The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-17

obtained proofs Of his death, in forty pages
OF closely written legal cap paper. were
forwarded to the companies. The Captain
his eldest son. Joseph G.. Bryan. Hansford
r. Owens and Curtis Humphries, ST.
was drowned in tho Savannah River from
a bateau while surveying swamp lands.
The three men saw him drown, they said
and the current sweep him away. All search
Bryan said that certain facts developed
after many days search. confirmed him
In the conclusions that his fathers body
wa -pecked open by buzzards and again
Many months afterwsrd-the life insur-
ance companies having refused to pay
tho amounts the Captain was insured Tor
till, at least, some fragment OF his BODY
was picked up somewhere-the Travellers
Insurance Company received the following
deepatchi
SAVANNAH. Ca; Jan. ii, 1895.
Martin L, Bryan is at home, alive and we'll.
You did not pay soon enough.
In answer to the agents inquiry az TO
the fathers return to life the son, X. b.
Bryan. wrote: In reply l am glad to be
able TO inform you that my father is again
at home, where l trust he will be allowed
to remain In peace and safety. The
Savannah agent had already sent n letter
to his home office. which in part read as
follows:
i. telegrsphed you that Bryan was alive
found the waters OF perpetual youth in Flor
tds, and 4 4, reported that Captain Bryan
through the rivers. sounds or bays TO that
spring and came TO life, after being seven
:, %oS o6ms dead sd Ok or ana sls ep Dc o as' W Sssn tR Rer, ssO.ooo
insurance on his life was not paid II yoa
had, only paid W. sooner his unluiet spirit
D-Aobl, Nor-aI n pathhlp NAV ha va
heard OF one Ferdinand Jules Thrun. who
was employed in a sawmill in Spencer
Wis, In 1880, and he may have fashioned
his hotel fire idea accordingly, Ihrun
had more than onoe burned one, OF his saw
mills. He always sued a railroad COM
pany for causing the fire by sparks from
a locomotive. Besides, he had married
a Mary Halverson, a young Swede VINO
had once lived in a house In Neenah, via,
where a miner took refuge one night ana
was v again seen alive. Inc miner
marriage in 1881 to Thrun, frequently went
to the house in Neenah. She left there
apparently disappointed about something
when she found the back yard covered with
wood piles. For two years che never went
near the place. But she did 60 there in
1855 and found the yard at last unencum,
bered. 1t is believed that she had located
the miners money while residing In the
house and had hidden il in the yard with
the view Of carrying II away at some future
time. That she finally did so was pretty
evident by Thrun buying another
to be burned. The plans Of the Thrnns
to fitch money in this way from the Wis
consin Central Railroad were foiled-so
life insurance was their next move
Thrun decided to get insured Tor a large
amount, get burned TO death" the widow
to collect the value OF the policies and then
rejoin her husband in he mining regions
of Idado. Mrs. Thrun was the plotter.
Thrun's house at Romeo took hre on the
night Of Dot. 2s, 1892. Thrun rushed into
the burning structure. 1 have some
valuable papers in the house, he cried to
the b~ystanders as he disappeared. The
bones of a human being were ound in the
ruins the next day. The Coroner's verdict
was that Thrun had been burned to
death.
Thrin had taken out policies for s57 NO
In some Of the most influential companies
in the United States. In January, 1893.
in her widows weeds. Mrs. Thrun put in
her claims at the oompanies' offices IN
Chicago. One New York company paid
her 10 per cent. OF its $4,000 policy. The
others fought, asserting Thrun had not
been burned 10 death in the Romeo house.
Detectives never lost sight OF Mrs. Ihrun.
They traced a letter Of hers TO X. l.. Harris
a day laborer in New Orleans. Harris
went to the Post Office one day and was
arrested az he took a letter which he thought
was from his wife, which was from
the Pinkerton agency In his city: William
Beck, who had been employed by the Mutual
Life in the search, went to New orleans ana
brought north Mr.. Harris. who was OF
course Jules Y. Thrun. The charred re-
mains that had been found in the ruins oi
the Romeo house were the remnants OF
a mans skeleton he had placed there before
setting fire TO the house.
II would take a volume to give an inter
esting mention even. OF the nufhDet Oh
J.. lafxauI lie fpanranaYn Opmnan-
les by drowning. One Of the most daring
was that Of a young cotton broker in Boston
named Hurter. He had taken out policies
on his life for $4,000. He went 10 Scar
borough. Me. in the summer OF 1853 lie
Was ~playinR cards one evening With some
friends when he rose and said he wanted
to sleep well that night 80 he would get out
and take "A row on the river. lie dld not
return. His boat. bottom up, wac found
the next day In due time notices OF death
were served ON the companies
Invest igation developed the fact that
HurteT, after arranging ia" evidences
81 his drowning had fed 70 Canada Soon
after he was fOund there ana III" Claims
against the COMPANIES were abandoned -
The caSe Of Daniel Stevens, dead
going To the bank With HE 'b"r'aNed
mother Wa a pretty cool pro"saiMg;
but the Gaze II fTanE 1ouatch.rk Ia Berlin
many years ago outdid u IL" hhh b'u
heavily insured Ie disguised himself
and actually attended hlh Own ihIi.Inl
IN ia. church Weeks a~fterNard ~ll"u
the polio. wero working up ia" oa-r hl.
olfRn Wa taken out II ia" grave and
ufanrd IL contained nothing bui Stone
and straw
piHkruun Detectives IA lsss u~urufthei a
life Insurance conspiracy 10 south 'Mulina
IT, Intended ,trtlIus N.ru the lTa'"iluir
Insurance Company 4 Hartford aid co."
United state Mutual Aurid,nt t"mpahN
~ Nra Nurk Mrmisfs 81 q family nanri
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iUruf.i no ME- q d nctitiuur IstrsHu, hu'7i
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