Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-05-15
LIE INSURANCE. TRAGEDY.

sioner of Kansas in attempting to ex-
pei from the state three of the oldest
and best known life insurance COM
spanies 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 brief review of that and some
other celebrated cases of insurance
frauds occurring in this part of the
country.
Life insurance companies contend
that they 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 1t is asserted that the prompt
payment of claims is the universal
rule, is the course of honor, and it
also increases the popularity, the
business. the strength of a company.
All of the well-known American life
companies have clear records, noble
names, because their history has been
honorable and benefcent. In the Hill
mon case the three companies that
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 policy-holder,
of widows and orphans, and is a
sacred fund. When a 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 the
criminal. They cannot condone crime.
All of our readers remember the
Fraker case. DIR. Fral1er, of Excelsior
Springs, Mo-, took out a large amount
of life insurance, and then, in the pres
ence of his fellow-conspirators as wit
nesses, went through the process of be-
ing drowned in the Missouri river. 1t
was very coarse job, but it complete
Ky deceived able and honorable a
jurist as John F. Philips, the United
States judge in Kansas City, Mo-, who
tried the case. His rulings and instruc-
6ions were so plainly on the Fraker
side that the jury Immediately brought
IN a verdict against the corporations
The insurance companies paid the III
=surance to Fralker's executor. Soon
after Fraker was found in Northern
Wisconsin.
The now famous Hi1lmon case, it is
alleged by the insurance companies, is
equally fraudulent. The evidence
shows that Hillmon was poor man, a
-teamster and cattle herder. He
worked for Levi Baldwin, a farmer
and cattle raiser living near Lawrence.
Hillmon married Miss Sallie Quinn, a
servant girl in Lawrence, and cousin
of the Baldvins. The fact that Hill
mon within short time took out life
insurance policies aggregating $50, 900
was of itself almost conclusive evidence
OF fraud.
In December, 1873, and Immediately
after getting the insurance, Hillmon
and one John II. Brown left Lawrence
for Wichita, as they said, ito To-
cate cattle ranch in the southwest"
They stayed some time in Wichita
when Hillmon returned to Lawrence
and applied for $40, 900 more insur-
ance, but succeeded in getting only
S., 900, making S25, 900 in all. Hillmon
returned to Wichita by rail, February
IS, 1879. Frederick A. Walters, of Fort
Madison, Iowa, took the same train
at Emporia, and Hillmon made his
acquaintance on the journey to
Wichita.
Walters was a cigarmaker, looking
for a location. Within a day or two
Walters wrote to Miss Alvira hasten
= at Fort Madison, to whom he was en-
gagged to be married, letter in which
die said;
win stay here until the fore part
of next week and then will leave here
to see a part of the country that never
expected to see when left home, as L
am going WIN q man named H1llmOn,
who in tends to start sheep ranch, and
The has promised me more wages than
Il could make at anything else, I con-
cluded to take tat least until can
strike something better"
He wrote other letters to his family,
making the same statement. But no
more letters did he write. Never more
did his mother or sweetheart see him
alive
Hillmon and Brown and Walters
started out on a wagon towards Barber
county. The next news from the party
was the report that Brown had acct
.dentally shot and killed Hillmon while
they were in camp on the nth of March;
that he had taken Hillmon's body to
Medicine Lodge where coroner's in
quest was held and the body buried for
decomposition.
The Baldwins went down there to
get the body; they did not get it, but
fenced in the ground where it was
buried. Col. Samuel Walker and two
INSURANCE agents soon after arrived
from Lawrence and insisted upon dig
ging up the body and taking it to