The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-04-10
WAS a ~DEFAULTER.
Buffalo Paper Alleges Pennell Had
Long Sought to Kill Himself.

long sought TO Nilt 0tmSelf.
Buffalo, N. Y, April S.-The Com
mercial yesterday published a story in
which it is alleged that Arthur r. Pen
nell, who was killed in an automobile
accident on March 10 vas a defaulter
to the extent Of from $4,000 to $780,
900.
The story, the Comercial says,
leaked out as the result of q legal dis
pute yer two life insurance policies
and is to the effect that Pencil induced
friends in the east who had known his
family and the family of his Wife to
place money in his hands for invest
ment. He acted, in fact, as their fnan-
cial agent. He would inform them of
some good investment which he had
come across which would pay an excel
send him money. The money which
was sent to him for investment. 1t Is
alleged, he spent, and when interest
payments fell due he mad the pay
ments out of his own pocket.
Wallace Thayer, who was Pennell's
attorney and intimate friend, is re-
ferred to by the paper as saying he had
suspected Irregularities, but that he
had no proof of any such wrongdoing.
Incidentally 1t has been learned that,
Pencil had provision for the payment
to Mrs. Edwin l.. Burdick of $25, 900 Out
OF his life insurance.
Had Heavy Insurance.
Pencil carried over 5000, 900 life insur.
ance in order, the Commercial says,
hat after his death the eastern estates
to which he is alleged to have been a
%defaulter might be able to recoup the
losses which they sustained through
him.. In his will Pencil named as adj
ministrator of his estate his brother,
j.. Frederick Pencil. He left to his adj
ministrator sealed instructions that
upon his death he hould make good in
full out of his estate all the losses which
had been sustained through his detail
cations.
The Commercial adds that Pennell
had contemplated suicide for two years
and says the fact is known that Pen
nell planned two years g to throw
himself in front of a train at Peekskill
and to make it appear that his death
was an accident. He stopped off at
Peekskil on his way back from New
York, with the intention of committing
suicide in that way, but his nerve failed
him.. Recently he told the story of the
PeekskiH incident himself. During the
Pan-American exposition he sought for
days for an opportunity to commit sui
eide in a manner that it would appear
accidental. He had an idea that he could
be run over in some way While at the
exposition, but he never could nerve
himself up to the point where he could
throw himself under a train or drop IN.
der the wheels of a trolley car"
Policies Assigned in Trust.
It appears there We're two life insul-
ance policies which had not been hand
ed over to the administrator. One was
for SIS, 600 and the other for $40, 900.
Those w policies a been assigned
by Pencil to Attorney Wallace Thayer,
in trust. In n he was referred to as
Wallace Thayer, trustee" n in the
other he was designated wallace
Thayer, as trustee The insurance
companies took legal counsel in the
matter and held up the payments. j..
Frederick Pencil, the administrator OF
the estate, was called in and insisted
on having more information before he
would consent to the payment of any
insurance trust money to Mr.. Thaye1
as trustee. 1t was then that the story
of Pencils alleged defalcation and his
plans to commit suicide We're made
known. The $25, 900 insurance money
assigned to Thayer by Pencil in trust
is supposed to be paid over to Mrs. Bur
dick, In accordance with the provisions
of the bond for $4,000 which Pencil
! gave prior to his death.
Mr.. Thayer will not talk about it. In
fact, he has declined to given ven the
administrator of Pencils estate any
information concerning it, saying that
Pencil had left sealed Instructions adj
vising him as to hos &c was to dis
pose Of the S25 5000, a1i that, as a
lawyer, he could cot dix -lge the nature
of that transaction.
thomas Penney, attorney for the Pen
nell estate, accordingly charged the in
surance companies to pay over nc
money to Mr.. Thayer. The probability
is that the $4,000 will be paid into the
courts.
Mr.. Penney stated yesterday after
noon that if Pencil swindled any es.
tates IN the east he was absolutely ig
norant of it.