The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-03-16
SOME BIG INSURANCE FRAUDS.
Remarkable Cases I'm Which Daring
Swindlers Made Great Fortunes.


Gently startled by the account of the
man Guilevitch, who, after insurlng
his life and nominating the amount
OF the policy TO his secretary, actually
murdered the latter, and, assuming
his identity, claimed the insurance
money which would have been due
had he died himself.
The abuses Of insurance were new
er more terribly illustrated than by
the case OF Herman W.. Mudgett.
which a few years ago caused a blaze
oc Indignation throughout the United
States and Canada. Mudgett aud q
man named Pietezel went into part
nership with the deliberate intention
OF swindling insurance companies.
Gullevitch's method was to select
victim who was to act as his double,
and murder him by means Of poison.
Mudgett and Pltezel were not muir
derers from the first. They simply
procured dead bodies from mortuaries
eshN ~iSo"hciCt tucHl
der the preteuse that they were medi-
cal students. and required them for
dissection. The dead body would be
arrayed In Pitezel's clothes, and Mud
gett would get the certificate and
draw the insurance for Pitezels
death. Then the two scoundrels shar-
ed the spolls Of their crime. Thus
they swindled various companies out
of 1900 pounds.
Eventually Mudgett got into debt
and found that he must have all the
money. not merely half. Then Pite-
eel died In earnest He was found
done TO death with chloroform in his
office in Philadelphia. Pitezels chill
dren came to Mudgett asking about
their father. Mudgett. In terror of
discovery, deliberately murdered them
one by one and hid their bodies In
cellars In various places In each case
he drew insurance.
Mudgett, when In prison, confessed
20 twenty-five separate murders for
the sake OF Insurance money. This
Is probably record; but there are
many cases of a number OF different
individuals falling victims to the
greed of one man.
The arch-criminal Meyer. for in
stance, most certainly poisoned seven
different persons. Yet New York
jury were idiots enough TO let him off
with his life. Mrs. Van der Linden. of
Leyden. when convicted OF the muir
der OF an unfortunate girl-one of
her relatives--for the sake of 500
pounds insurance. coolly confessed 20
having poisoned or otherwise ended
the lives of fifteen other people, and
the Liverpool Sisters" OF evil mem
ory. were put on trial for killing four
persons
In spite OF the laws which prohibit
\ the insurance OF life by q third par
ty, unless "insurable interest can be
proved. industrial offices are frequent
ly imposed upon. At Blackburn a
case came to light not long ago Of q
woman. lodging house keeper, who
held no fewer than forty insurance
policies on the lives OF men, most Of
whom she had never even seen. The
amount she paid In premiums was 25
shillings a week.
In July last very clever insurance
swindler was run TO earth In Paris.
The method Of his arrest was curious.
One wet day a smart-looking man tried
to force his way into an omnibus,
which was already full. When the
conductor told hlm to get off he hit
the man In the face. He was at once
taken to the police station.
No fewer than thirty accident in
surance policies were found about
him, and presently II was discovered
that he was head of an organization
which existed solely for the purpose
of swindling insurance companies.
He and his confederates owned a
number of motors so constructed that
accidents occurred constantly. The
drivers-his ccomplices-would ar
range for heavy indemnities. and then
put their ears I'm order again. Other
members were accustomed to fall be-
meath passing vehicles. always go
cleverly as to escape serious injury.
yet 80 as 10 be able to get medical
certificates whereby they could claim
damages. The extent Of tho fraud is
proved by the fact that Count De
Thuin. as the head swindler called
himself. had been making as his own
share Is 900 year.