The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-04
THE ESTATE DISAPPEARS
ADMINISTRATION SEARCHING FOR
WIN. III. JAMES's BELONGINGS.
metropolitan Insurance Policy which
"A COmpany's Agent Took
Possession OF.

Probate Commissioner Walker yesterday
appointed Attorney o. B. lies administrators
Of the estate of VIM. II. James, sixty-four
years old, who died at the Deaconess Hos
pital on Dec. last Of pneumonia The ap-
pointment was made at the request of DR..
John Kolmer, who was called to attend the
sick man in his room over a drug store at
Virginia avenue and Maryland street. and
afterward had him removed to the hospital
DR.. Kolmer said he believed an administra-
tor should be appointed in order that an in
vestigation might be made of the manner
in which Mr. James, personal property was
disposed Of
Immediately after the appointment had
been made the administrator started out to
look after the personal effects belonging to
the estate. James was a machinist and
was employed at Ewald Overs foundry on
South Pennsylvania street. He had no fam
lily in this city, but it was learned that his
son is a travelling man, who makes his
headquarters in Chicago and Memphis
Tenn. Mr.. lies went to the room formerly
occupied by James and found that all the
furniture had been removed. The attorney
made inquiry at the foundry where James
had worked and found that one of his shop
mates-William Swan-had taken charge of
the furniture. Swan said he had sold it for
IS and had sent the money to James's son
at Memphis. Mr.. lies says he was informed
that when James entered the hospital he
had about $4S in cash with him, besides
gold watch, three or four diamonds and two
insurance policies. The people at the hos
pital told the attorney that after James's
death a man who gave the name of George
w. Baker a collector for the metropolitan
Life Insurance Company, came there, and
all the dead mans personal effects were
turned over to him. Attorney Hes saw Bak-
er and the latter told him that he had paid
the hospital people $40 and had paid $3S to
Undertaken Blanchard, who buried William
James. Prior to his talk with Baker Attor-
ney lies called up the Metropolitan Life In
surance Company and learned that one of
the policies held by James had been issued
by that company. The attorney says that
during his talk over the phone he gave the
company some instructions, as he had a
right to do as administrator, and was met
with the reply that sit was none of his bus
mess" Baker told the attorney that he had
taken possession of James's effects because
he was his friend. He laughed when the
attorney spoke of the diamonds, and de-
clared they were not real Jewels but were
effects to his son at Memphis. D. J. Con-
ner, of $40 East Washington street, told At
torney Hes that he knew something about
the diamonds which James had in his pos
session. He said they were fine stones, but
did not belong to James. They had been
given him, Conner said, by a woman of this
city, who left them as security for money
loaned her by James. Attorney Hes says
that Baker told him he only knew of James
having one insurance policy and this was
the one issued by the Metropolitan Com
pany. The policy was in the possession of
Baker, and the attorney did not learn the
amount of it. He was told that the re-
mainder of the funeral expenses would be
paid out of the insurance held by James. Dr.
KOmer sent a note to the proprietor of the
establishment where James had been en-
ployed asking about his bill He says he
received a reply to the effect that there
was nothing left of the estate" The physi-
clan then began to make some inquiry on
his own account, which resulted in the ap-
pointment of an administrator. Attorney Hes
says the matter will be investigated by the
court