Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-25
COLLIN DISCHARGED.
Judge Zane Testifles to Some Mysteri
ous Movements on the Night Of
the Shooting.
The Defendant Relates How He Was
dubbed Before He Fired
Shot.
And Mr.. Dickson Moves for His Dis
charge on the Ground of
Self-DefenSe.

nation were resumed this morning before
Commissioner Mckay, somewhat after
the appointed hour. The room and halls
were crowded, in expectation of hearing
Collin testify. Mr.. Dickson announced
that the testimony for the prosecution
was all in and the defense proceeded to
call their witnesses.
Judge Zane was first called. He lived
on First street last November; recollected
hearing of the shooting knew where the
Social Hall was had passed the Social
Hall in company with his wife that even
ing; when near the house north of the
Hall saw man across by the Theatre
who shouted out strangely; Immediately
following this there was similar noise
made>by another man near the Guardo
House; he had supposed the sounds had
been intended as signals; another man
was seen on the north side and one heard
up near the Eagle Gate; the first two
parties, Immediately after the signaling,
came towards each other and stopped
talking; he proceeded on to Judge
Shows residence with his wife, and on
his return passed the City Hall about s
o'clock and, seeing a crowd out in front,
remarked to his wife that there must be
something the matter; the signals
had been heard little before
z o'clock; he had good reasons for sup
posing this to be the time. Upon reach
ing home he heard of the shooting, and
at once returned in the direction of the
City Hall, where he learned further of
the shooting affair. Excused.
Mr.. Rawlins requested that the articles
of clothing exhibited in court on Satur-
day be brought in.
Doctor J.. M. Dart testified: l am
slightly acquainted with Collin. Remem-
Der the shooting affair last November;
did not know Collin at that time, but met
him the Monday following at the peniten-
tiary in company with the Warden and
Deputy Franks. Had examined Collin
and found a bruise on his right ear and
also an abrasion on left arm across the
biceps muscle, which carries the arm !;
there was also slight discoloration of
the left upper eye-lid Observed nothing
else in the nature OF injuries. There
was no evidence of injuries on the
right arm, although Collin COM
planned of a bruise there. Was sure that
the abrasion on the left arm compared
with the hole in the coat and shirt. (He
was here shown the clothing. and testi-
fled that it was the same as when he saw
it before.) Was not familiar with the eff
fects of shots in clothing; he had made
no experiments, but thought that muf-
fed sound would result from a shot dis
charged while close to clothing or other
soft substance. his opinion was that the
abrasion had the appearance of being the
result of bullet wound, and was from
quarter to half an inch long and wide;
the mark had evidently been made from
the outer side, and extended in towards
the breast; from an examination of the
clothing at the time thought the two
holes in the coat had been produced by
two distinct shots. Thong hit the shots
had been fired from a pistol thrust
over his (Collin's) shoulder; this
was only an opinion; he couldn't see
how Collin could possibly have fired the
shots himself, as in that case the position
of the holes and the course pursued by
the balls would have been very different.
Collin was here asked to put on the coat,
and the witness proceeded to show how
he thought the shot had been effected)
Excused.
Deputy H. F. Collin was next sworn: 1
am the defendant. 1 was in this city on
November 18th, 1885; was acting as a
deputy marshal, and had been since the
18th of last April. Resided in Social
Hall alley at the time, about two-thirds
of the way through from the west, in the
rear of Musser's row; had lived there
for about two weeks prior to the
2Sth; had formerly lived in Musser's
row; entrance could be effected to
the alley from the east, west and
south. He had been engaged that day
in the Marshal's Office. Had usually got
home at half-past 5, unless detained.
Left for his home that evening about Z
O'Clock, but had left the office an hour
and half before that. Had gone home
early that afternoon, possibly o'clock, |
to dine with his brother, who was going
to California. Made one or two calls after |
dinner, and was standing on the steps in |
front of the Wasatch building till about |
$50, when in company with his brother |
he went and got cigars at Sam Levy's. |
He then looked at his watch and discov-
cred that it was nearly Z O'Clock. He |
said he must hurry home, and |
called at Parsons and got some books. |
His brother left him at the Wasatch
corner and he COLLIN proceeded ND the
street, calling in at Coffee Johns, where
he purchased twenty-five cents worth of
bananas. He remarked that it was quite
late and that he would have to hurry
home; Coffee John taking out his watch
said: 81 don't know what you call late
f6.v, al
He then walked up Main street to God
posite the Theatre, instead of cutting
across diagonally, as was his custom. he
crossed over to the Theatre to see if his
little boy was among the crowd in front.
Not finding him he went around the cor
ner and northward till near Sprague's
residence when he started to cross to the
Social Hall alley. When about half way
across the street he observed a man
come out from near the Social Hall and
afterwards turn back. 1t was dark, and
the warnings he had received caused
him to take his revolver from his hip
pocket and place it in the right hand
pocket of his overcoat. By the time he
had reached the sidewalk he noticed two
men standing near the northwest corner
Of the Hall, on the south side of the al
ley; to avoid close contact he steered to
the north side of the alley, and walked
so as to avoid the deep mud; reaching
this side OF the alley he discovered far
Their along, and close to the north door
of the Social Hall, two other men, who.
as he approached, crossed as with the in
tention of intercepting him. Already on
the alert, he recrossed to the south side.
and as the two men separated he pro-
ceeded to walk between them, and
as he did SO, one of them grabbed him