The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1901-11-16
ARKANSAS STATE NEWS.
Terrible Crime Committed With
the Object Of Defrauding an
Insurance Company.
OCCURRENCES OF A WEEK BRIEflYsTATED
Charter Granted for . New Road, Backed
By the Goulds-Aiieged Assassin Ar
rested for . Crime Committed Five
Years Ago.
Ra.hbun Under Arrest.

Newell C. RathbuD, who attempted
10 defraud an insurance company out
OF $4,000 by having it appear that he
died at hotel in Jacksonville, Ind.
and whose supposed remains were
shipped to Little Rock for burial, is
under arrest at Louisville, and will
have TO answer to the charge of MUIR
der. The facts in the case are as fol
lows Rathbun. several months ago,
was stationed at Little Rock as a re-
cruting officer for the army. There
he met young lady to whom he pro-
posed that they get married. After
setting up housekeeping he was to Sc
cure body. burn the house and hav'
the body appear as his remains. The
wife was then to collect his life in
suranee, and later they would take up
their residence in some foreign coun-
try. The lady to whom this PROPOSE
tion was made refused to have any
thing further to do with 'Rathbun.
Shortly thereafter he was married t.
Miss Susie Lundy, Of Little Rock,
daughter of a we'll known and respect
ed journeyman tailor. Rathbun was
then ordered to Plattsburg, N. Y,
from which place he deserted October
Z last. Nothing more was heard from
him, until his wife received letter
November I'd. stating that he had Sc
cured furlough and was en- route to
pay her visit at Little Rock. Then
came the news Of his sudden death at
Jacksonville. Ind. His supposed re.
mains were shipped to Little Rock.
Those who knew Rathbun declared the
body was that of some other party.
Detectives went to work on the case,
and in less than twenty-four hours the
real Rathbun was arrested at Louis.
VILE, where he had re-enlisted in the
army under an assumed name. He
made a confession in which he admit
ted everything. He gave the name Of
the man whose body was shipped to
Little Rock as Goodman. Rathbun
met Goodman, an indolent character,
In Louisville, spent considerable mon.
ey with him for liquor, and induced
him to go to JeffersonviIe, where they
took room at hotel. Rathbun reg.
fstcred for himself and Goodman, Civ.
ing his own name as VIM Ten Eyke,
and that of Goodman as "Rathbun."
1t was noticed that Goodman was con.
siderably under the influence of liquor
when the man retired. The next
morning Rathbun went to breakfast
alone. stating that his friend" desir.
cd to sleep till noon, When the man
failed to show up for dinner the door
OF his room was forced and he was
found to be dead In the meantime
Rathbun had not returned to the no.
tel, and all efforts to locate him failed
until his arrest at the army headquar.
tors In Louisville. Rathbun had left
batch Of his letters in the pockets Of
the dead man, from which 1t was at
first inferred that the body was that
OF the ex-soldier The coroner's In
quest developed the fact that the
mans death was due to laudanum
poisoning, enough OF the drug being
discovered In his stomach to kill half
q dozen men. There is little doubt
but that the drug was administered
by Rathbun.
Rathbun has also confessed that his
wife was implicated In the scheme to
defraud the insurance company. He
intImntes also that he had other &C.
completes, but II names have been CIV
en- the authorities refuse to make
them public.