The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-07
Took Out Heavy Insurance So As to Pay Persons He
 Owed in East
CONTEMPLATED SUICIDE
 FOR PAST TWO YEARS
At One Time He Planned to Throw Himself in Front of Train, But His Nerve Failed Him--Left
 Mrs. Burdck $25,ooo.

Buffalo, N. Y, April 6.-The Commer- cial this afternoon pubilsnes a story in which it is alleged that Arthar Penneh' who was killed in an automobile accident m March 10. was a defaulter to the 'ex- tent of from $15O0OO to $2OO,OOo. The story the Commercial says leaked out as the result of a legality over two life insur- ance policies.
 Walter Thayer, who was Pennelfs at torney and intimate friend, is referred to by the paper as saying he had sus- pected irregularities, but that he had no proof of any such wrong. doing.
 Incidentally it has been learned that Pennell made provision for the payment to Mrs. Edwin l.. Burdick of s25,00O out Of his life insurance
 Pennell carried over s2OOOOO life insur- ance in order, the Commercial says that after his death the eastern estates to which he is alleged to have been de- faulter might be able to recoup the loss which they sustained through him. In his will Pennel named as administrator of his estate his brother, J. FrederlcK Pennell. He left to his administrator emphatic instructions that upon his death he should make good in full out of his estate all the losses which had been sustained through his defalcations.
 The Commercial adds that Pennell had contemplated suicide for two years.
 Had Money to Invest.
 According to the story the Commercial further says:
 ''Pennell induced friends In the east who had known his family and the family of his wife, to place money in his hands for investment. He acted, in fact, as their financial agent. He would inform them of some good investment which he had come across which would pay an excellent rate of interest, and they would send him money The money wh'"h was sent to him for investment, it Is alleged, he spent, and when the payments fell due he made the payments out of his own pocket.
 "The fact is known" the Commercial continues that Pennell planned two years ago to throw himself in front of train at Peekskill, and to make it ap- pear that his death was an accident He stopped off at Peekskil on the 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 Peel1skill incident himself. During the Pan-American exposition he sought for days for an opportunity to commit suicide in a manner that would make it 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 under the wheels of trolley car"
 Payments Held Up.
 It appears there were two life policies which had not been handed over to the administrator. Those two policies hac been assigned by Pennel to Attorney Wallace Thayer, In trust. In one he was referred to as Wallace Thayer trustee" and in the other he was designated Wal lace Thayer, as trustee"
 The insurance company took legal coun- sel in the matter and held up payments J. Frederick Pennell, the administrator of the estate, was called in and insisted on having more information before he would consent to the payment of any insurance money to MT. Thayer as trus- tee. It was then that the story of Pen nell's alleged dedication and his plans to commit suicide were made known. The $25 900 insurance money assigned to Thay- CT by Pennell in trust. is supposed to be paid over to Mrs. Burdick in accordance with the provisions of the bond for $50 00OO, which Pennell gave prior to his death
 MT. Thayer will not talk about it. Tn fact he had declined to give even the ad- ministrator of Pencils estate any in- formation concerning 1t.
 Can Not Divulee 1t.
 The administrator went to Mir. Thayer for the purpose of finding out the nature of his trust MT. Thayer would not talk. He said Pennell had left sealed instruc- tions advising him how he was to dispose of the $25.000, and that as a lawyer, he could not divulge the nature of that trans action.
 The administrator urged that he was entitled to know the nature of the trust before he could consent to have the money paid oyer.
 MT. Thayer still refused to say what the trust was. Thomas Penny, attorney for the Pennell estate, accordingly charged the insurance companies to pay over no money to MT. Thayer. The proh- ability is that the $25,OO0 will be paid into the courts
 MT. Penny said this afternoon that if Pennell had swindled any estates in the east, he was absolutely ignorant of 1t.