The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-19
\ DEEPLY LAID PLOT.
AN INTERESTING MURDER TRIAL
IN IOWA.
Col. NJ. e. Billings Arraignad Tor the
Alleged Murder of County ATTORNEY
Kingsley, Young and Popular
From the Nep Yo,.s Sun.

5t11l
Mace for the past ten days. The case is
rrobablv without parallel in the criminal
history of this country.
RiIIings the alleged murderer, is 81 years
old He was born in Boonville, Oneida
county. n Y, and served with great dis
+inction in the late war When he came to
this village in 1869, he established a law
office. where he sought clients until the day
If his arrest Billings made but few
friends. There was always something mys-
ferrous about his past life, and his business
methods, while not in conflict wi ii the law,
we're often obnoxious to those with whom
he dealt. One day he eloped with fifteen
year-old school girl, who IS now his wife.
When they returned to Waverly they were
met by vigilantes, who made a desperate
effort to lynch the groom. A few days
later Billings was arrested for bigamy, but
was acquitted as soon as he secured tran
script from the Minnesota courts, showing
a separation from his first wife. The pres
ent Mrs. Billings is stout and pretty. That
is about all that can be said of her.
Kingsley lived here nearly all his life. He
attended the little brown school on the hill
until he was of age, and then he began read
ing law. When he was "A years old he was
PlocleU OOulp1 AbuOItS( Oil OlllCc IL Z llllcu
at the time of his death. The young man
was the soul of honor. His popularity was
widespread In all his business and social
affairs he was clean-handed and courteous
With a snug sum of money in bank and the
,possessor of land, lucrative practice, and
the pledge of one of the prettiest and most
estimable young ladies of the village, Kings
ley was looked upon as peculiarly but de-
servedly fortunate. 1t was while Kingsley
70 IF IIira ~,
that Billings, with whom he was well &C
auainted, conceived what has since proved
to have been most extraordinary plot to
ruin the social and financial standing of a
successful man.
Late in the evening of Dec. 81 of last year
two pistol shots, fired in rapid succession,
were heard In the office of the young county
attorney. A moment later Billings stag
gered down the stairs with a cry OF pain.
His face was pale and his nerves seemed
shattered. In the office above the startled
tow speople found young Kingsley lying
upon the floor with bullet wound over his
right eye. A pistol lay by his side, while
tightly grasped in his right hand was an
unfinished letter to an old college chum
Kingsley was too weak to speak when his
friends rushed to his side, and in few mo-
ments he passed away without even reco G.
nizing his gray-haired mother, who fell in a
turned to him as soon as he reached doc
tors Office. With strange deliberation he
removed his coat and vest and declared
Kingsley had shot him in the back. His
suspeEders were removed. A bullet was
found welded and charred upon one of the
big rings There was q drop of blood on
the mans right shirt sleeve, but the wound
that made the crimson stain could not be
found. The doctor was puzzled. The
townspeople were skeptlcal. Billings was
firm and grim To the excited people he
told this story, which only served to in
tensify the feeling against him:
myself and wife have lived together for
thirteen years in mutual confidence and
love. | often went away for several days
together on business, during which time my
wife and Kingsley were left alone. In the
early days of August returned home late
at night, and for the first time became sus-
picious that matters were not right between
my wife and Kingsley. Almost doubling
my own senses, and thinking perhaps it was
an immoral advance on his part and no
guilt on hers, waited forfurther evidence.
| soon saw enough to satisfy me that
he was making loving advances toward her
and that she was fascinated by him. Still
did not say anything. After several days
of great sorrow and weeping, my wife
began gradually to inform me of the wrong
done me, first saying that Kingsley had
only made love to her. Seeing that was
not satisfied little by little during long
time she informed me that he had, by com
pletely fascinating her, obtained control of
her when | was absent and they alone. AS
soon as she had told me all this transferred
all the property had to my wife and told
her l should live but a very short
time, only until 1 could finish i'm
portant business. went to Kingsleys office
this evening and accused him of seducing
the wife he knew l loved better than my
own life. He asked me what knowledge l
had told him. l had lid off my over
coat, in the pocket of which there was a
little revolver that had no loads in it and
had not been discharged for long time
After told him my evidence told him l
mad transferred to my wife everything and
was going to die. He was standing behind
his desk near the south window. He said:
well, L see you have found out all about it,
Your wife would have been innocent if she
could. deserve to die. Did Mr.. Arms see
what you sawP
Il made no reply, but went to get my
overcoat TO go away. My back was nearly
toward him. he ard a clicking noise, and
instantly the swapping of a pistol, which
was not discharged l whirled toward him,
thinking that he was attempting suicide.
The pistol was presented directly toward
my lace, snapped again, and failed, to dis
charge. lsprang out to the door. leaving
my overcoat and ran down stairs. Kingsley
ran to the top of the stairs and fired at me,
not hitting me, and fired instantly again,
the ball striking me on the spinal column,
between the shoulders. He instantly fired
again, the ball striking me on my hair at
tne side of my head. The shot in my back
knqcked the breath out of me. AS soon as
could cried: 4 am shotl Helpp"
Young Kingsley's splendid career was
considered a sufficient refutation to these
scandalous charges, and without further
ceremony Billings was taken TO Jail. From
mat moment the devilish conspiracy against
tne murdered man began to be revealed.
from the testimony taken at the prelimi-
nary examination and the papers now in
the custody OF the officers it has been pretty
clearly shown that Kingsley was marked
tDy Billings as his victim, dead or alive.
Inc halson, the details Of which the senior
lawyer recited with much feeling, was, it is
claimed, but the great stone in the tower Of
calumny which he intended sooner or later to
,Soppie upon his unsuspectiug friend. Kings
tteys relations with Mrs. Billings were at all
tlmes proper. There can be no denial Of
ms his friends say. Having determined to
rum Kingsley on the charge already mem
tloned, Billings, it is claimed, wrote letters
~ his wife's name to his victim imploring
MN to cease paying her attentions, as they
were being suspected" These letters as
founded young Kingsley. He was yet ignc-
rant OF the snare that was being set for
MN. Perplexed and distressed over the
mlSSlveS, the Young man indited two letters