Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-11-16
A BOLD SCHEME WENT WRONG.
The Plan of Newell C. Rathbun TO Defrsud
an Insurance Company Slipped
Cog.

| Louisville, Ky, Nov. 12.-Neweli u
Rathbun, who was supposed to have
died in Jeffersonville Qnd.) hotel
last Thursday, was arrested in Louis
vile yesterday. According to Rath-
bun the corpse which was shipped to
Little Rock for burial as the body OF
Rathbun was the body of w. L. Ten
Eyke.
The police say Rathbun has con-
| fessed to desertion from the United
States army and to having formed a
plan to fraudulently collect $4,000 IN
surance on his life, but that he denies
having killed the man who died in the
Jeifersonville hotel. Rathbun was ar
rested about II o'clock yesterday
mo ming at the United States recruit
ing station in Louisville. lie is held
as fugitive from justice.
The arrest was made on informa-
tion from Sergeant Skinner, of the
United States recruiting station.
Rathbun enlisted under the name of
Lou Root, Detroit"
Sergeant Skinner had read the
story of the Jacksonville case and
the circumstances connected with the
new recruit aroused his suspicious.
One of these was the fact that the
man had on a government suit of
underwear. He said he had bought
the garments from soldier friend.
| Another circumstance was his knowl-
edge of army affairs about Little
Rock. On Saturday he passed the ex-
| animation and enlisted.
At the police station Rathbun was
put through the sweating process,
and under pressure made the follow
ing statement, according to his in
quisitors:
"My name is Newell C. Rathbun,
and my home is in Little Rock, Ark.
| Several months ago l deserted from
the army post at Plattsburg, N. Y,
in company with another recruit by
the name of w. II. Ellis. | soon lost
sight of him, and went on to Little
Rock. There | was married, and af-
terward took out the insurance poll
cies.
II came to Louisville about ten
days ago and formed plan to make
the insurance company think | was
| dead, so that | could collect the in
surance. / fell in with man, who
said his name was w. L. Ten Eyke,
i'll front of the Salvation Army head
! quarters in Louisville, and told him
of my plan, and he agreed to help
me. Our plan was to obtain a corpse
from some place put it in hotel in
/ Jetfersonyille and then set fire to the
hotel.
"Whie we were in JeffersonyilIe we
! took a number of drinks and Ten
Eyke got drunk. / think his death
was caused by drinking. I put the
| letters addressed to me in his pocket
and left. | did not kill him. | then
came to Louisville and went TO the
| recruiting office and enlisted My
real home is in Detroit"
The police are trying TO establish
the identity of the dead man. One
of their theories is that he was a
tramp whom Rathbun had fallen in
with. The police have telegraphed
to the Little Rock authorities to hold
the corpse, A gold watch bearing the
name of "W. II. Ellis" was found on
Rathbun He refuses to say where
he got it. The police say the hand
writing of 'Lou Root" the recruit,
was very similar to the signature
"W. L. Ten Eyke" on the Jefferson
vile hotel register.
Coroner Coots of Jeffersonville
states that he examined the stomach
of the dead man and found traces of
enough laudanum to kill two men.