The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-04-29
Arkansas Dentist First Was
Accused of Arranging
City Mans Death.
KILLED TOOL, IS CHARGE
May rs Set to Disclose One
of StrangeSt Frauds in
History.


A one time congressional candidate,
wealthy land owner and retired dem
fist, DR.. Andrew J. Bass of Column
bia, Mo, will go to trial here May
&c, charged with murder in con-
nection with one of the strangeSt
attempted insurance frauds in his
tory. An insanity defense has been
indicated.
The Missourian, who talked him.
self into jail'' after nearly accom-
pliShing an insurance fraud of $780,
000 will go to trial for the death of
William Robert Pearman, university
graduate, vocational teacher, auto
mechanic and ne'er-do-well of Co.
lumbia, who as an alleged tool in the
plot, met his death March 80.
DR.. Bass has confessed to killing
Pearman in an attempted insurance
fraud and mentioned other frauds.
Casper Tillman, 35, hut dweller
in the hills near Linn, Mo, not far
from Columbia, later admitted aid
ing Bass to diSposeof the body in
Arkansas, and faces first degree
murder charge in Missouri.
City Man Is Dead
In 1928 DR.. Bass, his wife and her
cousin, M. j. Dorsey, chairman of
the board of the Northern States
Life Insurance Company of Indian
apolis, were involved in a large busi-
ness deal.
Dorsey, DR.. Bass related, borrowed
$4,000 and assigned to Bass $780,
900 in life insurance.
Bass, according to the confession,
told a friend of the deal, and sug-
geSted Dorsey'S death.
Bass was put In touch with gang
sterS, and was to pay $4,000 for his
cousins death. But the cousin,
growing suspicious or changing his
mind, Cancelled the policy.
Then Bass called off the murder,
he said, but the gangsters demanded
the money.
For months he lived In a state of
terror, he said, but finally met with
the gunner, who proposed q plan
similar to the first be tried.
After talking with the gangsters,
DR.. Bass said, he met Frank Folta
of Martinsburg, Mo.
Folta told him of a missing broth
er William who had not been heard
of for seventeen years.
1t was not long after this, how
ever, it has been learned, that Bass
visited the home and told members
of the family that he had discovered
William Folta. This was in the fall
of 1929.
Employed by Bass
In the meantime, Pearman, father
of two children, both students in the
University of Missouri, became in
volved with Dr. Bass He was en-
ployed by Bass "at $50 a week"
Pearman, disguised by a wig, and
claiming he had just returned from
the Orient, became the long missing
Folta. While at Columbia, Pearman
resumed his right name, but on
business trips with Bass he became
Folta.
A scheme by which he would grow
immensely rich had been outlined to
Pearman, he told Pearl Powell, a
waitress. He told her, she testified
before a grand jury, that he was to
get "at least $4,000 out OF deal"
On March 30 a body was found
near here. On it was note book,
marked William Folta. It said in
case of accident or death to notify
Mrs. Mary Folta of Martinsburg,
Mo, and DR.. A. j. Bass of Columbia.
Sheriff Edgar Fields Immediately
called DR.. Bass. DR.. Bass said he
would come down from Columbia
Immediately. The sheriff also called
Mrs. Folta- She said she would view
the body.
Policies Are Found
-Four $4,000 insurance policies
assigned by Folta to DR.. Bass, were
found.
Upon his arrival, DR.. Bass iden-
tilted the body as that of Folta. He
was SO positive of his identification
that Sheriff Fields said he became
suspicious.
The mother of Folta arrived, and
Immediately said the body was not
that of her long missing son.
Sheriff Fields decided Bass was
talking too much and arrested him.
Having missed seeing Pearman for
several days Pearl Powell learned of
the body and went to the sheriff and
positively identified it as that of
Pearrnan.
Later Mrs. Pearman and the two
children identified the body.
Indicted with Bass was S. K.
Johnson, Kansas City real estate
man, who handled the transfer of
land in which the insurance policies
were first made. 1t is believed the
charges will be dismissed against
him for in a written confession,
Bass said johnson is as innocent
as new born babe"