Campbell, Colin - embezz - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Indianapolis News – Colin J. Campbell, charged with embezzling $52 from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of NY was placed on trial in the criminal court this morning.  Campbell is the man who went away with Effie Culver, the 15-year-old daughter of Dr. Culver.  Campbell and Miss Culver were members of the Sixth Christian Church, the larger part of whose congregation was in court this morning. In the court was Campbell’s wife, Effie Culver and her father. Richard D. Hughes, local manager of the insurance company the first witness, testified to the company’s method of employing agents.  He said that Campbell had been employed in April 1896 and that when he went away on June 23 he took with him $52.70 of the company’s money.  There are 134 witnesses called for the prosecution.

Last week at the trial of Colin Campbell at Indianapolis for embezzling funds from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Effie Culver, formerly of Waynetown, and well known here, told the story of her betrayal by Campbell. The story as reported in the Indianapolis Sentinel is as follows: "I am fifteen years old and will be sixteen next month. I am the daughter of Dr. Dudley Culver and live with my parents at 49 Fletcher avenue. I first became acquainted with Colin Campbell the latter part of last April at the Sixth Christian church. We frequently met at the Wednesday night prayer meetings and met regularly every Saturday at choir meeting. He sang in the choir and I was the organist. I saw him about a week—perhaps it was only three or four days— before he left the city. We met on that occasion near the South street Baptist church. He wanted to know if I would go away with him and I asked him how he was going to get the money. He said he was working hard and would collect enough of the company's money -for the purpose. I told him I did not like to go away with him on such money as that. It would not only be wrong, but it would get him into trouble. I urged him that he was running in danger. He said in reply that if he was willing to risk it

I ought not to worry. He said the company owed him anyway, and if he was caught he would get out of it. He said he was not afraid, for he had 'been there before.' Miss Myers was present at this meeting, near the South street church. On the night we left I got a note from him. I destroyed it: Miss Myers brought it to me. He always told me to destroy the notes he wrote to me. I recognized his handwriting easily. He said he had 850 in his pocket belonging to the company and that would be enough to get away with. He said he must get out that night or the company would get him. I received this note about 9 p. m. June 23. He came down to our house about 10 o'clock or a little after. Miss Myers was with him. They waited out in the alley back of our barn. I went with them. I carried a telescope grip. Colin Campbell had nothing with him except the clothes on his back. We walked out of the alley onto East Street, and then north on East street to Washington street, then west on Washington street to Illinois street, and then to the Union station. "We took a train at 11:30, I think it was, on the Vandalia and arrived in St. Louis at 7 o'clock the next morning, when Campbell registered in my presence as 'W. G. Compton and wife.' I objected to his registering that way', but he said that the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was 'slick' and he didn't propose to be caught. We remained in St. Louis two weeks and came back when Detective Kinney came to St. Louis and arrested Campbell. I didn't know why Campbell was arrested, and I do not know that he offered to come back without the formality of requisition papers."

On cross examination Miss Culver denied that she had besought Campbell to run away with her. Campbell wrote a policy-of insurance for her. He wrote her age up to twenty years, as he said, so that he could get more of a premium.

The evidence "was afterwards ruled out as not bearing on the case on trial.