Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-08
TEE LATHAM CASE
Frank NJ. B,ckneli.

~
expect to SEQ much of the sombre side |
of life. Where all runs smoothly in a |
commercial enterprise the services of /
an expert accountant are seldom |
needed; it is in times Of trouble. when |
there has been incapacity, mismanage- |
ment, or rascality, that he is called |
into consultation. 1t might he said |
that there is always death in the |
house when he appears the death of |
somebody's fond hopes. | have often
felt as IL | we're a sort OF commercial
undertaken whose Office il is to do his
(, best to prepare an unsightly corpse for
decent burial. Ones sensibilities get
rather painfully narrowed up some
times, and one longs for the power to
right wrongs that seem destined never
to be righted on this side of the grave
The situation of the Latham family
struck me. as being peculiarly. and |
may add, ''ageravatedly, unfortunate.
Henry Latham was an importer of
Oriental and miscellaneous fancy
goods. He was doing large and
apparently profitable business when
his health began to fail. Rest and a
sea voyage being recommended, he left
his New York establishment in charge
OF His manager, one Tomlinson, and
embarked for Havre. as the first stage
of journey around the world. Letters
to his wife and daughter came at
intervals until he left Yokohama on a
trans Pacific steamer Then they heard
from him directly no more. Their next
news was from San Francisco. He had
died in mid-ocean, some time before
the Empress of Japan touched at.
Honolulu. On the heels of this event
followed another in its own way almost
as distressing. Tomlinsou, the mana
ger, absconded with all the funds he
could lay hands upon, leaving the
business in the utmost disorder.
Ny friend barrow, of the law firm of
Lounsbury, Leach i Darrow, came to
get me to supervise the investigation
Of Latham's books. He represented
several Of the large foreign creditors.
interests personally, had engaged an
agent to act in their behalf.
II fear it will be a bad failure" he
confided to me, obviously. ut is
almost foregone conclusion that there
won't be enough to. satisfy the claims
against the estate, and heaven only
knows what the poor widow and
daughter are going to do''
HAS Mrs Latham nothing of her
OWN" | asked, for up to this time the
Lathams and their affairs had beer
entirely unknown TO me.
barrow shook his HEAD. THERE'S &
house in Orange standing in her name
but we find it has been mortgaged fol
all it will bear, and the money sunk il
the business. But the most unluclSy
feature Of the whole affair, next t
Latham's death, is the falling through
of the life insurance.
"How is that? What do YOU meap?'
Haven't you heard? 1t is a mos
extraordinary fatality. You know
Latham is supposed to have committe,
suicideY''
mo; that is, didn't know it hac
been proved.
sit hasn't been really proved; tn
trouble is it can't be disproved An,
suicide, you are aware, il it take
place within a certain time after tn
date of the policy-two years is tn
limit set by this company invalidate
the claim and releases the insurer
from all liability. Now by how muc
margin do you suppose the company
going to squirm out of that payment?
barrow looked at me impressively
and forbore to spoil his effect by
definite and possibly too cl ose guess.
Marrow, / suppose, said /.
Narrow" he brought his fist dow
upon my desk with "A bang; "by or
day, and perhaps even less than tina
Yes, sir, two years ago the 18th
April Henry Latham got his life ii
sured for $25, 900, and on the night
the 18th of April this year he died
killed himself, tho company takes Il
right to presume. Did you ever hei
of anything mure-more exasperatinl
II only it had happened two or thr
hours--four hours at the outside
later, the wife would have got S25, 90
as it is she will get nothing, and
for one, don't know what will becon
of her. l have met Mrs. Latha
several times. She's lady. and h
daughter is lovely girl They're n
the sort who would complain, but tn
have always been used to ease al
plenty, and | know they must
totally untitled for a sudden descent
poverty
eff the fact of suicide hasn't be
proved couldn't the case be fought?'
suggested.
at might be fought" Darrow q
nitted gloomily, 'but against an
surance company / doubt il it col
be won-at least not without endl
appealings and at an enormous co
The insurance people have any numl
OF rules and regulations govern
their insured. They wont even all
a man w bo1ontl u
scribed limits without their spec
permission. And case of sim
drowning by accident is often difiic
to settle, unless the body can be
covered. In this instance, the &C
pany seems to be well within its rigf
The log hook of the Empress Of Jal
is explicit as far as it goes. Accord
to the account there nobody on DO
saw Latham after half-past Z o'cl
on the night of the 18th. The re
steward reports that he wasn't ia
cabin at ii p. m., nor at any t
after that; and search next morn
failed to unearth him in any ear
the ship. There was no sea on and
vessel had been running upon an q
keel for three days, so that he &C
hardly have fallen overheard.
a inference, therefore, is that he aui
dropped over the side after dark W
no one was near. Joven' he exclain
with little outbursJ of indignat
''the man ought to have had emo
consideration for his wife and daug
to wait till next day My theory al
it is, though, that his 1.-The
brought on fit of depression and
finally sudden access of it drove
to suicide ON the spur of the nom
without reconciliation or considera
OF the consequences to others. n
he concluded, shaking his head sorl
fully, sit wouldn't be advisable
fight the insurance company, /