The Elbert County tribune., 1906-02-15
FRAUD
GRAVE ROBBED AND CORPSE pY-
NAMiTED AT VICTOR.
TO GET INSURANCE MONEY
John J. MeEschern. Supposed to
Have Been Killed. Arrested To-
sether With Three Other Men
Two Women implicated.

sether With Three Other Men
Two Women implicated.
Denver.-A Republican special from
Victor and Cripple Creek tell the fol-
lowing story
Because Marshal Nayior had
"hunch" when the supposed body OF
John j. McEachern was blow up In
the Three Jacks tunnel on the morn
ing of January 2Gth. McEachern
and his partner, John Varley. Frank
Naudlin and Lutte kellogg are under
arrest here charged with robbing the
grave OF Robert Speed, dynamiting
the body and attempting to defraud in
surance companies out OF sums aggre-
eating $1,000 by passing on the man
gled remains as those of McEachern.
McEachern's widow and her sis
ter. Mrs. Frank Naudlin. are under ar.
rest at Colorado Springs, charged with
being accessory to the alleged con
spiracy.
No time will be lost in getting to
trial John j. McEachern. Jack Varley.
Frank Naudlin and Kellogg. arrested
here. charged with being in plot to
rob life insurance company. d.
rect information charging McIcacherB
with obtaining money under false pre-
lenses will be issued, perhaps along
with other charges of more serious
character.
Whom the explosion tore human
body to fragments in the Three Jacks
tunnel. two weeks ago. where Nc
Eachern and Varley were leasing,
Marshal Naylor became suspicious
and started an investigation. He'
Ion h,.t Af.l "A tnfr
out policy ninety days previous in n,
life insurance company for $4,000. in
the Modern Woodmen for $1,000 and
in the A. o. u. w. for $1,000. and had
tried to get 81 900 In another company
which refused him.
Naylor found that the grave of Rob
ert Speed. who died from an accident
and was buried the day before the ex-
preston, had been robbed and that
| piece of scalp with brown hair on it,,
| resembling Speeds, was among the
supposed remains OF McIsachern. who
had red hair. The marshal secured
confession from man who said he
was paid $50 by Mrs. McIsacbern after
she received $1,000 of the insurance
money.
The officers found McEachern hid
ing in the home of his brother-in-law,
/
rested after a gun fight.
McIcachern came here from Lead
| Vile last September.
! One insurance company has paid
| Mrs. McEachern $1,000. but the other
insurance has not been settled.
McIsachern is suspected OF being n
| professional insurance swindler IL
! was told that he collected large
sum of money from another company
years ago, feigning death In a coffin
for three days He and Jack Varley,
his partner. are held without bail.
William Naudlin was released on s2.-
| 900 bail
Lutte Kellogg, local pugilist. who is
said to have tipped OF the case to
| Marshal Naylor, was arrested Satur
day on a charge of defranding the in
surance company out of $50. kellogg
was to have received 900 as his
share of the $1,000 for which Mccach-
ern was insured, but got cold feet be-
! fore the night on which the corpse
| was TO have been stolen.
After witnessing the funeral and
| learning of the $1,000 being paid to
the supposed widow, he wanted a
share. When rebuffcd, he told the
story to Naylor. He was arrested be-
cause. it is claimed. that he received
| 500 from Mrs. McEachern as part pay
ment of the total of $1,000 he was to
have received.
! II is believed that McEachern wit
messed his own funeral procession
| from the windows of his brother-m-
| laws house, where he was hiding.
Jack Varley denies all knowledge OF
conspiracy. He says he went to build
a fire outside of the tunnel at the sug-
gestion of McEachern. the latter say
| ing he would remain In the tunnel and
| prepare the fuse. After the explosion
he says he reported to the coroner. A
man who looked out of n cabin near
| by Immediately after the explosion
says Varley merely glanced into the
tunnel, apparently, he believed. to see
whether the corpse, under which for
| ty-fiye pounds of powder had been
| placed, was properly scattered.
| Friends of Robert Speed are in
ceDsed by the use made OF his corpse.
Talk OF lynching Is heard, but Nc
Eachern is carefully guarded in the
county jail here.