The sun., 1901-11-12
INSURANCE MYSTERY.
Company In Arkansas Charges Sub
stitution Of a Body.
LITTLE ROCKS QUEER CASE.
Activity of an Insurance Man In
That City May Have Uncarthed
Not Only a Fraud, but
Murder.

Little Rock, Ark, Nov. 11.-Samuel
NJ. Powell, state manager of the Metro
politan Life Insurance company, says
that body sent here from Jefferson
vile, Ind, as that of Newell G. Rath-
bun of this city, United States recruit
ing officer here, who was reported to
have died under suspicious circum-
stances in Jeffersonville hotel few
days ago, is not the body of Rathbun.
The insurance officer is supported by
DR.. G. Jennings, the company's exam
ining physician; d. F. Sisk, who placed
one-half of the life insurance on Rath-
bun; by Mrs. J. G. Watkins Of the
Grand Central hotel, with whom Rath-
bun boarded up to the time of his mar
riage short time since, and by others.
Mr.. Powell has requested the under
taker to postpone the funeral Mr..
Powell says:
This Rathbun case is so very I'M
usual from my first connection with it
that | shall be surprised at nothing
that may develop in regard to 1t. In
the first place, Newell Rathbun volun-
tarily called at my office and asked for
$1,000 ordinary life insurance. This,
while it sometimes occurs, is unusual,
but he struck me as a fine risk, and
my questions developed that he was
the United States army recruiting Off.
Ger of this city and was soon to be mar
ried had him examined by the com
pany's physician. and he passed all
right | regarded him as an excellent
risk. A few days later he called again
at my office. but | was absent, and my
office man, ID. p. Sisk, wrote him 81, 2,o0t
additional. When ] read the notice Of
his sudden death at Jeffersonyille. Ind.
| was more than astonished and deter
mined to have an autopsy"
Mr.. Powell said that several persons
who knew Rathbun well We're present
when the body was examined, and Il
was the general opinion that the bod,
was not that of Rathbun.
story of the Death.
A dispatch from .Ieffersonville, Ind.
says:
Two men who gave their names a!
William Ten Eyke of Watertown, \
T.. and Newell G. Rathbun registered
at hotel last Wednesday night. OF
Thursday the man who registered Al
Rathbun was found dead in bed TIL,
coroner says that the postmorten
examination showed laudanum in TIL
mans stomach sufficient to have kille,
two men. The verdict of the coroner
Jury. it is said will be that death wa
caused by morphine poisoning.
The man who registered as William
Ton Eyke had left the hotel when til
dead body of the other man was found
A letter was received on Saturday b
Deputy Coroner CootS from Ten Eykt
He wrote on plain paper and failed t
give his address i'll Louisville, froI
which city the letter is supposed [
7 have been written.
Ten Eyke said he met Rathbun |
Little Rock, and, seeing that Rathbu
was in distress. he took him to Jeffe
J sonyille, gave him coat and yes
paid his hotel bill and on Wednesda
!. night accompanied him to Louisvil
and the two had IA time
: ''rhe supposed Rathbun was intox
Gated. it is said, when he returned I
the hotel on Wednesday night. Dep
ty Coroner Coots wants to find TIE
IIyke. but has been unable to do so.
!, dispatch says there is no such nan
= as William Ten Eyke in the local d
rectory, and he is unknown to the p
! lice