The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-05-19
Weird Life Story OF Luck
And Broken Marriage Vo1os
ToBe Told About Shun1ake1
So-CaIled Wifes Suit Against Insurance Com
panieS in PittSburg Tomorrow Expected to
Involve Many MilionaireS.

PITTsBURG. May 1s.-In the United
States District Court in this city on
Monday morning. the case OF Mrs. Hef--
lick Shumaker against the Preferred
Accident INSURANCE Company. Of New
York; the Fidelity and Casualty Com
pany. OF New York, and the Travellers
Insurance Company. OF Hartford, Conn,
will be called. and the opening guns
fred in what promises to be one OF the
most sensational cases ever heard in
any court.
Evidence will be brought out revealing
Q romance as strange as any Of the
fiction of Jules Verne and the names Of
several persons OF international reputa-
ton will be woven into the testimony.
There are four suits in all, one each
against the Fidelity and Travellers. and
two against the Preferred company.
Each suit is for $4,000, and the total
amount involved is $4,000 which was
carried as insurance by the late Alvah
p. Shumaker. of this city. Shumaker
was killed by a train on the Pennsyl-
vanla railroad in this city on December
u. 1905.
To Bring Out Weird Story.
The companies who are contesting the
payment Of the insurance policies OF
Mrs. Ella Henick Shumaker will bring
out the weird story of Shumaker's life
in their efforts to resist payment. They
viii claim. in the first place, that Shu-
maker did not meet with accidental
death, but that he committed suicide
after he had found his wife in prom
inent down town hotel in company, with
a Pittsburg millionaire. who is known
70 almost everyone. They will claim,
too, that Ella Heflick Shumaker was
not the legal wife OF Alvah p. Shumaker.
either at the time he took out the in
surance policies, or at the time he met
his death.
Was Remarkable Young Man.
Alvah P. Shumaker was a most re-
markable young mamie was only thir-
ty-five al the time OF his death--a man
who had a wonderful career. He had a
faculty OF making friends and getting
5lOng IN the world which was equaled
by few men. Born I'm Harrisburg. Pa,
he was the son Of small grocer there,
who has. during his life. barely been
able 10 make both ends meet while
raising a large family. Young Alvah
worked about the grocery storesas soon
as he was able but when he had reached
the age Of fifteen, Harrisburg became
too small for him. and he went TO Phila-
delphia, where he soon had a good posi-
ton and was prosperous. He remained
in Philadelphia until he was about
twenty-five years old, and then he went
10 ST. Louis, where he secured an ex-
cellent position with a large manu-
featuring concern.
Married in St. Louis.
While in St Louis. -Shu-aaker met and
married a prominent young woman OF
that city, with. whom he lived. aPpar-
emily. very happily. About ten years
ago the firm by which he was employed
decided to open q branch office in the
city Of Mexico. and Shumaker was sent
there TO take charge of the new branch.
He had a good salary, made an excel
lent appearance. stopped at the leading
hotel with his beautiful wife. and was
soon in the social swim of the Mexican
capital
Not long af5er the Shumakers arrived
in the City of Mexico. they met AMI
became on intimate terms with 4
wealthy Mexican planter and his wife
The latter was a remarkably handsome
young woman and II was not long be
fore the two couples were constantly to-
gsther. The Mexican paid marked at
tention to the then Mrs. Shumaker, and
Shumaker. instead of becoming jeal-
Gus. made violent love 10 the beautiful
Mexican woman. Mutual friends were
alarmed. and feared that there would
be murder or a duel, but there wasn't
wgN A1~
1t is said that. by mutual agreement.
Shumaker and the Mexican traded
wives.
Left With Mexican Woman.
Just what legal action was involved
in this transaction has not vet been
made public, and that will be one OF the
surprises OF the coming suit. Soon afte-
the transfer was made, however Shu-
maker and the Mexican woman sud
denly left the City of Mexico, and there
are rumors that they were given n con-
siderable sum of money to go away by
the wealthy Mexican planter. on ac-
count of the notoriety that had been
aroused by the alleged transfer of
wives. They went direct TO New York.
where they began 70 attract attention
by the amount of money they spent.
and oy their attractive appearance, for
Shumaker was as handsome as the
Mexican woman was beautiful
After she had had taste Of high life
and seen other men. the Mexican
woman began to tire of Shumaker. ard
II was not long before she transferred
her affections TO wealthy New York
man, and one day she was missing
Shumakcr made inquiries. and found
That she had gone abroad with a
wealthy New Yorker. and it is believed
mat she Is still living abroad with MIN.
Funds Became Exhausted.
Shumaker did not take the desartior
very much to heart. but continued ~
spend his money until his funds were
exhausted. When that time came be
mad nothing except a few letters OF in
PRODUCTION to some wealthy and pronoi.
nent Pittsburg manufacturers and clut
men he came to this city in about
1907, took an expensive suite of apart.
ments at the Hotel Schenley, the mos
fashionable hosiery in the city. anc
secured. through his letters Of introduc
ton, membership in the exclusive On
quesne Club. He purchased a IRE,
devil automobile. was arrested ST,