New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-17
Bones i'm Fire
Not Those of
Insured Man
Dentists X-Ray Photograph
Shows Jaw Not That of
Farmer, Missing After
Taking $4,000 Policies
Had Debts of $4,000
Youthful Missourian Had
Gained Reputation of
Being a Modern Midas
Special Dispatch to The Tribame

LANCASTER, Mo-, April 16.---This
little town is buzzing to-day with talk
about Orval Dooley, a young farmer and
Spectator, whose home, insured for
$4,000, was burned last Saturday night
and in the ruins of which were found
charred bones, at first thought to be
those of Dooley, but which later were
identified as parts of skeleton, pre-
sumably used for anatomical purposes.
Dooley, who recently insured his life
for $4,000, is missing,
Dooley was seen last about 9 o'clock
last Saturday night by one of the ten
ants of his farm. At ten o'clock his
wife and seven-year-old son returned
from Queen City and found their home
in ruins. Next day human bones were
found in the ruins. Everyone accepted
the theory that Dooley had persisted
in the FIRE
Then A. D. Morris, prosecuting attor-
pey for Schuyler County, began an in
vestigation. The bones were scraped of
debris and each was found to be per-
forated with the regularity of taxi
dermist preparing specimen for
mounting An anatomical specialist said
thickness of the skull so indicating,
and that they had been strung on wires
for study or surgical reference.
Known as Youthful Midas
Dooley was known here as an. ener-
getic, ambitious, youthful Midas, whose
touch turned cattle and sheep into ne
oh 10 ho
talked in items" Dooley was dealing in
hundreds" While the bankers here
were building cottages Dooley was con-
structing handsome home on his farm.
And so it has gone on for months.
The banks have lent him money. 1t
was not until recently. when the Kicker
National Bank, at Quincy, lent him
$4,000 that the other banks here be-
came uneasy.
head of cattle as security, when he
really had only ninety. On these he
had given notes to traders, from whom
he had purchased them. Recently he
sold the cattle while they were still
under mortgage. The traders still held
his papers.
Last week the Quincy bank demanded
repayment. Several times it demanded
it. Then followed the fire and the sub
sequent disappearance of Dooley.
AS result of the expose it has
been brought to light that Dooley's
liabilities were between $4,000 and
100000.
Takes Out Insurance
The week previous to the fire Dooley
had taken out $4,000 life insurance
His home was insured for $4,000.
Whatever plans Dooley had, what
ever ingenuity he showed in devising
them, he overlooked one important de-
tail. 1t was the destruction of an
X-ray photograph of his lower jaw
which caused Mr.. Morris to instruct
the coroner not to issue the certificate
of death.
The photograph was taken by
dentist few weeks ago. Dooley
needed dental work again and brought
the pictures to show the source of
the trouble and neglected to take them
home. During the investigation of the
jawbone of the skeleton found in the
ruins, the dentist was among those
present He produced the old plates,
They were not similar in any respect
Confronted with this evidence, the
family admitted that Dooley was not
dead, at least not in the fire