The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-23
a 'CORPSES' ARE
FOUND ALIVE BY
SW|NDLE PROBERS
Fleeing Official Caught After a
3,O00-mile Chase Across
Continent.
REGULATIONS SAID TO
BE TENS OF THOUSANDS
Forrest F. Dryden Declares 1t
Worst Case of F0rgeries
Company Has Ever Had

Amazing charges of having swindled
the Prudential Life Insurance Company
of great sums by conducting at least
fourteen bogus funerals and collecting
the proceeds of the insurance policies
carried by the ''corpses," confronts Ira
/ J. Bayliss, formerly assistant superin-
tendent of the Prudential at Cohoes,
N. Y, and now under arrest at Los An
geles. Baylss is regarded by the Pru-
Dental officials as the most dangerous
swindler in their experience in insur
ance frauds. The amount of his pecu-
lations will run into the tens of thou
sands.
Investigation by the insurance COM
pany inspectors resulted in these
charges against Bayliss:
Wholesale forgeries, Including the
forging of "A stamp of notary public.
Conducting bogus funerals.
Stealing letters from the mails.
EmbezzIement.
Grand larceny.
Violations of the insurance law.
Issuing bad checks.
Bay1iss was arrested four days ago
| in California after "a 3,OO0-mile chase,
through the unconscious instrunental-
| ity OF a woman to whom he had or
dered $50 bouquet of roses forwarded
by a Cohoes florist just prior to his
| fight. With this slender clue the po-
slice effected his arrest.
| Posed as Unmarried.
| This woman believed him unmarried
and has offered to pay his wife's ex-
penses to her family home at Wald-
wick, near Paterson.
| In Cohoes Baylss posed as well-to-
do. lie is more than six feet tall,
and his fine appearance gained him en-
trance into the best social circles. He
was superintendent Of large Sunday
school.
Baylss is now awaiting extradition
from Los Angeles to New York, while
inspectors and detectives of the Pru-
dental are engaged in unearthing fur
ther evidence of his illegal operations.
Mute evidence of his wrongdoins ia
found in a score or more of forged
death certificates, burial permits and
undertakers' written statements OF
burial of persons who are today alive
]
played in his amazing career of crime.
The peopling of cemeteries with poll
cy-holders to whose mythical funerals
he attested was only a part of his
general scheme. The last and most
daring move he made was the alleged
embezzling of 81 600 sent to cover legiti-
mate death claims.
FIees with Wife.
,..tIa
flight with his wife from Cohoes, n. r..
at midnight after the discovery OF his
operations had been made and brought
home to him.
Bayliss was assistant superintendent
| Of the Cohoes Office Of the Prudential
! Company, with a staff of men working
under him. He was sent there last
June, was well received in the town
! and was considered a valuable man
| by his employers until vague suspi-
cions took definite form and an invests
CATION Of his Office was begun
| That investigation is not completed
| During his operations, Bayliss is said
to have declared dead and buried four
teen citizens of Troy, Cohoes and
neighboring towns Fictitious names
of undertakers and physicians We're
signed to certificates required by the
company and in at least one case
proof death" was unwittingly signed
| by the widow" Mrs. Mary Pouport,
whose husband. Henry, had gone to
Canada to work. Mrs. Pouport found
| 1t difficult to meet the premiums on her
husbands policy, and as it had cash
surrender value of $45 Bayliss per
suaded her to sign the paper on the
representation that he would secure
this sum for her.
Her signature was witnessed by Bay
liss. The physicians and undertaker's
certificates were signed by Dr. Bell and
John s. Kennedy respectively. and
were Infested by w II. O'Brien, as
notary. All signatures. Including the