Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-05-14
LIFE INSURANCE TRAGEDY
From Kansas City Kan, Gazette.

bCClOn vi Une SLdtc luSur 6irCc oOihmio
sioner of Kansas in attempting to ex-
pell from the State three Of the Oldest
and best known life insurance COM
panies OF the United States, for the
reason that they are contesting the
payment of claims in the Hfllmon case,
renders of particular interest at this
time brief review of that and some
other celebrated cases OF insurance
frauds occurring in this part OF the
country:
Life insurance companies rarely
contest any claim; they do not contest
one tenth of one per cent of the claims
presented against them. They give
the claimant the benefit of the doubt
when there is a doubt. The prompt
payment OF claims is the universal
17rle is the course of honor, and IL
also increases THE popularity, uhe
business. the strength OF company
| All of the we'll known American iile
companies have clear records, hopie
names. because their history has Deeh
honorable and beneficent. In the Hill
mon case the three companies uId'
issued the policies are mutual COM
nanies. thew are the trustees OF their
policyIholders; the money that tney
hold is the money Of the policy -holders'
of widows and orphans, and IS
sacred fund. When thief attempts 10
rob this fund, 1T is the duty OF us
guardians TO protect 1t and to use
every effort to arrest and punish one
criminal. They cannot condone crime
All OF our readers remember tine
Fraker case. DR.. Fraker OF EXCELSIOR
Springs, Missouri, took out aarge
amount of life insurance, and 0hen' IN
the presence of his fellow conspiratorS
Az witnesses. went Through the process
of being drowned in The Missouri river.
It was a very coarse job, but Vt COM
p1etely deceived so able and honorable
a iurist as John F. Phillips, the United
States Judge in Kansas City, MISSOURI
who tried the case. His rulings anu
instructions were so plainly on the
Fraker side that the jury Immediately
brought in a verdict against the cor
porattons. The insurance companies
maid the insurance to Frakers exc
cutor. Soon after Fraker was found IN
Northern Wisconsin.
In the year 1878 Levi Baldwin was
a farmer and cattle dealer, living near
Lawrence, and had The reputation OF
being very successful in the business
In point of fact The was bankrupt. He
found it necessary to raise some money
and was willing to resort to desperate
measures. He was the author oil tine
famous Hillmon case. John w. Hill
mon and John H. Brown were team
sters and cattle herders and often
worked for Baldwin. These men en-
tered into q conspiracy to raise money
by defrauding life insurance COM
pani>s. They inquired of five Insurance
agents and other persons as TO ohe
names and standing of life insurance
companies; how long it took to get
the money after the death OF an m
sured man; how long it took body
to deoompose after burial. In the
midst of this strange line of inquiry
John w. Hillmon married Miss Sallie
Quinn, a servant girl in Lawrence,
and a cousin of the Baldwins.
Then Hillmon and Baldwin hunted mp
the life insurance agents in Lawrence
and applied for $4,000 Of life insur-
ance on Hillmon, who was represented
as a wealthy cattle man. Tire agents
refused to insure Hil.lmon for $4,000,
but the conspirators kept working on
them, and Hillmon finally secured
2O,OOO,-the policies payable, in case
of his death, ito his widow. the
cousin of the Baldwins. Levi Baldwin
borrowed THE money and paid the first
premium on Hillmon's policies. This
part Of the conspiracy had been COM
pleted. What was wanted now was
dead Hillmon.
In December, 1878, and Immediately
after getting the insurance, Hillmon
and Brown left Lawrence for Wichita.
and. as they said, ''to locate cattle
ranch in the southwest" 1ney stayed
some time i'm Wichita, and made a
journey In wagon, trying to find a
victim. Brown says in his confession:
1--WE expected to find a subject that
would appear to he HBllmon frozen to
death, and that could only be identified
by THE clothes and papers found on it,
am so l could pass At off as Hillmon."
Having thus far failed to fiEd or kill
a man, Hillmon Thought that a little
more Life insurance might as we'll be
had Leaving Brown in Wichita. he
went back to Lawrence and applied
for $4,000 more insurance. Late In
the month OF February, 1879, he sue
ceeded in getting half of that amount.
Now HillmoR had in all $25, 900 of life