The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-27
So Confident that He Has Ordered the
$4,000 Paid Back to the In
surance Company.
SURPRISE AT LOS ANGELES
WHERE THE FIRST AARON WOLF
sOHN is SAID TO HAVE DIED.
Woman Mixed Up in the Case and Al
legged to Have Schemed to Get
Possession of the Money.

CHICAGO, Dec. ga life insurance
case that is apparently much tangled and
shrouded in a great deal of mystery prom
ises sensational developments before II Is
settled A policy calling for $4,000 is in
volved. The question at issue is whether
there were two Aaron Wolfsohns; whether
one committed suicide at Los Angeles,
Cal, or whether there Is but one man
bearing that name. This strange story
had its beginning on July 10 last. A man
named Aaron Wolfsohn was then living in
Los Angeles, Cal. On that date his father,
Benjamin Wolfsohn, a cutter and manu-
facturer of mems clothing at No. us Lucas
avenue, st. Louis, received news that his
son was dead, having inhaled gas with
suicidal intent in the rooms of woman
who at that time refused to give her name.
The sons life was insured for $4,000 in the
New York Life Insurance Company. Evil
dence was produced purporting to prove
that the dead man was none other than
Aaron Wolfsohn. The insurance was paid
to the public administrator in Los Angeles,
but before the money could be turned over
to the young mans family Aaron was re-
ported to have been recognized In the
flesh walking the streets of Chicago. The
discovery was made by an uncle residing
in this city. The young mans parents
were notified and on Aug. IL the attorneys,
headquarters of the New York Life Insur-
ance Company, which at once made de-
mand on the public administrator for s1o,-
600, the amount of the insurance on Wolf
sohn's life, which is still held by him.
L. l.,
fed in Chicago was denied, and thus mat
ters have stood until the present time.
WOLFSOHN'S TELEGRAM
The Chronicle, in it's local columns, said
to-day: "a man supposed to be dead ap-
peared in Chicago yesterday and, by sign
ing a telegram, made a New York life in
surance company a present of $4,000. This
was the news sent to Los Angeles, Cal,
thereby deepening a mystery that has
puzzled the Western city since the sup
posed body of Aaron Wolfsohn was found
in lodging house under conditions that
indicated suicide. Wolfsohn came to Chi
cago to see Attorney O'Brien, of the in
surance company, regarding a restitution
to the company of $4,000, paid the Los
Angeles county public administrators for
the heirs of the supposed Wolfsohn. Fol-
lowing the conference, Wolfsohn wrote out
the following telegram, addressed to the
public administrator of Los Angeles county.
Il am alive and here in Chicago. order
you TO release the money paid you by the
insurance company Immediately. sign this
telegram in the presence of three wit
nesses, my brother-in-law, my uncle and
the company's attorney. Z. OBrien.'
"Wolfsohn's assertion that he is alive
only deepens the mystery regarding the
identity of the other man whose body was
found in a lodging house in Los Angeles,
July last. The remarkable likeness between
the two men is shown by photographs is
sued by Mr.. O'Brien. Both are men of
about thirty years of age, with peculiarly
shaped mouths, pointed chins, prominent
noses and dark hair. In the corpse, how
ever, the cheeks are slightly sallow and the
hair is blacker than Wofsohn's. By clip
ping the mustache some one had made the
face appear almost identical with that of
the real policy holder. According to Wolf
sohn, the first he heard of his reputed
death was wnen he came to this city last
month to visit his uncle. After a visit to
las st. Louis relatives he returned, as he
said, to clear up the matter. AS result of
his conference with Mr.. OBrien he signed
the telegram that will secure to the insur-
ance men return of the $40, 1000"
AS result of the kilograms sent to Los
Angeles, Cal, stating that Aaron wolfsohn
was alive in this city, Attorney Edward
O'Bryan, of the company, received several
messages to-day asking for a confirmation.
'Wolfsohn's Identification is complete"
said Mr.. O'Bryan. Besides his own affi-
| twenty others who knew him. among them
his brother-in-law, Michael Hesselberg. of
st. Louis. and his cousin, Rose Biumenthal,
of this city. The company will have no
trouble in recovering it's $4,000" Wolfsohn
left Chicago late in the day af,er signing
an affidavit further establishing his iden-
tity and the fact that he is no corpse. His
oath is attached TO a photograph taken in
this city. This picture" he says, lis
Aaron Wolfsohn. 1 am the Identical per-
son insured by the New York Life Insur-
ance Company for $1,000 and am alive and
WELL"
Before leaving here Wolfsohn said that
he would marry soon His bride, it is un-
derstood, will be the Los Angeles widow,
Mrs. Mary o Neil, whose identification of
the supposititious Wolfsohn induced the
insurance company TO pay the face of the
policy TO the public administrators.
I'VE paid nothing to Wolfsohn for COM
ing forward" said Mr.. Bryan. a month
ago when he was in the city we were
offered information and affldavits regard
ing him If we would pay $500
Asked how he had met Wolfsohn and
what pressure was exerted on the latter to
a tl,,
to specify. ''The company is satisfied"