The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-12-18
He HAD A MILLION
LIFE INSURANCE
Adolphus Drucker, Ex-Member
of Parliament Dies In
New York.
1T WILL BE INVESTIGATED
Disappeared From Hotel, and Not Seen
Alive Afterward Failed Two
Years Ago in London for
Nearly $2,000,000.

New York, Dec. 17-Investigation into
the circumstances surrounding the
death at Bellevue hospital last week OF
Adolphus Drucker, former member OF
| the British parliament. has been COM
menced by the police.
1t is charged that the hospital at
tendants, dosed Drucker with morphine
and narcotics, beat him frequently ana
unnecessarily, and told Drucker's
| friends who inquired after him that no
sucn person was at the hospital.
| Several weeks ago Drucker arrived
In this country and went to Roseville,
| British Columbia, where he had large
| interests. He returned to New York
Ethree weeks ago and registered at the
Grand Union hotel from Roseville.
| After spending a week at the hotel ne
left and was not seen again for nearly
two weeks. On Monday he was FOUND
/ wandering between the Grand Central
station and the Hotel Manhattan, NUT
tering to himself His death followed
on Wednesday from chronic meningitis
and alcoholism in Bellevue hospital.
Where he had been during the time.
between his disappearance from the
hotel and his arrest, what had become
of his baggage, how he had been trans
formed within two weeks from level
headed business man to chronic al
coholic, are questions that the insur-
ance companies intend shall be defin-
itely answered.
Creditors Hold Policies.
Little Of his insurance is held by rela-
tives. His brother, who is a professor
in tho university at Leyden, has a
small policy. The others are held by
creditors who insured Druckers life
years ago to reimburse themselves for
losses sustained through his failure.
When he confessed bankruptcy in De-
cember, 1901, owing to the collapse of
his promotion of British Columbia
mines and ranch lands, he had unse-
, cured liabilities of $1,750,000.
, The enormous policy held by Hooley
J was due to the fact that Drucker had
got the big promoter into his British
Colum bia schemes in return for Hool-
, ey's having let him into the schemes
which ended in the loss of 100000 in
heritance.
5 This method of insurance is yer,
: common in England, where people
! gamble on the lives of well known per,
! sons as eagerly as Americans play the
: stock and grain markets.
: Failed Two Years Ago.
: Drucker was member Of parliamen
i from Northampton, a leading membe
S of the Carleton and other leading Lon
: don clubs and a prominent tinancie
until his collapse two years ago. Man!
wealthy Englishmen were caught b.
his failure, and the heavy insuranc
: on his life resulted.
+ The only person in New York know
n to have seen Drucker after he had lef
q the Grand Union hotel is Henry Dal
a ley, a manufacturer at No. 6 Duan
street.
r t'Drucker came to my Office ten day
= ago." he said. HE was eXceedingl
3 well dressed and showed no signs G
:. drinking or mental distress. He tol
:. me he was here to finish some literar
~ work and in the interest of several pat
s ents. l know nothing about his insu1
10 ance."
d Drucker's body has been removed
an Undertaking place to await Wor
from his friends and relatives.
An International Mystery.
London, Dec. ia great internt
tional million dollar insurance myster
:. was developed today in the announce
40 ment that Adolphus Drucker, fornlt
member Of parliament and leadir
London clubman, who died in Bellevr
hospital, in New York city, was one
d. the most heavily insured men in Lol
ie don.
ed Ernest. Terah Hooley, the promote
~ in whose enterprises Drucker sunk h
H. fortune, is said to hold $500,000 polit
on Druckers life.
" New York representatives of the b
=, - English insurance companies we
IT cabled today for all the details
10 Drucker's death and thorough i
"a. vestigation was ordered.
OK The circumstances of Drucker's dea
~ are SO strange and suspicious that tn
ne have resulted in the payment of t
er enormous policies on his life being he
= x1,@.