▁to ▁purchase ▁ins urance , ▁and , ▁with ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁an ▁ins urance ▁agent ▁( who ▁was ▁subsequently ▁fired ▁and ▁sent ▁to ▁prison ▁for ▁forg ery ) ▁" signed " ▁a ▁$ 4 8 , 0 0 0 ▁life ▁ins urance ▁policy ▁that ▁paid ▁extra ▁if ▁an ▁unexpected ▁act ▁of ▁violence ▁killed ▁the ▁victim . ▁According ▁to ▁Gray , ▁Ruth ▁had ▁made ▁at ▁least ▁seven ▁attempts ▁to ▁kill ▁Albert , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁surv ived . ▁On ▁March ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁the ▁couple ▁gar rott ed ▁Albert ▁and ▁stuff ed ▁his ▁nose ▁full ▁of ▁ch lor o form - so aked ▁ra gs , ▁then ▁st aged ▁his ▁death ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁burg l ary . ▁Det ect ives ▁at ▁the ▁scene ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁burg lar ▁left ▁little ▁evidence ▁of ▁breaking ▁into ▁the ▁house . ▁Moreover , ▁Ruth ' s ▁behavior ▁was ▁incons istent ▁with ▁her ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁terror ized ▁wife ' s ▁witness ing ▁her ▁husband ▁being ▁killed . ▁ ▁Police ▁discovered ▁that ▁the ▁property ▁Ruth ▁had ▁claimed ▁had ▁been ▁st olen ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁the ▁house , ▁but ▁hidden . ▁A ▁break through ▁came ▁when ▁a ▁detect ive ▁found ▁a ▁paper ▁with ▁the ▁letters ▁" J . G ." ▁on ▁it ▁( it ▁was ▁a ▁m emento ▁Albert ▁had ▁kept ▁from ▁former ▁lo ver ▁Gu isch ard ), ▁and ▁asked ▁Ruth ▁about ▁it . ▁A ▁fl uster ed ▁Ruth ' s ▁mind ▁immediately ▁turned ▁to ▁Gray , ▁whose ▁initial