INGENIOUS FRAUD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 3251, 17 January 1879, Page 2

INGENIOUS FRAUD.

We live (says the Pall Mali Cassette) ii an age of ingenious, frauds,, and, a remarkably clever device for cheating an iuatirance company was the other day carried out by the late Mr Benjamin W. Fay, of Chicago. Mr Fay was found dead on the shore of the lake, with four bullet holes | in his body, his watch and chain gone, I and his pockets turned inside ..out*- -He j had to all appearance been the victim of robbery and murder. His life, however, being heavily insured, the insurance companies were not willing to accept the theory of murder without, in the: first instance, making a •■ thorough investigation of the circumstances under which the deceased gentleman was found /in r! this lamentable condition. They even went so far as to despatch a diver to the bottom of the lake on the banks, of which the body was discovered, and thereby solved the mystery. At the bottom of the lake the diver found a pistol, to which was attached one end of a string. To the other end of the string was fastened an iron weight. The string was long enough when taut to reach from the dead man to where the iron weight had lain, and the number of empty chambers in tha pistol equalled the number of bullets in Fay's body. The weapon was identified as having been bought by the deceased, and the weight as having been in use in his kitchen : and to remove all doubt as to tht cause and motive of the self-murder, a friend of Fay came forward and confessed that Fay had told him of his intention to kill himself and fabricate the appearance of having been robbed and murdered in order that his family should get the benefit of his large insurances. The self-sacri-fice has been made in vain ; and the story shows the truth of Talleyrand's remark that fathers of families are capable of anything.