New-York tribune., 1911-10-01
FRAUDS OF INSURANCE
UnraveIIing the Mysteries OF
Fake Deaths.
COMPANIES SAVE MILLIONS
Elaborate Detective Systems
Prevent Fraudulent Col
lection of Claims.

lection of Claims.
Most Of the persons who, while carrying
life insurance. mysteriously disappear and
all trace OF whom is. lost by their relatives
and associates. are traced by the insurance
companies. The highly organized and spe-
cialized bureau Of investigation which is
maintained by all the large insurance COM
panies IS set 10 work, and in probably %
per cent Of the cases the lost person is
either found by the investigators" or proof
OF his death satisfactorily established
4 recent example of the diligent search
Instituted by the insurance companies for
an individual who suddenly disappeared,
leaving no clew as to what became of him,
is that OF George \. Kimmel-or the man
who saws he is George A. Kimmel-other-
wise known as Andrew J. White, who was
found by the investigating bureau Of the
New York Life Insurance Company in the
prison at Auburn y. Y. after he had been
declared legally dead 10y the courts of ST.
Louis and after one insurance company
had paid its policy on Kimmel's life
The investigating bureau of the New
York Life. i'm which Kimmel carried
policy of $4,000 in favor of his sister, Mrs.
T. X Bonslett, OF Chicago. did not believe
he was dead. and set the machinery of its
department TO work.
As a result Of this investigation, the New
York Life declared that man in the
prison at Auburn. known as Andrew J.
White. was the George \. Kimmel who
disappeared from Arkansas City. Kan, in
1895. Mrs. Estella Kimmel, mother Of the
lost man, was taken to the prison TO con-
NJ
repudilted. The man. however, declares
that he is George \. Kimmel, and on his
release from prison short time ago went
20 his old home in Niles. Mich, to see his
mother, his relatives and old friends, to
prove his identity The resulting mystery.
In which his cousin and a number Of the
old residents believe they recognize him as
the George A. Kimmel who disappeared,
while his mother. the physician who at
tended him as a youth. and many others,
believe he is an impostor. is one Of the
most puzzling Of insurance cases.
The case has become one OF the great
mysteries Of the day The insurance com
pany which traced the man maintains he
is the real George \. Kimmel There IS
much popular curiosity concerning the So
called detective bureau maintained by
the insurance companies TO protect them
against fraud and conspiracy. but little is
known OF their inside workings. for the
companies themselves have been reticeut,
-~rv naturally. concerning the matter
@sCh Of the large insurance companies.
gro some OF the smaller ones. have their
crrcaus of information, or investigation
which are their secret service departments,
and the mass of material which these de
partments collect and keep on file I'm their
Offices is remarkable. Many tangled mari
tai discord could be easily and quickly uu-
tangled if reference could be had to this
file. and many a man who is wanted by
the police Of various cities for embeZzie-
ment or other business irregularity could
be produced in few dayS'-Or, in many
cases. a few hours timely an insurance
company. provided he carried a policy in
the company, and the relatives Of the man
had begun suit against the company TO
collect or were likely 10 begin suit.
The New York Life. whose information
department traced the man who calls him
self Kimmel; the Equitable the Prudential.
the Mutual. the Etna the Fidelity and
Casually among various other companies,
have these bureaus. all maintained on a
high plane Of efficiency, organized up to
the minute and always ready to jump into
action AT moments notice through their
ramifcations throughout the country.
This bureau, i'm the larger companies is
said by many of the insurance men TO rival
the United States Secret Service in the
mechanism of its organization and the eff
cheney of its work. The Insurance COM
panies have a great advantage. economi-
cally, over the government Secret Service.
II that the investigation bureaus were not
organized primarily for tracing lost per-
sons and unearthiug conspiracies to de-
fraud the companies. and perform other
services for the Insurance companies.
Very few of the mysterious disappear
ance cases say the men IN the secret ser
vice work Of the insurance companies, are
for toe purpose of cheating the Insurance
company. but are usually caused either by
domestic discord or business trouble. The
man who has disappeared thinks nothing
about his insurance policy and when he is
finally located thinks it has lapsed and VIII
readily swear 20 an affidavit that he is
alive If the faith OF the company is pledged
not 20 reveal lis whereabouts TO his family
OF friends. The companies often pledge
their faith in this manner. and what is
more. they KEEP IT, as the following two
cases viii show.
Several years ago "a New York physician
e specialist who may Doe called Dr. Brown
because ha is s,.li alive and practising med