The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-09-12
corpse of some man who came to his

corpse of some man who came to hi.
death
INA FELONIOUs MANNER
mt the hands of one j. III. Brown Iiill
mans partner. Brown, the Baldwins
and Mrs. Hillman were the first witness.
es examined. Brown detailed infinitely
the journey he took with Hillman from
Wichita to the spot where the alleged
| shooting occurred, how it was done, and
that it was Hillman who was shot by
him.
Mrs. Hillman swOre that the corpse
she saw was that of her husband; that
she recognized it by general appearance,
not by any special mark. Other wit
nesses, of high standing, swore that the
corpse was not that of Hillman; and
this was also the testimony of Mrs. Nc
Coy, sister of Hillman's.
With the developments which the in
quest brought out, the atmosphere about
Lawrence grew too hot for Mr.. j. H.
Brown; and, when he was sought after,
he could not be found. He walked 40
miles to Wyandotte, opposite Kansas
City, procured horse, and started over
into Missouri.
A WARRANT FOR BROWNS ARREST
was issued after the COroner's verdict.
Was Brown murderer of some un-
fortunate mortal, whose life was made a
sacrifice to win for others the coveted
prize of $4,000? What were the cir
cumstances surrounding this bloody
tragedy in the wilds of Southwestern
Kansas? Where is Hillman? What
were he and Brown doing i'm their years
of wanderings? The light the slight in
vestigatiOn has thrown upon the case is
sufficient to convince the majority Of the
people that Hillman is still alive.
With determination to unr;,vcl the
mystery rs to the corpse which was
brought to Lawrence, Major Wiscman
returned to Wichita, and found num-
Der of persons who knew Hillman. The
Major was armed with the photographs
of Hillman, Brown, and the dead man.
The dead's photograph was Immediately
recognized rs that of one
FRANK NICHOLS.
At Wichita the Major found Nichols's
baggage in pawn for an Sl8 bOard-bill.
A sketch of Frank NichOls's life was OBJ
tanned by inquiry, and by reading the
letters and memoranda found in his bag
gage. He was born i'm Germany. His
father died when Frank was less than a
year old. His mother came to this
country, and died at New Orleans when
he was but 18 months old. He was rails
ed by some charitable people in New
Orleans, and, after growing to man.
hood, wandered over the country. His
letters show that he lived at Fayetteville
and Dardanelle, Ark. also at San Fran
cisco, Cal. but for the past three years
he had lived in the vicinity of Wichita,
part of the time working on farm, and
when not so employed would generally
stop i'm Wichita. He boarded mt the
same hotel that Hillman and Brown
stopped at, and became quite intimate
with them. He left Wichita March 2
and went to Oxford, Sd miles south, to
collect some money due for work, stat
ing to some of his friends that he in
HERD CATTLE FOR HILLMAN & BROWN
at $50 month and found, and asked his
friends advice in regard to this matter.
He stated further that Hillman had
plenty of money, having showed him 4
bank-bOOk containing records of de-
posts in bank i'm Lawrence of some
$1,000. His friends advised him to ac-
cept the situation offered; and he told
them afterwards that he had, and, be-
fore leaving Wichita, promised to write
to them: but, up to date, they have
never received any letter from him.
Hillman and Brown left Wichita at 3 p.
NJ, March 3, and went south instead of
weSt-a different route from that de-
scribed by Brown ut the inquest-and
camped on the COwskin, nine miles south
of Wichita: the next day they camped
on the Nenescah, near SOudan: the next
day they fed at noon at the town of
Wellington. In the. vicinity of
this place they met Nichols, as
previously arranged. After dinner they
started on their Journey and went by the
way of Anthony and Medicine Lodge, to
the place where the shooting occurred.
Certain things that transpired after the
three men met near Wellington can not
be related here. Suffice it to say, that
one of the party left, and the other two
Travelled together.
In a lovely place fourteen miles north
of Medicine Lodge, the shooting took
place. The three men-BrOwn, Hill
man and NichOls-were strangers in
Barbour County, the spot where the
shooting occurred being about 100 miles
southwest of Wichita.
BROWN NEGOTIATING FOR IMMUNITY.
When the evidence was elected that
pointed to murder, Brown, rs before
stated, skipped out at night, and has
not been seen in the neighbOrhood of
Lawrence since. Under an assumed
name he was not long since heard Of at
Highly, Mo-, and was reported to be ne
gotiating, through his father and broth
er, for immunity from punishment, pro-
vided he would divulge the whole job.
An attempt to capture Brown failed,
and pretty reliable reports have it that
he has joined Hillman in the East
1t is stated that Brown sent word
from Missouri that he himself did not
do the killing, as he claimed in his tes-
timOny before the COrOner's jury; and
that, if assured protection, he would
turn States evidence.
Brown has escaped; Hillman, who
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