Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-07-25
PROVES MAN DEAD THEN FINDS
HIM IN THE FLESH IN CALIFORNIA
Attorney ID. c. Dow Locates Edwin M Sweo,e
After Court Presumed Him Dead and
Allowed Insurance Money

One OF the most interesting and
hardest fought legal cases in the
history of Whitman county courts
was brought to a close last Saturday
when D. C. Dow, attorney for the
Plaintiff in the case of Thos. b. Mat
lock VS.. the Head Camp, Pacific
Jurisdiction, Woodmen of the
World, placed evidence in the hands
Of John Pattison, attorney for the
defendants, which proved Edwin M.
Swegle alive after the court had
rendered a decision in favor of Dow
for the plaintiff.
The case has been a long drawn
out affair and has aroused much in
terest in Whitman county and Pull
man, where Swegle and Matlock are
both well known, Matlock having
formerly resided here. The case
was instituted in 1910 in an en-
deayor to collect life insurance
premium of $4,000, together with ac-
crued interest, held by Swegle and
made payable to Matlock. 1t was
tried at Colfax before Judge KEENAN,
of Spokane in May, 1912, and the
decision in favor of the plaintiffs
was rendered in March of this year.
The case was appealed to the SUI
preme court by Attorney Pattison
and the appeal was pending when
the news of Swegle's existence was
received by Attorney Dow last Sat
urday. Dow at once communicated
his findings to Attorney Pattison
and the case will be withdrawn from
the supreme court Circumstances
surrounding the finding of Swegle
were almost as mysterious as his
sudden disappearance. He was seen
In California by acquaintance sew
eral weeks ago and the fact was re-
lated to Mr.. Matlock, who immedi-
ately communicated with Swegle. A
reply was received last Saturday, in
which Swegle stated that he was not
aware that case to collect his life
insurance was in the courts, but gave
no excuse for his disappearance.
The case originated from the mys-
terious disappearance of Edwin NJ.
swegle on August 8, 1901. Swegle
was a young, unmarried man who
was engaged in farming near Step
toe He was a brother-in-law of T.
b. Matlock and had been reared as
member of the latter's family.
swegle had taken out life insurance
policy for $4,000 with the Woodmen
OF the World and had named Mr..
Matlock as his beneficiary. About
the lst of August, 1901, he gave a
mortgage on his ranch to raise
money with which to build house
ana went to Spokane to see about
buying lum Der. On August he APP
peared at the home of a half-sister
III Seattle and told her that he had
iaiien in with a couple of strangers
IN spokane who had invited him to
come to Seattle with them and had
gwen him a ticket. He stated that
ne expected to go back to Spokane
mat afternoon, but promised that II
ne did not go he would come back
ana spend the night with his rela-
yves He then had about $110O in
cash on his person.
From that moment Swegle
dropped out of sight and it was sup
posed that he met with foul play. On
december IA, 1910, Mr.. Matlock
started suit against the head camp
o1 the w. o. W., Pacific Jurisdiction
Tor the amount of the insurance pol
ICY The organization offered three
lines of defense: First, that Swegle
was not dead; second, that If he was
uead, he died after January 1919
al which time payment of permiums
On his policy stopped; third, that II
he was dead, action to collect the
policy had not be instituted within
Tue statutory Limitation of six years
The case was tried before Judge
hennan in May, 1912, but he held 1t
under adviseme nt for 10 months be-
iore rendering his decision, in which
ne said, in part:
1T appears from the testimony
mat swegle, a member of the w. y.
~, disappeared on or about August
q 1901, under circumstances indi-
eating death as the cause of such DIS
appearance. That search was made
lor him and no things have ever
Deen heard of or from him since
about AnRnsf q 1an1 More than