Dillon Ouimet and Parker Radcliff Charles Schwartz Dillon Ouimet and Parker Radcliff

Timeline 1925: Charles Schwartz’s laboratory had fallen deep into debt. Eventually he did yield success. Schwartz issued a word of caution that someone would try to hurt him. July 30, 1925: Charles Schwartz’s laboratory explodes. Fire-men later pulled a charred body from the wreckage. Also it was found out that before the fire, he’d increased the life insurance on himself. Schwartz also wrecks his car. July 31, 1925: Schwartz’s house is burglarized, a few pieces of jewelry were taken, as well as every single image of Charles Schwartz.

Timeline 1925: Dr. Edward Heinrich was chosen as the medical examiner. He concluded that the body found within the fire, with Bertillon Measurements that body was not Schwartz, it was heavier and taller, and his skull was different than in images. 1925: Dentist A.J. Nielsen concluded that the dental records of Schwartz were not the same as the body found in the fire. Hair samples from the body and from Schwartz personal items also discredited that it could have been him. August 3, 1925: Joseph Rodriguez, one person they thought to be the dead man resurfaced.

Timeline 1925: Gilbert Barbe was found to be the actual victim, identified by a friend. August 11, 1925: Schwartz landlord sold him out, and he committed suicide. He left a note claiming he was innocent, which was refuted because of the extreme damage that had been inflicted upon the victim.

Questions Why did Charles Schwartz fake his death? Charles Schwarz was a con-man in the 1900s, so he easily saw the opportunity to fake his death in order to get his life insurance money. His policy included a doubling of the money in the event of an accidental death. His doubled life insurance policy added up to $360,000, today this would be $5,021,039.22. How was his plot almost successful? Schwarz had done extensive planning before he lit the fire. He had his wife, who was also going to claim the insurance money, identify the doppelganger, who was later identified as Gilbert Barb. After he lit the fire he was going to go to his getaway car and then escape on a train to southern california.

Question Why didn’t he get away with it? There were many things that went wrong with Schwartz’s plan. First, an unaccounted for watchman, who was working at the laboratory, saw Schwarz mixing the flammable chemicals and he was there when the fire first started so he called the fire department sooner than Schwarz had anticipated. Because of this the firemen were able to get to the lab before the fire had destroyed everything. They were able to determine that the fire had been intentional, a burn trail leading to the lab also showed that someone had left before setting the fire. This was clearly no accident. Unfortunately for Schwarz he also got into a car crash and badly injured his leg. He missed his train and was forced to lay low in a nearby boarding house, where he killed himself. Because he committed suicide the life insurance plan was voided.

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