The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-01-24
Sensational Developments.

CHICAGO, Jan. 22.-AnOtl6r S6nSa-
tional development in the fruitful
experience of Mis-. Mckee Rawson
today. Mrs. Rawson was the wife of
banker Stephen G. Rawson, who began
action for divorce from her. During
it's tendency Mrs. Rawson's son by a
former husband, Ralph Lee, shot and
dangerously wounded the banker
while coming out of church. and Mrs.
RaWson shot and wounded Lawyer
Whitney, attorney for Mr.. RaWson, in
open court, from the effect of which
Mr.. Whitney is now in the insane asy-
lum and for which act Mrs. Rawson is
now on trial in the criminal court.
Today a sensation was produced by
the reading of the evidence before
the grand jury, on the strength of
which Mrs Rawson was indicted, and
singularly enough this damaging testi-
mony read from the stenographers re-
port of the proceedings before the jury
included the evidence given by
L. II. Bisbee, a prominent lawyer, at
the time attorney for Mr.. Rawson.
Mr.. Hisbee told the grand jury that he
had been doing business for a man
named Bush from New Orleans. Bush
told him he new man who could tell
fairs and introduced him to Matt Ho-
gan "a detective and now saloon keeper
on State street. Hogan" said Bisbee
| in his testimony told me he had been
in Mrs. Rawson's employ for several
months. He said she wanted some
one to put Rawson out of the way i'll
some manner. She tried to hire him
to put poison in his gin bottle, which
he kept in his bed room and from
| hn oil
| the night. There was some poison in
| the house which had been there ever
since the first Mrs. Rawson died in
1881, and little of it mixed with gin,
she said, would do the business for
him.
Mr.. Bisbee said Bush told him Mrs.
Rawson's record was bad from away
back, that she was terribly profane,
and used to drink a great deal. He
then told of the negotiations which he,
| Bisbee, had with NJ. A. DriscOll, a
friend of Mr.. Rawson, who was man
| ager of Lehmann's hotel at Lakevilla.
''DTiscoll approached nae" said Mr.
| Bisbee, on the subject of settlement
He first said he wanted 100000 fol
that was what Mrs. Rawson valued hel
dover in her husbands estate at.
went to Lakevilla to see Driscoll on Fri
day and offered him $25, 900. He wanted
| SOU.UUU we upOn UO@,
900. Driscoll said he had come from Mrs
Rawson and represented her. He wa
sorry he said that a settlement coulC
not be consumated before Monday. be
cause there would likely be bloodsheC
in the meantime. / became alarmed
| at this and sent word at once to MIR
| RawsOn and guarded all day at thu
bank and at home and the only place
he was not protected was at church
The next Sunday he was shot a
church. Lee, Mrs. RawSon'S fOrme
husband. was a deserter from the reg
ular army and a gambler. Hogan tol'
me he was in Washington territory
but that Mrs. RaWSon had sent for hin
to kill RawsOn after he (Hogan) hat
refused to take the job. He found on
that he got as far as Milwaukee on hi
way to Chicago and that there he re
ceived a pOstoffice money OrdeI
from Chicago for $50 and got i
cashed.''
The stenographer next read the ties ii
monY of Mrs. Hattie Hamilton,
woman who said she lived with MRS
RaWson before she married the banker
Mrs. Hamilton said the defendant wa
profane and violent and swOre terribl!
because RawsOn did not pay her Sol
Ralph, who was employed in his bank
larger salary. ''She said" the Hamil
ton woman testified, that she woult
get even with the old spoopendyke
She would marry him. make his none.
fly and then get rid of him."
Hogan's testimony was read and
gave in more detail Mrs. Rawson'
alleged attempt to get him to muTde
the banker. Hogan told the story o
the gin bottle and the poison. TIL
proposition to commit murder, he said
was made to him by her at the Lelan
hotel while he was acting as detectiv
for her. He left her alone and wen
over to Mr.. Bisbee's employment. he
gan said Mrs. Rawson said that if b
would not kill Rawson she would SEN
for Lee and he would do it.