From "The Hancock Democrat" Thursday 13 February 1896.
[ Greenfield, Indiana]
COX DEAD, BUT MYERS LIVES
Final Solution of the Famous Cox-Myers Insurance Fraud
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
Elwood, Ind., Feb. 10. - The death of Dr. Thomas A. Cox has been
established beyond doubt by a private investigation which has been made
by a representative of the _Call Leader_ of this city. Undoubted
evidence has been secured that Dr. T. A. Cox died at the home of his
brother, W. H. Cox, a mail carrier of Marietta, Ohio on December 3, and
was buried December 5. W. H. Cox is a worthy and honorable man and
served as postmaster of Marietta four years. The fact of Dr. Coxs death
and the circumstances attending it are vouched for by E. R. Holdeman, of
the Marietta Register, who says that the fraternity need have no doubt
of Coxs death. The Foresters who doubted his death are now convinced of
the truth of the report, but they will not pay the insurance on his life
as he had not paid up his back dues, and it is understood no attempt to
enforce collections will be made. It has been ascertained that Dr. Coxs
nephew, Thomas Myers, whose mysterious alleged death and burial are
still fresh in the memory of the public, attended Dr. Coxs funeral at
Marietta and that he is at Marietta at the present time. Of this fact
there is no doubt and it clearly substantiates the charge of the
Foresters that the alleged death of Myers was a concocted scheme of Cox
and Myers to defraud the insurance companies out of $ 8,500 which Myers
carried on his life and Cox was the beneficiary.
Myers, a nephew of Cox, insured his life for $ 8,500 in Coxs favor and
then went to Gem Ind., to run a fish stand, where he feigned sickness.
He sent for A. F. Burdett and Dr. Cox, of this city, and Cox treated him
and Burnett nursed him. In a few days he was alleged to have died and a
coffin that night was taken across the country to C----rd [*], Ind., and
the coffin containing a weight was buried. No one saw the body and the
next day, when John Noble, of this city, arrived there to identify the
body and had the grave opened, he found the coffin empty. An
investigation followed, Cox, Burnett and two others were charged with
killing Myers. Cox fled and the warrants were destroyed. Cox then
returned and Myers was found to be alive. Cox went to Marietta, O., to
the home of his brother, and died, and Myers is now at or near Marietta.
The case attracted widespread
attention at the time.
[typist note - The first time Burnett is mentioned it is spelled
"Burdett". *is Cliftord spelled wrong probably meant Clinton]
Transcribed by Joni Curtis March 2001