The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-05-14
LIFE INSURANCE TRAGEDY
From Kansas city Kan, Gazette.

action of the state insurance commits
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 Hillmon case,
renders of particular interest at thls
time a brief review OF that and some
either celebrated cases of insurance
frauds occurring in this Part OF the
country:
Life insurance companies rarely
contest any claim; they do not contest
cne-tenth OF one per cent of the ciaims
nresented against them. They give
the claimant the benefit of the doupE
when there is a doubt. The prCmp'
n,vment of claims is the universal
,,r,e Is tine course of honor, ana W
enso increases the popularity the
business. the strength of a company
AM of the we'll known American llle
companies have clear records nooie
names because their history mas peeh
honorable and benefcent. In the Hill
mon case the three companies unas
issued the policies are mutual colh-
nanies. they are the trustees CT Uheir
nolicyLhclders; the money tnat uhey
hold is the money of the policy-hoider''
Of widows and orphans, and is
.acred fund. When thief attempts 10
,.oh This fund. 1t is THE duty OF us
guardians to protect 1t ana 10 uSo
everv effort to arrest and punish the
criminal They cannot condone crime.
ALI of our readers remember uhe
Fra,ker case. DR.. Fraker Of Excelsior
Springs, Missouri, took out large
amount OF life insurance, and tnen' III
the presence OF his fellow conspira'or'
ee witnesses. went through the process
Of being drowned in the Missouri river
II was a very coarse job, but IL COIL
nlotelv deceived SO able and honorable
a iurist as john F. Philips, the uhI1eu
States Judge in Kansas City missouri
who tried the case. His rulings anu
instructions were so plainly on uhe
Ersker side that the jury Immediately
brought in a verdict against enc CUT
rorstions. The insurance companies
naid the insurance to Frakers exc
cutor. Soon after Fraker was found IN
Northern Wisconsin.
In the year 1878 Levi Baldwin was
q FARMER and cattle dealer, living near
Lawrence. and had the reputation OF
bsing very successful in the business
In point of fact he was bankrupt. he
found it necessary ITO raise some money
and was willing to resent to desperate
measures. He was the author OF uhe
famous Hillmon case. JChn W. Hill
mon and John II. Brown were team
sters and cattle herders and often
worked for Baldwin. These men en-
tered into a conspiracy to raise money
by defrauding life insurance COM
panies. They inquired of five insurance
agents and either persons as to the
names and standing Of life insurance
companies; how long 1t took TO get
the money after the death of an in
sured man. how long it took a body
to deoompcse after burial. In the
midst of this strange line of inquiry
John w. Hillmon married Miss Sallle
Quinn, servant girl in Lawrence,
and a cousin of the Baldwins.
Then Hillmon and Baldwin hunted up
the life insurance agents in Lawrence
and applied for $4,000 of life insur-
ance on Hillmon, who was represented
as wealthy cattle man. The agents
refused to insure Hillmon for $4,000,
but the conspirators kept working on
them. and Hilmon finally secured
S2O,O00,-'the policies payable, in case
of his death, to his widow, the
cousin CT the Blldwins. 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 a cattle
ranch in the southwest" 1ney stayed
some time in Wichita, and made a
Journey in a wagon, trying to find
victim. Brown says in his confession:
I'VE expected to find a subject that
would appear to be HVllmon frozen to
death, and that could only be identified
by the clothes and papers found on it,
and so l could pacs it off as Hillmon."
Having thus far failed to find or kill
a man, Hallmon Thought that 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.