The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-12
CONSPIRACY AND MURDER
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF A WOMAN
AFTER lNSURING HER LIFE
CONSPIRACY IN A CONSPIRACY
Men Arrested on Ch3rge of Con-
spiracy to Defraud Insurance Conn
panfes-The Theory IS That the
Woman Was in the Conspiracy to
Pretend Death, but Was Murdered
by Her Co-Conspirators-Detectfves
at Work on the Case.

at work on the Case.
Chicago, October S.-with insurance
upon her life amounting TO $4,000.
Marie Defenbach, aged % years, died
August 18th in a boarding house on
Lasalle avenue under conditions which
the police believe indicate a plot to
swindle an insurance company and two
insurance societies. If they do not
point to murder. Upon bench war
rants issued by Judge Gibbons. three
persons. said to be implicated in the
case, DR.. August NJ. Unger. Frank H.
Smiley and F. wayland Brown. nave
been arrested. The last is assistant
manager of a detective agency- He
was arrested today on his return from
Virginia
The three men under arrest were ar
raigned before Judge Gibbons and in
default of SIS, 900 bail each, were com
mitted to jail.
When Miss Defenbach died there
were three policies OF her life aggre-
eating $4,000, all of recent date, as fol-
lows: New York Life Insurance Com
pany 5000, Canadian Order of F'ores-
tiers $1,000, Knights and Ladies OF
Honor 1000.
The alleged conspiracy has been in
vestigated with care by a private de-
tective agency by the attorneys and
detectives of the insurance ompanies
and latterly by the states attorney
himself.
Sunday at a meeting between States
Attorney Deneen and Assistant Attor-
ney William McEwsn, on one side, and
tho softnrnouO ~prnrpSantinO the jnSllr-
ance companies and detective agency
on the other, the case was discussed,
and it was decided to cause the imme-
date arrest of the suspects. The de-
tectives believe that a conspiracy was
concocted and Miss Defenbach was
originally one of the 1uartette OF al
legged conSpiratOrS. She had expected
that her death was to be feigned and
that another body was ito play the
passive role of corpse; instead of tina
cal death came to her.
Last April Miss Defenbach applied
to the New York Insurance Company
for a $4,000 policy. This was refused
by the as was also an appE-
cation for an $4,000 policy, on the
ground that she was not possessed OF
sufficient property interests to warrant
so large a risk, although she. was eX-
amined and declared to be in perfect
health. In July Miss Defenbach sue
ceeded in obtaining from the New
York Company a policy for $1,000 and
this forms part of the estate she left.
Abou the middle of August Miss
D~efenbach also secured insurance in
the canadian Order of Foresters to
the amount of $1,000. About the same
time she took out a policy in the
knights and Ladies of Honor for 81
900. Two weeks later she was dead,
leaving a will which directed that a
part of the policies should be paid to
Frank al. Smiley, he "affianced hus-
band, and that her body be cremated.
Her death at a boarding house in Las
allie avenue was attended by the most
horrible agony. Doctors Leonard and
Schroeder, the latter representing the
| Knights and Ladies of Honor, were
called. They refused to issue a GER
tiicate of death, but the coroner's
jury later, and after the body had been
embalmed, found a verdict of death
from ~dysentery. The next day the
body was cremated and the ashes were
scattered ito the winds.
Without much delay proceedings
were begun to recover their value of
the insurance policies Miss Defenbach
| mad left.
Owing to the unusual circumstances
| surrounding her death, the hurried
embalming of the body, followed the
| next day by cremation, payments of
/ Tie pOIlClSS "SlS olIIA iAhfN
| ate steps were taken to trace the wo-
mans career during the last few
months of her life.
An unusual incident was connected
with the making of Miss Defenbach's
| will. On August 21st, Miss Defenbach
| called at the office of a lawyer in the
Unity building named Johns and
told him she wanted to make her will.
Some days earlier DIR. Unger had, 1t
is stated, told this lawyer a woman
would call on him for this purpose and
she announced she had come in &C.
cordance with the appointment. She
told MI. johnson h wanted to leave
her property TO Frank H. Smiley, he
afhianced husband. She then went
away.
Two days afterward h returned
and Mr.. johnson "a the will ready
It provided, as she had instructed,
that after her debts were paid heI
property was to go to Smiley, but she
then wanted another provision insert
ed. Tt was that after her death heI
body be cremated. This somewhat
surprised Mr.. Johnson as he could not
understand how a young n hand
some woman would wish her body
burned after death, but me complied
with the request. He was so struck
with the circumstance. however, a.
the cremation clause had not been in
the original instructions, that he call.
ed in witnesses from adjoining office!
as a matter Of protection. Miss Def
enbach then Signed and executed tn
document. Two days later she wa
dead.