Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1892 — A DEEP-DYED RASCAL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A DEEP-DYED RASCAL.

Ik Scheme to Cheat the Insurance Companies. Benjamin Robert Musgrave, or : Bob, as he was better known, was : born at Leeds, England, about 30 1 years ago. He was not born rich and ! when he went out into the world it was to get a living as best he could. It occurred to Bob, as it has to many another, that the easiest way was “by his wits.” So Bob sought fields wherein he could make use of his ponderous gall. But for some unknown reason he was unlucky from

the first. It would not be long after Bob entered a city, with some big tale of business prospects, before he would begin to excite the suspicions of some one with whom he came in contact and before he was hardly awaje of it he would be damned out of town. Thus he went to Chicago; but his same old difficulty, “down on his luck,” began to torment him there and he decided upon a bold scheme to obtain money. He became acquainted with a woman named Kate McLaughlin*or Kate Burton, as she called herself, who was not of the highest morals. He and Kate put their heads together and it was not long afterward that Mr. Musgrave took out life insurance policies amounting to $3q,000. Next Mr. M. was in receipt of a long box, which excited the curiosity of those of his “friends” who saw it. Then Bob announced his intention to take up his abode in an old deserted cabin near Terre Haute, Ind. There was one friend who had always stood by Bob and that was Charley Trout. When Bob went to Terre Haute and to the cabin Trout informed the good people thereabout that Bob had ensconced himself there and persuaded two men to go and see him. One or two days later the old cabin was reported to have burned down. Upon searching the ruins the charred bones of a skeleton were found and the report that Bob Musgrave had been burned. Then It was learned that some one had bought a skeleton and ordered it to be sent to the address to which the long box had come and thus that mystery was cleared tip., Next Masgrave was recognized In Chicago and It was seen that the bones discovered Id the old hut were of the fake skeleton bought by him. Bob was at last arrested on the charge of attempting to swindle the insurances companies out of $35,000. He'was sentenced to ten years in the* penitentiary and fined SSOO.

BOB MUSGRAVE.