Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-05-20
LIFE INSURANCE TRAGEDY
VrOm kansas CIty kan, oaaette.

eloner 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 DIN the TIlllnon 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-tenbh Of one per cent of the claims
presented against them, They give
the claimant bhe benefit OF the doubt
when there is a doubt, The prompt
payment OF claims lis the universal
rule, is THE course OF honor, and Vt
also increases THE popularity, the
business, the strength of q company.
All of THE we'll known American lire
companies have clear records, NOBLE
names, because their history has been
honorable and beneicent. In the Hill
mon case the three companies nhat
issued the policies are mutual COM
panies; they are the trustees OF their
policy -holders; the money that they
hold is the money of the policy1holders'
of widows and orphans, and rs a
sacred fund. When thief attempts to
rob this fund, Ut is the duty OF ITS
guardians TO protect It and to use
every effort to arrest and punish the
criminal, They cannot condone crime.
AN of our readers remember the
Fraker case. DR.. Fraker Of Excelsior
Springs, Missouri, took out a large
amount Of life insurance, and then, IN
the presence Of his fellow conspirajtors
as witnesses went Through the process
Of being drowned in the Missouri river
II was a very coarse job, but Ut COM
pletely deceived SO able and honorable
a turist as john F. Phillips, the United
States Judge In Kansas City, Missouri
who tried the case. His rulings and
instructions were so plainly on the
Fraker side THAT the jury Immediately
brought IN a verdict against the cor
porations. The insurance companies
paid the insurance to Fraker's exc
cutor. Soon after Fraker was found In
Northern Wisconsin.
In the year 1878 Levi Baldwin was
O farmer and CATTLE dealer, living near
Lawrence, and had the reputation OF
being very successful in the business.
In point of fact he was bankrupt. He
found it necessary to raise some money
and was willing to resort to desperate
measures. He was the author OF the
famous HiIlmon case John w. Hill
mon and John II. Brown were team
STEERS and cattle herders and often
worked for Baldwin. These men en-
tered into conspiracy to raise money
by defrauding life insurance COM
panies. They inquired Of five insurance
agents and other persons as to the
names and standing of Life Insurance
companies; how long 1t took to got
the money after the death OF an i'm
sured man; how long it took a body
To decompose after burial. In the
midst of this strange Line of inquiry
John w. Hillmon marrled Miss SaDlie
Quinn, a servant girl In Lawrence,
and 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 HiIImon, who was represented
as a wealthy cattle man. The agents
refused to insure Hillmon for $4,000,
but the conspirators kept working on
them, and Hillmon finally secured
10000, -the policies payable, in case
Of his death, ito his widow, the
cousin OF the Ba1dwlns. Levi Baldwin
borrowed the money and paid the first
premium on HiIlmOn'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, ito locate 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:
1--WE expected to find subject that
would appear to be HTllmon frozen to
death, and that could only be identified
by the clothes and papers found on 1t,
and so could pass 1T off as HDllmon."
Having thus Gar failed to iEd or kill
a man, Hillmon Thought that a little
more Life insurance might as we'll be
had. Leaving Brown in Wichita, The
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.