Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-02-14
Is GEN. kUR0Kl
GEN. MACDONALD?
ENGLISH OFFICER SAID TO HAVE
FOUGHT WITH THE JAPA-
NESE ARMY.
DOUBT ABOUT A DEATH.
The Druce Case Recalls Some Remark
able Frauds-Many Mysteri-
Gus BuriaIs.
INSURANCE COMPANIES CHEATED

| The statements in the bruce case
with regard to the alleged trick burial
| of the fifth Dukeof Portland are not
without parallel, and there are several
mysteries of the kind which have
never been cleared up
| At the time of the japanese successes
in the late war it was verify believed
by many that Gen. Kuroki, that mar
velous Japanese commander, was no
other than Sir Hector Macdonald
Certainly there are a large number
! OF people alive who have never be-
| lieved that the gallant general really
| is dead. In fact there appeared in
The Times a reward of $4,000 offered
| to anybody WHO had seen the dead
body. There is also the fact that the
| general was once invited to go to
Japan to train the japanese army; he
actually mentioned the offer to Lord
| Roberts.
| On the other baud, there is assured
| ly vast deal of mystery concerning
| the personality of Kuroki. The Jap
anese have acknowledged that there is
much foreign blood in him, while an
American war correspondent stated
| that he was a Dutchman. Still, in the
| eastern bazaars it was generally cred
| tied that he was Fighting Mae who
| had undergone a trick burial, and
these rumors spread with that celebrity
which invariably battles the western
mind.
Also, it has been stated that Fight
| ing Mac" has been seen alive in Paris
and that his coffin really contained
nothing but stones. The generals
widow, however, has emphatically de-
MED the allegation, and has referred
to many well-known persons who
knew her husband and saw his body
Many Mysterious Burials.
Mr.. Troutbeck, the Westminster cor
| oner, has stated that many mysterious
burials take place, and that doctors
certificates have often been granted on
grounds which certainly were not JUS
tifiable, says Tit-Bits. According to
present methods there is no super
vision over the certificate issued by
medical men and there are many in
stances in which pressure has been
brought to bear on doctor by the
wealthy and influential to suppress the
truth. This is not so common as
might be thought and it is sometimes
true that where a doctor has mis-
managed a case, the certificate is not
according to facts.
There are also many instances in
which crime has occurred when GER
tificates of death have Leen given
without any form of Independent in
quiry,
1t is notorious that there are many
ways, which cannot be specified here,
by which body can be buried with
out registering the death at all and
without any medical certificate being
given.
All the statements just given are
based upon Mr.. Troutbeck's expert
ences, and he has stated that in one
case a doctor wanted to certify that
patient had died of heart disease.
| When an examination of the body was
made it revealed the woman with
dagger through her heart-a rather
! peculiar form of the complaint The
| fact to be noted is that, where wealthy
| and influential families are concerned
| there are sometimes ways AMI means
| of suppressing facts with regard to
| evidence of death.
Some Remarkable Frauds.
In the bruce case it is alleged that
| the late Duke of Portland assumed
death with the object of getting rid of
his dual personality, and that, as T. c.
| bruce, he was apparently buried in
Highgate cemetery in other words,
| that the funeral was spurious, and
| that there was no death at all.
| Burials of this alleged bogus char
acter have often taken place in con-
nection with insurance frauds and
many cases can be given where box
of stones has taken the place of a sup
posed dead man.
Recently some remarkable frauds
were brought to light in connection
with number of very clever rogues,
who earned their living by defrauding
| insurance companies. In these in
stances the person actually was buried
| though it was none the less a trick
| burial.
| The leader of this organization of
! criminals was a medical man. When
| ever he had a dying patient he
brought the case before another nem-
| Der of the gang, an insurance agent,
VINO took the matter in hand. Where
| possible he proposed an insurance
with some company for an amount
| varying according to circumstances.
| The fraud was worked by healthy
living person being presented TO the
regular medical man of the company
| of course, the medical adviser would
pass the case, ana the premium would
\ be paid in the usual way.
When the death of the doctors pa
/ tient took place there was no difficulty
| in the way of drawing the money.
which was shared between the doctor,
/ the insurance agent and, in some
cases. the relatives of the deceased.
\ In one instance a patient was insured
\ with no fewer than half a dozen COM
panies. and altogether these rogues
must have feeced the insurance COM
panies out of S250.0o0.