Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-05-12
LIFE INSURANCE TRAGEDY
m 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
panAes OF the United States, for the
reason that they are contesting the
payment of claims in the Hillmon case.
renders of particular interest at this
time a 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-tenuh Of one per cent OF the claims
presented against them. They give
the claimant tine benefit of the doubt
when there is doubt. The prompt
rayment of claims is the universal
rule, is the course of honor, and 1t
also increases the popularity. the
business, the strength of a company.
All of the we'll known American 1ne
companies have clear records, noble
names, because their history has been
honorable and beneicent. In the Hill
mon case the three companies unat
issued the policies are mutual COM
panies; they are the trustees OF onefr
policy-holders; the money that they
hold is the money of the policy-holders'
of widows and ORPHANS. and is
sacred fund. When thief attempts to
rob this fund, it is the duty OF its
guardians to protect it and to use
every effort to arrest and punish tne
criminal They cannot condone crime.
All of our readers remember the
| Fraker case. DR.. Fraker of Excelsior
Springs. Missouri, took out large
amount of life insurance, and then, in
the presence Of his fellow conspiratorS
as witnesses. went through the process
of being drowned in the Missouri river.
1t was a very coarse job, but 1t COM
pletely deceived so able and honorable
a jurist as J1Ghn F. Philips, the United
States Judge in Kansas City, Missouri,
who tried the case. His rulings and
instructions we're so plainly on the
Fraker side that the jury Immediately
brought in verdict against the cor
porations The insurance companies
raid the insurance to Fraker's exc
cutor. Soon after Fraker was found in
Northern Wisconsin.
In the year 1873 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 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 Hillmon case. John w. Hill
mon and John H. Brown were team
! ster7s 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 it took to get
the money after the death OF an in
sured man; how long it took a body
to deccmpose after BURIAL In the
midst Of this strange line of inquiry
| John w. Hillmon married Miss Sallie
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 Hiilmon. who was represented
as a wealthy cattle man. The agents
refused to insure Hillmon for 100000,
but the conspirators kept working on
them, and Hillmon finally secured
$20,o00,-the policies payable, in case
of his death, to his widow, the
cousin of the Baldwins. Levi Baldwin
borrowed the money and paid the first
premium on Hiflmon's policies. This
part of the conspiracy had been COM
pleted What was wanted now was a
dead Hillmon.
In December, 1873, and Immediately
after getting the insurance, Hillmon
and Brown left Lawrence for Wichita
and, as they said, ito locate a cattle
ranch in the southwest" 1ney stayed
some time in Wichita, and made a
journey in wagon, trying to find a
victim. Brown says in his confession
I'VE expected to find a subject that
would appear TO be Hsllmon frozen tC
death. and that could only be identified
by the clothes and papers found on it
and so l could pass It of as Hillmon.
Having thus far failed to find or kill
a man. Hillmon thought that a little
more life insurance might as well 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 HiIlmon had in all $25, 900 Of life
insurance; his nerve was siren gthened;
he was ready for business. Hillmou
returned to Wichita by rafl, February
g. Frederick A. Walters,. of For
Madison, Iowa, took the same train
ct Emporia, and Hillmon made hi.
acquaintance On the journey Il
Wichita
Walters was q cigar maker. lookini
tor a location. Within day or txt