Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-09
HER BODY WAS cREMATED.
Miss Marie Defonbach. Aftor Obtaining an
Insurance on Her Lifo Amounting to
Twelve Thousnnd Dollars, Made VIII
Leaving it to Her Amanced Husband,
and in Two Days Was Dead Her Body
Hurriedly Burned to Ashes Payment
Of Policies Refused.
tBy Telegraph to virginlan- PILOT


upon her life amounting to $4,000,
Marie Defenbach, aged %, died August
20 in a boarding house on Lascelle ave
nue. under conditions which the police
believe indicate Il plot to swindle an
insurance company and two insurance
societies. If they do not point to MUIR
der Upon bench warrants issued by
Judge Gibbons three persons, said TO be
Implicated in the case-Dr. August NJ
Unger, Frank Ii. Smiley and l.. Way
land Brown-have been arrested. The
latter is assistant manager of a detec-
tive agency. He was arrested to-day
on his return from Virginia
Inc three men under arrest were ar
raigned before Judge Gibbons and in
default of $4,000 bail each were COM
united to jail
When Miss Defcnbach died there
We're three policies on her life aGgre-
gazing $4,000, all of recent date, as
follows:
New York Life Insurance Company
$1,000.
Canadian Order OF Foresters-$5. 000
knights of Ladies' of Honor-$2, 900.
THE. ALLEG ED CONSPIRACY.
The alleged conspiracy has been in
VeStigated with care by a private de-
tectlVe agency, by the attorneys and
detectives of the insurance companies
ana latterly by the States Attorney
himself.
n =
Attorney Deneen and Assistant Attor-
ney William McE,wen, on one side, ana
the attorneys representing the inSur-
ance companies and detective agency.
on the other, the case was discussed.
and 1t was decided to cause the i'm
mediate arrest of the suspects The
detectives believe that Il conspiracy
was concocted and that Miss Defcn-
bach was originally one of the quar-
tette or alleged consprators. She had
expected that her death was to be
Ieigned and that another body WAS 10
play the passive role of corpse. Instead
oil that real death came to her.
Last April Miss Defenbach applied 10
the New York Insurance Company for
a $4,000 policy. This was refused by
the company, as was also an appIica-
ton for an $4,000 policy, on the ground
that she was not possessed of sufficient
property interests to warrant so large
RISK. although she was examined and
declared TO he in perfect health. In
July Miss Defcnbach succeeded i'm oh
tanning from the New York company n
policy for $4,000. and this formed MARI
OF the estate she left.
THE WILL
ABOUT the middle of August Miss De-
IcnDach also secured insurance in tho
canadian Order of Forcstcrs to the
a ai1 nv OF Sa'oOo. About the same time
she took out policy in the Knights
ana Ladies of Honor for s., 900 Two
weeks later she was dead leaving n
VIII which directed that part of the
policies should be paid TO Frank Fl.
Smiley. her 'aiIianccd husband ana
that her body be cremated." Her death
at boarding house in Lasccllc avenue
was attended-hX the most horrible
agony. Drs Leonard and SchrTT-Tt1,,
the latter representing the Knights and
LADIES OF Honor were called. They re-
FUSED to issue Il certificate of death.
but the coroner's jury later, and nftcr
the body had been embalmed found n
verdict of death from dysentery The
next DAY the body was cremated and
the ashes were scattered to the winds.
PAYMENTS REFUSED.
Without much delay proceedings were
begun to recover the value of the insur-
ance policies Miss Dcfcnbach had left.
Owing to the unusual circumstances
surrounding her death the hurried en-
Dalming OF the body. followed the next
day BY cremation, payments of the poll
cies were refused and immediate steps
We're taken to trace the woman's career
during the last few months of her life
AN UNUSUAL INCIDENT.
An unusual incident was connected
with the making of Miss Defenbach's
Will. On August II Miss Defenbach
called at the Office of a lawyer in the
Unity Building. named Johnson. and
told him she wanted to make her will.
Some days earlier DR. Cnger had il is
stated, told this lawyer a woman would
call on him for this purpose, and she
announced she had come in accordance
with the appointment. She told Mr..
Johnson she wanted to leave her prop
erty to Frank ii. Smiley, her afIianced
husband. She then went away Two
days afterward she returned and Mr..
Johnson had the will ready. 1t pro-
Nided as she had instructed. that after
her debts were paid her property was
to go to Smiley, but she then wanted
another provision inserted. 1t was that
after her death her body be cremated.
SIGNED AND DIED.
This somewhat surprised Mr.. John
son. as he could not understand how a
young and handsome woman would
wish her body burned after DEATH but
he complied with the request He was
SO struck with the circumstances, how
ever. as the cremation clause had not
been in the original instructions. that
ne called in witnesses from adjoining
offices a matter of protection. Miss
Defenbach then signed and executed
The document Two days later she was
dead.
1t was learned to-day that besides
the policies taken out on Miss Defen-
bach's life several others had been APP
piled for. In each case $4,000 was
sought.