Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-01-30
THE SKELETON CASE.
An Ingenious Insurance swindIe and a
Persistent Detective.


Persistent Detective.
Some of the most difficult and in.
tricate cases which the police are
ever called upon to handle are the
attempts of swindlers to defraud
insurance companies. The men who
attempt to carry out such frauds
are generally possessed of good in.
telligence and considerable ingenui-
ty, which give the detectives all
they can do to handle. One of the
most remarkable and ingenious of
these swindles was unraveled by
Captain Plunket, then a detective,
and his partner, Detective Weaver,
in what is known as "the skeleton
case."
A man named B. R. Musgrave
came to Chicago a number of years
ago and established himself as a
real estate agent. He held a life
insurance for $4,000, and it was to
secure this sum that he evolved a
highly ingenious scheme which only
a trivial accident prevented from
being successful.
In September of that year Mus,
grave, representing himself as a
medical student, secured skeleton
in st. Louis. This skeleton he had
boxed and sent to a casual ac.
quaintance of his who had offices in
the Chamber of Commerce building.
The recipient was unaware of the
nature of the parcel which he re.
ceiVed, but as a courtesy to Mus
grave he consented to hold it until
called for.
Shortly afterward Musgrave put
in an appearance and, with profuse
thanks, took the box away. He
went to Indiana and took up his
residence in a hut on the banks Of |
the Wabash near Terre Haute. He
quickly became known as con-
vivial person who was fond of lit,
tie whisky and never was averse to
buying a drink. Then one night
fire burned down his hut, and in tho
ashes next day there was found
charred skeleton, and Musgrave's
companions deplored his tragic end
Within a few days the insurance
company was approached by man
named Trout, who, it appeared, held /
an assignment Of Musgrave's policy,
Trout demanded the 100000, but
the agents Of the company already
had reported that there were GER
tain suspicious circumstances in
connection with the fire in the hut
on the Wabash, and the matter was
placed in the hands of the police.
Detective Plunket was extremely
curious about Mr.. Musgrave, and
what he discovered made him more
curious still. 1t appeared that Mus
grave not only sent mysterious par
GELS to casual friends, but that his
mail was not even addressed to him
self. The detective made a list of
every person who had known Mus
grave and then proceeded on sim
pie but effective plan. He ques-
toned each one as to when he or
she had last seen the missing man,
and in time he discovered what he
wanted. Musgrave had been seen
in Chicago after the fire on the
Wabash.
The problem was reduced to its
simplest form-fnd Musgrave. And
here Detective Plunket fell back on
the oldest known principle of deal
ing with mankind. He started to
look for the woman. 1t took weeks
and then months. He chased Mus
grave through the northwest and
down to the south, but wherever
the man went he was still in touch
with the woman, and the detective
was also, but unknown, taking a
deep interest in her. The end was
and Musgrave was final
Iy run to earth in st. Paul. He and
his accomplice were found guilty of |
fraud and went to the penitentiary
for a term of years.-Chicago Trib-
mo