The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-15
RATHBUN LIVING TO ATTEND INQUEST
OVER RATHBUN DEAD.
IDENTITY OF THE DEAD BODY
The Police Claim to Have Found Out
Name OF the Victim of h Plot-Rath-
bun Makes Several Conflicting State
ments His Last Discloses Plot to
Burn the Hotel With the Dead Body
In It-Denies knowledge of How His
Accomplish u the Body

Little Rock, Ark, November 1.-THE
authorities here announce that they
will have the supposed Newell c. Rath-
bun now at Louisville. KY. brought
here TO testify in the inquest over the
corpse sent here as the body of Rath-
bun. whose life was insured for $4,000.
also all other parties whose testimony
may be important in clearing up the
mystery.
One of the attorneys representing
Rathbun's relatives made the follow
ing statement:
THE family of Mr.. McKown and Mrs.
Rathbun only want to be satisfied that
Rathbun is alive and that this body
they have here is not the body of Rath-
bun. The family of McKown and Mrs.
Rathbun n all parties interested AVE
offered to bear the expense of bringing
the person arrested in Louisville. and
who is said to be Rathbun and is said
to have made a confession. to Little
Rock. if the party proves to be Rath-
bun. otherwise the insurance company
is to bear the expenses"
Louisville, KY, November ia thor
ON0" Il 10 OAA AA~-O AANO
the details of the alleged attempt of
Newell G. Rathbun to defraud the Me-
trOpOlitan Insurance Company. Rath-
u admits hat he proposed to secure
the body of a dead man, dress it in
his own clothes. place it in a Jefferson
willie. Ind. hotel and then burn the
hotel. in the belief that the body would
be identified as his and the insurance
money paid. The police believe that
the body of the man found was that
of a murdered man.
Having, as they believe, established
the identity OF the supposed murdered
man. the detectives are now busy de-
VelOping the case against Rathbun. He
has told several stories. but the one
that he stuck to the longest and which
he still insists is true. is that he FORM
ed the conspiracy in conjunction with
a deserter from the regular army by the
name of Blanchard. He states that he
and Blanchard met here by agreement
n discussed the details of the plot.
Blanchard agreed to provide a corpse
II Rathbun would set fire to the build
Ing after the corpse was prepared.
blanchard brought the body there
said Rathbun. Il had nothing to do
with killing him, and doubt if he was
killed. The man may have died acct
dentally. but 1 do not know anything
about this. Blanchard. however, acted
the fool in flushing the game before the
hotel could be set on fire. 1 hope you
Will find him"
The Louisville detectives think that
the man found dead in the Jefferson
Vile hotel Thursday when an attempt
Is to have been made to de-
fraud the life insurance companies.
was Charles Goodman, of Evansville,
Ind Goodman, left the Salvation
Army headquarters in Louisville We'd
neSday night. saying he was going to
Indiana and has not returned. 1t is
said the descriptions of Goodman and
that of the man who was afterward
found dead. tally.
New Plattsburg. N. Y, November II.
Newell G Rathbun who is in custody
ia Louisville. Ky. in connection with
alleged insurance frauds, enlisted in the
United States army at Detroit. Mich,
February l, 1901, and Joined
h. Twenty-seventh infantry here Sep
TENDER Il, 1901. and deserted October
1th- He was born at OswegO, n. Y, is %
years old II by occupation a printer.
Frederick B. Blanchard enlisted at
Fort Mcpherson, Ga, May 9. 1901 and
Joined his regiment here in September.
He deserted September oath. He was
born at Dover, n. J., is % years old. and
by occupation d bookkeeper. His COM
rades here "a he has a wife at Tren-
ton, n. ]. He ave the name of Joel
Catauman, of Trenton, y. J., as that Of
his nearest relative.
The only TenEyeck, in the Twenty
seventh infantry was Jesse V. Ten
Eyeck. He enlisted at Johnstown, N.
Y, May Is, 1901. deserted July 17,1901.
was recaptured July 81, 1901 and sem
fenced September 26th last to one years
Imprisonment at Fort Columbus, N. Y.
where he now is.
There are three named Ellis in the
regiment, David r., aged 10 and
Thomas A, aged %, brothers. both from
Carter county, Tenn, and John G., aged
90, born at Greenville, S. c., and enlist
ed at Fort Mcpherson, Ga. These three
men are now here but say they know
nothing of Rathbun or Blanchard.