The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-12-06
The Last Scene in One OF the Mos
Dramatic of All Life Insur-
ance Tragedies.
THE CRIMES OF THREE MEN
For Which They Will Be BIindfoIded,
Backed Against a Wall and Shot
at Sun Up Some Morning by
Detail of Soldiers.

Dispatches from Chihuahua, Mexico,
announce that Leslie e Hubert, Will
liam Mitchell and DR.. G.. S. Harle
have been sentenced to death for MUIR
der, and that only a last scene re-
mains to be shown-a detail of rurales
facing three blindfolded men back
ed against an adobe wall in the
early morning-to ring down one of
the most dramatic of life insurance
tragedies.
Hubert, Mitchell and Harle are
convicted of the murder by poison of
Harry Mitchell, half brother of Will
liam Mitchell and brother in-law of
Hubert, and James Devers in 1902
whereby they obtained $25, 900 on two
policies, or $15, 900 and $40, 900 each.
The two murders, it was asserted at
the trial, were to have been the first of
many similar crimes along the Mex
lean border, whereby it was hoped to
obtain at least 100000 from the big
insurance companies.
Hubert had been condemned to
death under the name of G. T. Rich
ardson, while Mitchell's name is put
down as Mason.
1t was in 1900 that man giving his
name as G. T. Richardson, saying he
was just out of college and wanted to
settle along the border, obtained the
appointment as local agent of the in
surance company at Chihuahua. He
was accompanied by his wife, and
built an adobe home on the outskirts
of the city across the streets from
cemetery. At his request DR.. G. S.
Harle, a we'll known young physician,
was appointed his examiner. DR..
Harle is a member of an old Texas
family. His wife is the niece of q
wealthy eattleman.
Richardson was successful as an in
surance solicitor. He wrote many pol
icies for varying amounts and was
looked upon with favor by the gener-
al agents company. He finally OBJ
tanned an agency in Dallas, where he
lived in style. Richardson, or Hull
bert, wrote to the company in August,
1902, from Dallas asking for some
special privilege, the detail of which
is unimpOrtant, but when the letter
came it fell into the hand of clerk
who had been directed to look into the
official record of Richardson as an
agent. The first thing that he saw was
that the company had paid death
claim of Sl5, 900 on Harry Mitchell
policy, Mitchell having died on Feb
ruary II, and that eleven days later
on James Devers, who had policy of
$4,000, had died, that Richardson
was the agent in both cases, Harle,
physician, one Mason the beneficiary
in the first case and one Willis Mer-
edith in the second case. just six
months before life insurance COM
panies of New York city had discov-
cred they had paid death claims in
Mexico on collins filled with rocks, and
the young clerk on an impulse took
the record to an officer of the CONF
pany. Less than an hour later the
investigation which ended with the
death sentence had begun.
To Get at the Graves.
Harry H. Bottome, an attorney for
the company, was ordered to take
charge. The first step was to ascer-
tain what the graves contained.
1t became necessary for the antece-
dents of Richardson and his general
plan to be traced, and one of the de-
tectives, assuming the name of w. J.
Gray, went to Dallas, where he open
ed an Office and pretended to be
dealer in lumber lands. Richardson,
he learned, was one of the city's ''high
flyers" spending more money than his
insurance income warranted and fond
of fast horses and automobiles. Just as
Gray arrived Richardson and his
wife went to Hot Springs, Ark, and
there Gray with his wife and 5-year~
son also went. 1t was the boy that
brought about the acquaintance of the
two men. Richardson stopped to talk
to him one day, and the child, who
had been coached by his father, at
once told of his papa being in the
lumber business at Dallas.
Knew Doctors Who Could Be Brib d.
Richardson's first proposition to
Gray was that he should insure him.
Gray demurred and finally said he
had brother i'll from consumption
and diabetes, who needed insurance.
Richardson said the brother should
be sent for, as he ''knew doctors who
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