The herald., 1893-11-03
HE'LL LET LOOSE IN FRESNO,
The Title of Fighting Parson
Collins Recent Sermon.
He Stirs up a Lot of Controversy
HingeiDg on the Heath Case.
A Sensational Matter Again Comes mp
In Fresno, the City of Bensations,
In Which Former Los
Angeleno Figures.

Many Los Angeles people will re-
member Rev. J. II. Collins. the fight
ing parson," as the railroad men and
police called him, who was always get
ting into the newspapers through his
zeal in undertaking what he considered
to be his duty. The gentleman has
lately been preaching in Fresno, and in
that hotbed of controversy and feuds
has. as will be eeen, got himself into
the aftermath OF the celebrated Heath
case. The following is synopsis of an
article published in the Fresno Expositor
of the lst inst:
For several weeks there have been
heard in Fresno mysterious forebodinge
OF sensational developments which were
soon to be brought to light; and it has
been known that parties in this city
have for several days been pushing the
matter before the grand jury, but no
indictment has been found. One OF the
foremost persons in agitating the mat
ter has been Rev. j. II. Collins. and he
has been assisted by l.. P. Van Doren of
San Francisco.
The charge is that Lee Blassingame,
three years ego, seduced Maud T.. Bear
den, who was then under the age of con-
sent established by law. About week
ago Rev. Mr.. Collins made, in substance.
the following statement to o reporter OF
this paper.
maud Bearden wished to join the
Congregational church, and we were
about TO receive her into embership
when she one day told me that che was
unfit to be church member. but would
not at that time give me any reasons.
| However, | insisted on knowing, and,
after close questioning, drew from her
the story that che had sinned and had
been led to it by Blsssingame. The
story was surprise to me, and l went
to the family with it.
81 told it to Miss Bearden's brother
and urged him to avenge his sister 8
wrong. He snubbed me, and said that
Blaesingame had done no more than
any other man would have done.
81 then went to Miss Bearden's q
father" continued Rev. Collins. ''and
told him OF the matter. He said that
Blassingame had money and could not
be punished. urged him to kill Bias
singame, and I offered to assist him to
the extent OF furnishing him my revol-
yer, loading it for him, driving with him
in my buggy to where Blassingame was,
and he was to shoot Blassingame. Mr..
Bearden refused TO do this.
81 then secured an affidavit from
Maud, giving tho details Of the state
ment which Nshe had made to me. l
also obtained an affidavit made by her
married sister, Mrs. Moves, substanti-
ating Maud's statement, and armed
with these went before the grand jdry
and laid the matter before that body.
But they have found no indictment, and
l don't believe they will saw Lee
Blassingame talking to two members oi
the grand curry.
''The girls father has refused to pros
ecute the case. and if the grand jury
does not bring in bill OF indictment
l am going before the superior court
and bring an action to have the
minor children taken away from Mr..
and Mira. Bearden, on the ground
that they are not fit persons to raise
children"
WHAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS.
A reporter called on Judge Firman
Church, district attorney, and asked
him what he had to say about the mat
ter.
"Well, in the fret place." said Judge
| Church, "Mr. Van Doren came here
while the Heath case was going on, and
was much about my office, and talked
much with Miss Lou Bearden, my ste
day l heard him and Miss Bearden in
such loud conversation that l afterward
asked her what the trouble was. She
| rapliad that ~ eorpo trnuhla J.
Lee BlaBsingame, but told me no more.
Finally the charge was made against
! Blassingame. AS public prosecutor |
investigated it, and the result of this
investigation, carefully and fully made,
taking into account every particle ol
evidence | can get, is that Blassingame
is not guilty of the charge. l am as
willing to prosecute Blassingame as any
body else, and will do 80 whenever there
is anything to prosecute ON. But there
is nothing at all now, except the unsup-
ported statement of Maud Bearden, and
she talks fret on one side of the subject,
then ON another, and l consider her
utterly unreliable. She seems to be
deranged on that s1bject, and will tell
the story without plush before any
number OF persons, and will tell other
things and deny them.
HER SISTERS DENIAL.
Her sister, Mrs. Noyes, signed a pa
per which accuses Lee Blassingame of
the crime. But now Mrs. Noyes saws
that she was induced to sign that paper
by Van Doren. and that he mlsrepre-
sented to her what he wanted it for. He
said he wanted to confront Lee Blassn-
game with it, and thoughtlessly Mrs.
Noyes signed it. She now says that she
knows absolutely nothing Of any wrong
doing on the part of Blassingame, ex-
cept what her sister Maud has told her.
That leaves the charge to be proved by
the testimony of Maud alone, and she
tells all sorts Of stories about it.
HE WAS SHOCKED.
81 was shocked" continued Judge
Church. "when Rev. Collins came to me
ard told me he had advised murder.
A man in the heat of passion and under
excitement may kill another and there
be some shadow OF excuse for him. But
it 10 hi iffaranf IN hon ono noIx,,1xx 4 a..