The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-26
PLAY FOR BIG Stakes
SIXTY-SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
THE SUM IN CHICAGO INsUR-
ANCE CONSPIRACY
DEAD GIRL AS A WITNESS
STATEMENTS OF MISS DEFENBACH
ARE ADMITTED BY THE COURT
AS EVIDENCE
LOOKS BAD FOR DEFENDANTS

CHICAGO. May 25.-One of the great
est conspiracies to defraud insurance
companies ever recorded was disclosed
in the Defenbach case today. Not $4,000,
as the indictments charge, but $67, coo
were the stakes being played for, ac-
cording to the prosecution. A ruling by
Judge Tuley united. the hands of the
public prosecutors, and the already cele-
brated trial now takes on added inter-
est and greater Importance.
The order of court permitting state
ments of Marie Defenbach, charged with
being a co-conspirator, and now dead,
to be admitted in evidence, gives the
state the much-desired leeway," said As
sistant States Attorney Olsen. We will
show that other companies were to be
defrauded. The evidence is in our pos
session, and the jury and court will hear
it ali'
Following are the companies and fra
ternal societies In question, and the
amounts of policies:
PLAYED FOR THOUSANDS.
Equitable Life Insurance company. $1OO 600
Mutual Life Insurance company. 10000
Security Life and Trust company. 10000
Prudential Life Insurance company 1000
Metropolitan Insurance company 10000
New York Life Insurance company 10000
Independent Order of Foresters,
Canadian branch .................... 300
knights and Ladies of Honor ...... 20C0
Total :. .......................... .$67, COO
Insurance obtained upon the life Of
Marie A. Defenbach, deceased, upon
which were based the indictments re-
turned, charging conspiracy to defraud,
naming Dr. August M. Unger, Francis
Wayland Brown, Frank H. Smiley and
ri DaFa ha oh
as follows:
Independent. Order of Foresters,
Canadian branch .................... s., 900
New York Life Insurance company 5000
knights and Ladies Of Honor 49,. 1900
Total :. .......................... $12, 600
CHEMIST AT WORK.
The mysterious prescriptions, the handi-
work Of Dr. Unger, which Miss Defen-
bach had compounded for herself, are
now In the laboratory of a well known
chemist, who will mix the chemicals ac-
cordtng to the formulas of the prescrip-
tions, so as to ascertain whether the
drugs called for contain life destroying
properties in sufficient quantit es 20 cause
death. An Illustration of the manner in
which at least two Of the conspirators
under Indictment shielded themselves is
shown by the fact that the druggist who
filed the prescriptions at the direction of
Miss Defenbach was induced to return
the originals to her. The apothecary
merely kept copies.
Miss Olive Clement took up con-
siderable time on the witness stand
today. She testified to visits of Miss De-
fenbach to DR.. Unger's Office, where she
said Miss Defenbach had been introduced
as Marie Davis"
Witness said she had worked seven
months for Unger, that she knew Smiley
who posed as Miss Defenbach's tiance,
and who was to receive the insurance of
$1,000 on Miss Defenbach's life, and that
she had on several occasions called up
F. Wayland Brown by telephone. Brown,
Unger and Smiley, the three defendants,
listened intently to the testimony which
followed.
According to the witness Miss Defer
bach called at Unger's Office Aug. 3. She
told witness to tell Unger, who was out,
not to forget that medicine" She told
Urger, who said "all right" Two days
later, after the girl had, it is alleged,
taken medicine, she died.