Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-11-24
CAME OF FRAUD
To End in Death for Three
Americans in Mexico.
Two Men Murdered and Their
Life Insurance Collected
By Three Refugees From Law--.condemned
to Be Shot at chihuahua.

New York, Nov. 23.-Details of the
crime for which Leslie c. Hulburt, alias
-. T. Richardson, c. S. Harle and Will
liam Mason, Americans, have been SEN
fenced to be shot at Chihuahua Next
co. were furnished, last night, by Harry
Fl. Bottome of this city. The infliction
Of the death penalty marks the end of
an extraordinary conspiracy to cheat
the New. York Life Insurance Co. Mr..
Bottome' was solicitor general for that
company when the murders involved
were committed in 1902. The details OF
the crime and the great detective story
that followed have never been printed
before.
The three criminals have fought eX-
tradition and appealed through the
Mexican courts for three years Hull
burt was a Rochester lawyer. VINO ran
away to Mexico with seven indictments
over his head for running divorce
mill" Mitchell, alias Mason was an
other Rochester lawyer, who foilo"eo
him later. With the help of DR.. HARE VI
Chihuahua they poisoned with strych-
nine two other Americans, whom tney
had caused to be insured in the New
York Life. and collected $4,000 on the
policies.
These two Americans were Harry
Mitchell. brother of Mr.. Hulburt and
lanes Dcvers, a broken-down mining
man. Hulburt, calling himself c. L.
Richardson. was the company's agent
at Chihuahua. After the murders the
gang. except Harle, moved to Texas.
Suspicion was aroused and a detective
named Gray was sent to Texas. He
mt nd
supplied with lumber orders from New
York, to keep up the game The Whole'
crowd, including Gray. were arrested
soon afterwards. DR.. Harle, who was
still in chihuahua was induced to come
into the United States and was arrest
ed. He was put through the third de-
gree and made d confession about his
connection with the two Chihuahua
claims. The proceedings against Mitch
ell and Hulburt on the Dallas plot were
dropped. All three were eXtradited to
Mexico for murder. This was in June. |
1903.
Then the strange story Of the two |
murdered Americans came out little by
little as the case was tried and re-
tried. Hulburt. it appeared. had brought
Il former Stenographcr away from
Rochester as his wife. He went to Mex |
leo and changed his name to Richard
son. Then he got the insurance agency.
This wife of his-his second wife, she
was-had been Helen Mitchell Her
brother, Harry Mitchell. came down
from Rochester. via New Mexico and
lived with them in Chihuahua.
After a while they got Harry Mitch
ell insured for $4,000 in favor OF MS |
sister Helen. Then one day, Feb. IL,
1902, Harry suddenly died. DIR. Harle, |
who was called in, said in the claim pa !
pers that it was spinal meningitis.
Some time before Harry Mitchelrs |
death. Hulburt the agent, had gone up
to FL Paso There he met a stranded
mining man by the name OF James
Deyers. He persuaded DeverS to &C
company him to Chihuahua and ne ana
Dever3 went to live at cheap boarding
house as half brothers. Devers, without
his knowledge, was insured for $4,000
in favor of this "only relative" The
papers were concocted by Harle, Hull
burt and Meredith. The evidence shows
that they soaked him with whlskey
that contained bi-chlOride of mercury
The quantities were too small. so
ont. day DR.. Harle was called in to at
tend him. The three men went into
back room of the boarding house, and
an hour later the doctor announced
that Devers was dead. 1t was dysen-
terry, he said. Devcrs had been poisoned
with strychnine in cheese. He was
hurriedly buried.
DevCrs died on Feb. %. The claim was
not filed until July. in order to. avert
suspicion. When it was filed, Meredith
or Mitchell. wrote to the company that
he had delayed because he intended Wis
iting New Yolk. He had given up the
plan now. however, and would they
please send the check for $4,000 to
Fort Worth. "Mcredith'' made over the
check to Eulburt, and it was the en-
dorscment &C. r. Richardson" on this
cheek that set SUSPICION at work.