Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-23
W. C. Richardson, c. n. HarIe
And William Mason Sen
fenced to be Shot.
MUST die AT CHIHUAHUA.
Story of Their Crlmcs---(.ot People In.
sured and Then Got Rid OF Them,
Usually With Poison.

New York. Nov 2S.--Details Of the
crime for which W G. Richardson, c..
II. Harle and William Mason, Ameri-
cans, have been sentenced to be shot at
Chihuahua, Mexico. were furnished last
night by Atty. Harry II. Boltome, OF
this city. The infection of the death
penalty marks the end of an extraor-
binary conspiracy to cheat the New
York Life Insurance company. Mr..
Boltome 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. HUI
burt was a Rochester lawyer who ran
away to Mexico with seven indictments
over his head for running divorce
mill Mitchell, alias Mason, was an
other Rochester lawyer who followed
OF chihuahua, they poisoned with
strychnne two other Americans, whom
they caused to be insured in the New
York Life aud collected $4,000 on the
policies. These two Americans were
Harry Mitchell, brother of Mrs. HUI
burt, and James Devers, broken down
mining man. Hulburt, calling himself
c. T, Richardson, was the companys
agent at chihuahua. After the muir
ders, the gang, except Harle. moved to
Texas. Suspicion was aroused and a
detective named Gray was sent to Tex
as, He posed as a lumber merchant
and was supplied with lumber orders
from New York, 10 keep UP the game.
One day Hulburt spoke TO Gray's little
girl. The men met, got Intimate, and
Huburt preached scheme to cheat the
insurance company out Of $4,000. He
said that he had had experience. De.
tectlYe Gray proposed that they insure
Gray's brother-in-law for $4,000 as a
beginning. a broken down detective
called John II. Evans was imported by
Gray as his brother-in-law He was
dying of consumption and brights dis
case. William Mitchell posed as Evans
and two reputable physicians examined
him and pronounced him a good risk.
was not the Evans"
The whole crowd, including Gray
was arrested on Nov. |. Or. Harle,
who was still in Chihuahua, was
induced TO come into the United states
and was arrested. He was put through
the third degree and made a confess
SION about hi. connection with the two
Chihuahua claims. The proceedings
against Mitchell and Hulburt on the
Dallas plot were dropped. All three
were extradited to Mexico for murder.
This was in June, 1908.
Then the strange story of the two
murdered Americans came out little
by little as the case was tried and re-
tried. Hulburt, II appeared, had
brought a former stenographer away
from Rochester as his wife. He went
TO Mexico and changed his name TO
Richardson. Then he got the insur-
ance agency. This wife of his--his sec
ond wife she was-had been Helen
Mitchell Her brother, Harry Mitchell.
came down from Rochester via New
Mexico and lived with them In Chihua-
hua.
After a while they got Harry Nit
chell insured for $4,000 IN favor OF
his sister Helen. Then one day, Feb,
II, l1Ns, marry FuuItlllN u1tus Ut.
Harle who was called IN, said in the
claim papers that II was spinal men,
nights.
some time before Harry Mitchell's
death Hulburt, the agent had gone to
FL Paso. There he met a stranded
mining man named James Devers. He
persuaded Devers TO accompany him
to Chihuahua and he and Devers went
TO live at a cheap boarding house as
half brothers. Devers, without his
knowledge. was insured for $40 900 In
favor of this only relative" The pa
pers were concoctcd by Harle, Hulburt
and Meredith. The evidence showed
that they soaked him with whisky that
contained bichloride OF mercury. Tho
quantities were too small. So one day
DR.. Harle was called into attend 10
him. The three men went into back
room Of the boarding house. and an
hour later the doctor announced that
levers was dead, II was dysentery
he said. Dcyers had been poisoned
with strychnine IN cheese.
Devers died on Feb. %. The claim
was not filed until July. In order to
avert suspicion. When II was filed
Meredith, or Mitchell. wrote TO the
company that he had delayed because
he intended visiting New York. He
had given up the plan now, however.
and would they please send the check
for $4,000 to Forth Worth. Mr. Edith
made over the check to Hulburt. and It
was the Endorsement go. G. Richard
son" on this cheek TINT set sugpl.iop