The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-28
CASE A WEIRD ONE.

Louisville. Ky, Jan. 2S.-DetailS Of
what is believed to be the most amaz-
ing insurance swindle uncovered in re-
cent years. entailing wholesale homi
cides, which came to light yesterday,
resulted in the arrest last night of Tru-
ant Officer John J. keane, of the Lou
isville school board; p. r. Needham
and Tim T. OLeary. all widely known
insurance men of Louisville, who are
in Jail charged with conspiracy to de-
fraud.
The men were taken into custody
last night by detectives on warrants
sworn out by S. c. Renck. secretary
treasurer of the Commercial Life In
surance company of indianapolis. They
were sweated several hours, and all
claim that they We're being made vic
Tins by the company which they rep
resented.
DR.. William R. Richards, Coroner
of Floyd county, Indiana, was named
by the three men as the medical ex-
aminer of the company for New AL
bany who passed upon the health of
the applicants for insurance.
Never Saw Applicants.
The police say that DR.. Richards has
turned states evidence and will bare
the story of operations. DR.. Rich
ards admitted last night that he had
signed health certificates of appli-
cants for insurance whom he had nei-
Their seen nor examined. but said he
had issued such certificates only
when the agents has assured him that
| the risks were good
! Behind the warrants is a weird sto-
ry, which, it is said, by the prosecu-
ton. will reveal, when unraveled, a
trail of crime which will make the
Guinness wholesale murder mystery
pale into insignificance. Aaron kohn,
attorney for the insurance. companies
| interested in the prosecution of the
cases, is authority for the statement
that the story EVENLY will reveal the
most narrowing tales of Wholesale
! homicides.
The entire case came to light
through an investigation of the death
of Walter Rider, a teamster, who died
two weeks ago. 1t is said that insur.
ance policies upon the lives of dozens
of aged and decrepit people in Louis
vile have been taken out by promoters
of the scheme without the slightest
knowledge of those insured
Other Warrants Coming.
Warrants for the arrest of three
prominent physicians. whose names
are being withheld by the attorneys for
the insurance companies. will be sworn
out within the next few days. Attor-
ney Kohn said there are a number OF
physicians who examined risks tax
en- by the three men under arrest who
are innocent of any wrong intent and
who were themselves defrauded by the
use of dummies.
The companies that are alleged tC
have been victims IN the alleged con-
spiracy are the Independent Life In
surance Company. of Nashville, with
offices in the Walker building: the
Commonwealth Life Insurance com
pany of Louisville: the Commercial
Life Insurance company Of Indianapo
lis, and the National Life Insurance
company of the same city.
According to Mr.. kohn there are
more tnan 100 cases or alleged 1rauu
ulent "riske" and the amount risked by
the insurance companies through
their agents. as a result of the alleged
conspiracy, will total several hundred
thousand dollars.
Premiums More Than Salaries.
The suspicious of the insurance Off
Gals became aroused several weeks age
as a result of the numerous sudden
deaths of persons whose lives were
heavily insured. In majority Of