The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-09
Heavily Insured Then
Dropped. Out Of Sight
From Fridays Daily.


and newspaper circles as one of tn,
most exciting cross,continent chase'
after criminal came to, an end /;
few days ago in Portland, Ore, wheI
James C. La France. supposed.
drowned, was captured The MAJ
after the report of his drowning was
seen on the streets of Portland ant
the circumstances were such thai
an investigation was started. Fol
two months fifteen detectives at var
ious times were employed in the hum
for the man. And the prize-the
capture and bringing to justice of 6
clever defrauder who had taken the
sham death method of obtaining
$4,000 from three insurance compa
nies-one of them the Modern Wood
men of America, Of which b. ID
Smith of Mankato is general attor
ney. As always, it was the woman
at the bottom of the deed and it was
she, too, she and the dominant love
factor that furnished the only means
of locating him. She was his wife
and as his accomplice in Conspiracy
to defraud" may be given a heav,
sentence in the Oregon courts.
Exciting and Battling.
The case, once in the hands of tn,
detectives assumed all the proper
tons OF one of the most exciting ant
battling of mystery stories, His wife
was Swallowed day and night, he wa
following her, spending a few hour!
with her and his family. tc which a.
addition was made shortly after hi:
death" and at three different inter
walls of these short hours spent with
his loved ones he was within TIN
grasp OF the law and each time SOM
minor occurrence took place whic'
completely threw the detectives OF
the trail. Two weeks ago, when h
was at last almost in the grasp of tbf
authorities and escaped, the Modern
Woodmen offices, under whose inst'
cation the search was started, almos
gave up in despair, but few day
ago the telegram of his apprehension
brought JOY to. the attorneys office
keen-Witted Frenchman.
LaFrance is about twenty-nin
years old, an intelligent keen-witte'
Frenchman, and his life, up to fe,
months ago, was one evidently c
honesty. After the sale last summe
of $4,000 worth of farm lands nea
Cornwell, Ore, he moved with hiIs
wife and four babies to Portland
Presumably engaging in the rea
estate business, he laid the frs
plans for the nefarious scheme, hi
election TO the place of secretary
a local insurance company, the Tn
ted Artisans, in which he took on
a $500 policy. Last May he was gi,
en- a $4,000 policy i'm the Postal Lif
insurance company of New York cit
and on May Is made application fC
$4,000 policy in the Modern Weot
men company None of these policie
were solicited it was learned late
On June II he was initiated into til
Portland lodge and received his DO
icy, payable, as the others, to hi
wife.
He Suddenly Disappears.
On the following day he went fist
ing on the Clackamas river, swift
flowing stream, very popular wit
fishermen. His start was made at :
power house and it was there he wa
last seen, going upstream. Ten day
later a party Of fishermen were
the same spot and after their fishin
walked. up the nearby banks an
were proceeding down the railroa
tracks when a stranger approache
them. His request to follow was con
piled with and the stranger led tn
men to tree on the bank of til
stream. This tree had evidentl
been blown over and at a steep il
cline led to the river bed. At th
foot of the tree lay the body of
man, his face and hands so badl
decomposed that Identification wa
impossible, although y his genera
build and the foregoing incident
would identify him as LaFrance.
lunch basket was searched and. in
was found the grocer's duplicate BIZ,
for the lunch, letters in the pocket
so upheld this theory The insuranc
companies were satisfied and tn.
claims paid. The United Artisan
paying the claim at once, although
was not until October "a that the IL
cal company redeemed its polcy
The Postal Life did not pay tn
$4,000 until the last week i'm Decem
ber-a Christmas gift that was ir
tended to be enjoyed by the dea,
man as much as by his wife.
Everyone was satisfied, the man
body was carefully examined and it
condition showed that he had al
tempted to walk down the log, sill
ped, broken his neck, his head, which
was almost severed from the necI
and laying partially in the water wa
soon decomposed. The sympathy O.
the community went out to the wild
ow, soon to become mother.
Was Seen in Portland.
The case was forgotten. On Eel
ruary |, man walked into Por'
land meat market presented a $lf
bill and asked to have it changed
The meat dealer recognized him, o.
thought lie did and told hiS fr;ondc