Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1887-10-29 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SIVE FRAUDS ON INSURANCE  COMPANIES.  The Press Association has received the following authoritative information respecting a series of frauds which have been perpetrated upon a number of insurance offices in Eiggland to the extent of about £13,000. It seems that in and prior to 1883 a man named Von Sheerer effected life insurances amounting to about £13,000, which were paid to a Bliss Bankfalvs, who produced assignments of the policies, with certificates of the supposed death of Von Sheerer at Blandon, near Versailles, on the 20th of November, 1833, coupled with an I affidavit by a Count Henri de Casteleau to the effect that he had known Von Sheerer for over I five years, and that his death took place as stated lon the date given. This was further confirmed by I a doctor's certificate declaring that Von Sheerer I had died of a galloping consumption. Subsequent enquiry, however, has elicited the fact that the certificates in question had relation to a sick man who had been made to serve as iinhstitate for Von Sheerer. The London Offices, while suspecting fraud, admitted the death, and paid the £13,003 to Miss Bank-falvs, who subseviently, in 1885, married Von Sheerer in London. Lately Von Shearer was seen in Paris, and information was given by one of his accomplices which has led to the arrest of five persons in Paris, including Count Henri de Castelase, who are now awaiting trial. Von Sheerer, who has been living for some time in 'Vienna, last week, it is alleged, attempted to I pass s forged bill on the Credit Anstalt. The ' manager, having suspicious, refused to accept it, and teltwraphed for information as to its genuineness. Von Sheerer thereupon decamped, and, the bill being discovered to be a forgery, his wife was arrested, 80,000 francs being found upon her. It was then discovered for the first tame that Madam von Sheerer was identical with Miss Baukfalva, alias Julia Metz. Upon information of her arrest reaching Paris the ' French authorities applied for her extradition I for participation iu forging the certificates of the alleged death and burial of Von Sheerer, whilst a similar request has been preferred to the English Foreign Office by Metiers Michael Abrahams, Son, and Co., of Old Jewry, on behalf of the English insurance companies, with reference to frauds perpetrated in this country. The Austrian police have at present declined to I extradite the woman, on the ground that she has made herself amenable to the Austrian authorities. The Austrian police at present are in possession of the money found upon Madam Von Sheerer, upon which -Messrs Abrahams have laid an embargo in the interests of the insurance cons. panies. On Tuesday Messrs Ransom, Bouverie, and Co., the bankers of Von Sheerer (who' : was known to them by the alias of " Ropers ") rreceived a registered letter from him containing bank-notes amounting to £2OO, forming part of a recent remittance to him of £3OO. In the letter accompanying the money Von Sheerer, after requesting the firm to protect I his wife, who was innocent of the fraud, and had acted throughout out of love for him, stated that he was about to commit suicide. The communication was handed at once to Messrs Abrahams, who immediately telegraphed to the English Consul at Milan for information. An answer to this telegram was received on Wednesday from the Consul, stating that on Saturday last Von Shearer had.committedsuicide at Como, in Italy. Mr Holt, the London secretary of the Life Association of Scotland, one of the offices which had been defrauded, has followed out all the iutricacies and ramifications of the case from the first, and it is mainly through his instrumentality that the frauds have been exposed, and that the guilty parties are likely to be brought to justice. ARREST OF AN ABSCONDING