The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1900-12-07
Poisoning at Pagosa.

From the Denver News.
PAaosA SPRINGS. Colo. Nov. 28.-The
developments ia the Barber case are pro-
gressing and look more and more like
slow poisoning in order to obtain insur
ance money. It turns out that Barber
has divorced wife and one child at FL
wooo, ILL.,, where he resided before going
to Webster City, Iowa. It was at the
latter place that bis weakness for women
got him into trouble and his wife re-
ceiyed divorce,
Mrs. Myrtle Wright, who is the bene
ficiary in all his life insurance policies,
picked Barber up on the streets Of Chi
cago and he gave way to her charms.
Since August Mrs Wright Barber and
a man named Neff, who claims to be the |
formers cousin. have been together all |
the time, and Barber never sent or re-
ceived mail that did not first go through |
the hands OF Neh.
HOW the story Leaked cut.
Had they not called on the Odd Eel |
lows to conduct the funeral things might |
not have leaked Out as they have as the |
Odd Fellows notified his lodge at Web
ster City, la. Neif or Mrs Wright did
not notify them that he was SICK neither
Of his death. J. Fl. Hurd and @. L.
Moore, representing two Of the compa
nies in which Barber was insured, we're
here, but Moore has now gone to Du-
range for more evidence.
On September 13 application was made
for all the insurance, which is in hve
companies, and aggregates $780, All
are made payable to Mrs. Wright as his
afianced wife.
The insurance men have visited every
town that the trio did since leaving Iowa
and find at La Plata city the arreot Of
Nef and Mrs. Wright was demanded.
but the district attorney did not act.
Evidence OF Poison.
The insurance men claim to have
perfect chain of evidence that shows a
slow poisoning process. The autopsy
only bears this out as every organ showed
high state Of Inflammation even to the
bowels. The doctors say this is evidence
Of slow poisoing Barber passed a rigid
medical examination only six weeks ago
and was pronounced sound, although he
died here on November 10 Of what Neff
and Mrs Wright called dropsy of the
heart. DR.. Clock did not issue any GER
tihcate, however, when called. Another
peculiar incident is that Nef and Mrs.
Wright, who claim to be cousins, have
lived together since coming here, as is
shown by the statement of the proprie
tor Of the Commercial hotel and also OF
the officers who took them into cnstody
on Saturday night.
BarBer's Life AN UnsavOry Tale.
Sioux Cry. Ia, Nov, 2s.-The officers
of the LabOring Mems Cooperative as
sociatonof this city, in which company
George al Barber, now dead at Pagosa
Spripaa Colo held two policies OF Sl,O00
zach, are firmly convinced that Barber
came TO his death by foul means. j. HI.
Hurd president of the insurance com
panv, is ia Colorado investigating the
mystery. +. A. Dekay, treasurer Of the
association, formerly lived in Webster
City, Iowa, where Barber resided for six
years and whom he knew very we'll. Mr..
Dekay says
when Barber came to Webster City
he had at least $4,000. He bought
fine farm aud lived there four years with
his wife and little son, who we're greatly
liked. He finally went wrong, and his
wife, tired of cruel treatment, sued for
divorce, custody Of the child and $1,000
alimony Barber fought the alimony
claim and the suit developed into quite
a sensation. 1t appears that Attorney
Olmstead, counsel for Barber, suggested
that the latter turn over to him $4,000.
Then he could swear that he was not
worth sufficient to permit the allowance
of 81 900 alimony, The wife secured q
decree, custody OF the son and, l think,
$500 alimony, Then Barber asked the
lawyer for the $4,000 and was refused
and told he had perjured himself in the
divorce suit by swearing that he was
worth only a small amount. The attor-
ney gave back 500 and told Barber to
leave town or be prosecuted for perjury,
Barber weHt to Chicago, where he
met Mrs Myrtle Wright, the woman now
arrested for causing his death. Through
her he was persuaded to interest repu-
table attorney concerning the S4,0U0 out
of which he was swindled. After bit
ter fight Lawyer Olmstead was compel
led to pay the money over to a trustee
and was disbarred. Mrs Wright came
cut with Barber from Chicago and it
was while in Webster City he took out
policies in our company, making her his
beneficiary, swearing she was his aifian-
ced wife. They then left. She was ra-
with the appearance OF an adVantur-
sss.
When we heard Of Barber's death in
such an out-of-the-way place as Pagosa
Springs, We thought an effort was being
made to BWindle u.s. We first thought
that Barber was in reality the man going
under the name Of Neff and that some
poor consumptive had been given the
name Of Barber. Mr.. Hurd finds, how
ever, that Barber is really dead
It ia learned that the trustee in Web
ster City to whom the $4,000 was paid
when recovered from Attorney Olmstead,
has paid out all but 500 on orders from
Barber-3l 400 within the past six
months. Mrs. Wright and Neff have
orders from Barber for the remaing $500.
Officers Of the insurance company here
have been notified by Mrs. Mary A
Barber, OF Elwood Ill., that she is the
divorced, wife Of George A. Barber, and
that her year -old-son is the rightful heir
OF the deceased. She requests that be-
fore any payment is made on the life
insurance policies to Mrs. Wright a
thorough investigation be made She
makes no claim in her own behalf
Man says Ne Was Poisoned.
A. O. Harvey, a mining man living at
a35 East Fourteenth avenue, is con
WINGED that ho had a narrow escape from
the fate that overcame George Barber
whose stomach is being examined to
netermine whether he was poisoned
tor his Insurance. -Four months ago
Harvey complained to the detectives
I. nn