The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-10-08
TO DEFRAUD
INSURANCE CO.'S
A Startling Plot Has Been un-
eaTthsd at Chicago.
WOMAN GOTs12,00OI POLICIES
Then She Died Through Fear, Though II
Had Been PIannod That Corpse Of An
other Woman Should Be Used.

Chicago, Oct s.-The prosecuting au-
thorites of Cook county last night laid
hands on what they regard as one of the
startling crimes OF the country's history.
Charges of conspiracy, back of which are
allied insinuations OF murder are locged
against three men, two of whom are al
ready in custody.
These men will have TO answer allega-
tions OF a carrfuffy-fa+d- 10 swindle
an insurance company and two insurance
societes-a plot which, IL is said pro-
gressed with the growth OF fear into the
actual death OF the insured person.
According To the theory on which the
prosecution will proceed. the dead per-
son, a young woman of Chicago was
originally one of the quartet OF conspira-
lors. She had expected her death was
,osbe feigned and that another dead body
was to play the passive role OF her
corpse; instead OF that, real death came
TO her
The person whose death adds to a new
phase 10 what otherwise would have been
a simple insurance swindle, was Marie
Defenbach, % years old, and the two per-
sons arrested upon bench warrants is
sued by Judge Gibbons, DrAugust NJ. I'm
ger and Frank IL. Smiley. A third per-
son for whom a warrant has been issued
is not yet under arrest. II is said he is
out OF the city
HAD $4,000 INSURANCE.
When Marie Defenbach died there were
three insurance policies on her life, ag
gregating $4,000, all OF recent date and
issued In the following company and as
sociations:
New York Life Insurance Company,
5000: Canadian order OF Foresters, s50OO
Knights and Ladies OF Honor, $1,000.
The alleged conspiracy has been inves-
tigated with searching care by a private
detective agency by the Chicago attor-
ney and detectives OF the New York Life
Insurance Co. and latterly by the states
attorney himself.
At meeting yesterday between Dates
and Attorney Deneon, Assistant States
Attorney Willard McEwen, Edward
-O,BrYan attorney for the New York Life
Co, Edward Maher attorney for the de-
tective agency, the case was canvassed
and IL was decided 10 cause the immedi-
ate arrest OF the suspects.
BIG POLICY REFUSED.
Last April Miss Defenbach applied to
the New York. Life Insurance Co., for
$4,000 policy. This was refused, but later
one for 5000 was taken out
on or about August last she also Sc
cured insurance in the Canadian Order of
Foresters 10 the amount OF s5000
At the same date she took out policy
in the knights and Ladies of Honor for
$1,000.
Two weeks afterwards she was dead.
leaving a will, which directed that n part
of these insurance policies should be paid
to Frank r. Smiley, her "affianced hus-
band" and that her body be cremated.
Her death was attended by the most
horrible agony. The attending physicians
refused to issue a certificate OF death, but
the coroners jury later, and after the
body had been embalmed. found YER
dict of death from dysentery. The next
day the body was cremated and the ashes
were scattered 10 the four winds OF
heaven.
Without much delay proceedings were
begun TO recover the value OF the insur-
ance policies she had left.
This was resisted by the insurance
companies with the result that the fraud
was discovered.