Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1900-10-11
An Alleged Conspiracy to Defraud
Insurance Concerns Brought
to Light.
MARIE DEFENBACH WAS THE VICTIM.
She Appears to Have Lent Herself
10 the Scheme and Then TO Have
Fallen Victim 4" the Other
Three ConspIrntsrs, who Have
Been Arrested.


Marie Defenbach, aged 23, died, Au-
gust 25, in a boarding house on La
Sale 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, two
persons said to be implicated in the
case, DR.. August NJ. Unger and Frank
II. Smiley, a detective, have been ar
rested. A third person, who is al
legged to be connected with the fraud,
and for whom a warrant has been is.
sued, is not yet under arrest. 1t is
said he Is out of the city.
Three Policies On Her Life.
When Miss Defenbach died there
were three policies on her life, aggre-
eating $4,000, all of recent date, as
follows New York Life Insurance
Co., $4,000; Canadian Order of For
esters, $4,000; Knights and Ladies of
Honor, $4,000.
The alleged conspiracy has been in
vestigated with searching care by II
private detective agency, by the at
torneys and detectives of the insur-
ance companies, and latterly by the
states attorney himself.
Arrests Decided Upon.
Sunday, at a meeting between
States Attorney Deneen and Assistant
Attorney General VIM. McEwen on
one side, and the attorneys represent
ing the insurance companies and de-
tective agency, the case was discussed,
and it was decided to cause the i'm
mediate arrest of the suspects. The
detectives believe that a conspiracy
was concocted, and that Miss Defen-
bach was originally one of the quar-
tette of alleged conspirators. She had
expected that her death was to be
feigned, and that another body was
to play the passive role of her corpse;
instead of that real death came to
her.
Applied For Insurance.
Last April Miss Defenbach applied
to the New York Life Insurance Co.
for a $4,000 policy. This was re-
fused by the company, as was also an
for an $4,000 policy, on
the ground that she was not pos
sessed of sufficient property interests
to warrant so large n risk, although
she was examined and declared to be
In perfect health. In July Miss Defen-
bach succeeded in obtaining from the
New York company a policy for $5,-
BOO, and this formed part of the es-
late she left.
other Policies Secured.
About the middle of August Miss
Defenbach 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 |
$4,000. Two weeks later she was |
lead, leaving a will. which directed |
hat a part of the policies should be
paid to Frank H. Smiley, her "Af-
danced husband" and that her BODY |
De cremated.
An AEOnizing Death.
Her death, at boarding house on
Ia Sale avenue, was attended by the
most horrible agony. Doctors Leon
lrd and Schroeder, the latter repre-
'enting the knights and Ladies' of
honor, were called. They refused to
ssue a certificate of death but the
oroner's jury, later, and after the
'ody had been embalmed, found q
erdict of death from dysentery. The
text day the body was cremated and
he ashes were scattered to the
Winds.
Payment of Policies Refused.
without much delay proceedings
we're begun to recover the value of
he insurance policies Miss Defenbach
lad left. Owing to the unusual cir
surrounding her death,
he hurried embalming of the body,
the next day by cremation.
'ayments of the policies were refused
nd Immediate steps were taken to
race the woman's career during the
asst few months of her life.
A Peculiar Incident.
An unusual incident is connected
nth the making of Miss Defenbacb's
I'LL. On August 81 Miss Defenbach
allied at the office of lawyer in the
nifty building, named johnson, and
old him she wanted to make her will.
ONE days earlier, it is stated, DIR.
niger had told this lawyer a woman
'ould call on him for this purpose.
nd she announced she had come in
ccordance with the appointment.
Terms OF the Will.
She told Mr.. johnson she wanted
D leave her property to Frank II.
miley, her affianced husband, and
hen she went away. Two DAYS after
ard she returned, and Mr.. johnson
ad the will ready. 1t provided. as
ne had instructed, that after her
ebts were paid her property was TO
to Smiley, but she then wanted
mother provision inserted.
Wanted to be Cremated.
1t was that after her death her
ody be cremated. This somewhat
lrprised Mr.. johnson, as he could NOT
Understand how young and hand
'me woman would wish her body
lrned after death, but he complied
it'll the request. He was so struck