The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-01
BOOKED AS DEAD;SAYSHElSN'
WIFE IDENTIFIED DROWNED MAN
AS HIM BY CLOTHING.
Then She Sued for $1,000 Insurance on His
Life and Company brought Him to
LLfe-CoupIe Didn't Agree and He Fled
to Philadelphia, Not tho Cold River.

nuNlIE tlC Us
Life and Company brought Him to
IIfe-Couple Didn't Agree and He Fled
to Philadelphia, Not tho Cold River.
Frederick E. Boshardt made affidavit
before Coroner Acritelli yesterday that he
isn't dead, although the records OF the
Coroner's Office say he is. Boshardt Is 20
and he lives at 2es Third avenue. The case
Is a strange one OF mistaken identity.
On May IA, 1904, the body of a man was
found in the North River at the foot OF
West Fifty-seventh street. 1t was sent to
the Morgue, where nothing to identity 1t
was found. It was then buried in the pot
ter's field.
On June 2 following Mrs. Hattie E.
Boehardt Of 2o4 East Twenty-fifth street
called at the Morgue in her search for her
missing husband. She was shown the
clothes which had been taken from the
BODY of the drowned man found on May Z
and identified them q her husbands.
There was a knife also found In tho pocket
OF the trousers, which she said belonged
to Boshardt.
Believing that the drowned man was
yeritably her husband, Mrs. Boshardt ap-
peared before Coroner Scholer the next
day and made an AFFIDAVIT to that effect.
Boshardt was then officially entered on the
records as dead.
Some time after this Mrs. Boshardt, in
Springfield, Mass, filed a claim with the
Prudential Life Insurance Company re-
ouesting that a policy OF 81 600 which her
husband had Ia ken out when they hved
at 4e5 East Sixty-frst street should be paid
to her as her husband was deceased. The
however, refused to pay the
policy. claiming that there was reason to
believe Boshardt was still alive They
at raieht way started an investigation. and
Mrs. Boshardt started legal proceedings
to collect the amount. It Is said the case
ia due to come before the Massachusetts
courts in the course Of a month.
After the detectives OF the insurance COM
pany had worked on the case for some
time last September they finally located a
man by the name Of Boshardt. who Tailed
with their descriptions; working as a furni-
ture polisher in the dry goods establish
ment Of Strawbridge d Clothier, at Phila-
delphia. With this discovery they got a
former landlord Of Boshardtis. Jacob II.
Stroh of 24l West Twenty-sixth street,
to 20 to Philadelphia to identify the man.
Stroh was shown Boshardt as the latter was
working diligently, all UNCONSCIOUS OF the
sleuthsr operations about him. Stroh, with
no hesitation, said that the man was his
former tenant and no mistake.
Upon this discovery the insurance COM
pany based their case for fighting the pay
ment Of the insurance policy.
But In November last Boshardt disap-
peared again, and only about a month ago
was he located In this city. at the Third
! avenue address, by the insurance people.
Yesterday morning, upon a subpoena Is
sued. By Coroner Acritelli, Boshardt was
hailed to the office Of the Coroner. he
there made affidavit that he Is not and
has not been dead. The case Of Boshardt,
| formerly declared dead, has therefore
/, been reopened by Coroner AcritsM on the
request OF the insurance company. Pro-
| oeedings will be taken to legally reinstate
Boshirdt among those living. .
According to the story that Boshardt
told the Coroner, he and his wife were mar
! ried in October, iet ., by a City Magistrate.
| They didn't get along well together. They
lived together until April. 1904. when he