ
OF the Metropolitan Life Insurance company, 'es-
sns1 to hayns y obn Wood d and eoTge " COZ
Inns were the last witnesses. A mass OF coniicl-
10 tns ,bs color OF Smiths hair and by the various
companies as TO his chest measurements.
sfatements made in the other policies should be
taken into consideration by them. After being out
short time the jury returned a verdlct Tor the
full amount for the plaintiff.