The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-09

1t is confidently expected that at the
fourth trial of the now celebrated
Hillmon case in the Federal court at
Topeka, Kan, next February that the
true inwardness OF the conspiracy to
defraud the New york Life and Con-
necticut Mutual Insurance companies
will be brought to light. 1t IS now nine
years since the case was first entered
in the courts, and the legal expenses
have run up to nearly $4,000.
The history Of the case, as given by
a correspondent Of the New York
Times, is as follows, and will prove
interesting to readers in this part of
the country on account Of some of the
scenes in the case having been enacted
in this territory and in the mines of
New Mexico and Arizona, and Rillmon
is now fugitive from justice. and is
said to be in mining camp not far
from Salt Lake city:
About nine years ago John w. Hill
mon, who claimed to be a cattleman,
but who was not worth $500 and never
had been, took out two
POLICIES OF INSURANCE
Fer $25, 900 each, one in the New
York Life, and one in the Connecticut
Mutual.
Taking his team, Hillmon then
started for the Indian Territory, hav-
ing for a companion a man named, or
called, Henderson. Reaching Wichita,
Hillmon employed man of about his
own age. named Fred Walters, a
cigar maker from an Iowa town, to go
with them and work on mythical
ranch at $40 a month.
The little party journeyed westward,
passing through Medicine Lodge after
dusk and going into camp about four
miles out in q secluded, wooded val
ley. Three men were noticed in the
wagon by loungers on the streets of
Medicine Lodge. and that was the last
ever seen of Walters alive, except by
his two companions.
The Insurance companies having
reason to believe that there had been
conspiracy and d murder refused to
pay the policies. The result was a
suit to recover in the United States
court at Leavenworth. The trial lasted
a month and resulted in a hung jury.
During the trial the confession OBJ
tanned by Senator Buchan from Hen
derSOn, while the latter was in Mis-
souri, Jail, was offered as evidence, but
was ruled out because it was shown
by the attorneys of Mrs. Hillmon that
it had been obtained under threats
and promises, and that Henderson had
afterwards recanted and denied all
knowledge of the supposed murder.
Henderson has since disappeared, and
no knowledge of his whereabouts has
ever been obtained He was penniless
and yet he was able 10 bury himself
so completely that the most active
search has failed to reveal any trace of
him.
In the alleged confession Henderson
related all the particulars of the trip
to Medicine Lodge, which was after
ward fully verified. He detailed the
circumstances Of the employment of
Fred Walters, W no had previously been
known to Hillmon in a casual way
He described the camping ground
south of Medicine Lodge, and gave a
graphic description of the night scene
when Hillmon indicated that the time
had come to put away" Walters.
This had been talked of before, and
Henderson had agreed for a considera-
ton to assist in all the plans matured
by Hillmon, even to numbering a man
whom he had not previously known.
WALTERS MURDERED.
When the time for action came his
courage failed him. His conscience did
not snlite him; he only feared detec-
ton. While they were talking, sitting
beside the Pickering camp fire, Walters
was gathering wood. Finally Hender-
son consented, when Hillmon said,
Now is the time" at the same time
rising and going to the wagon, which
was within few feet Of them. Hill
mon took a rife from the wagon and
stood in the shadow as Walters APP
preached with a load of wood upon
his shoulders. AS he slipped over the
wagon tongue Henderson saw Hillmon
raise his rife, take deliberate aim, and
fire. Walters fell forward dead. The
two men removed all papers from the
body of their victim and then dragged
1t a few feet away.
Horrified at the deed he had assisted
in, Henderson refused to have any
thing further to do with the affair.
John Hillmon covered him with his
gun, and threatened to add one more
to his list if any further weakness
were shown.
Feeling that in any case, should
discovery follow, he would be held for
murder Henderson assisted in placing
the BODY beside the wagon in a posi-
ton indicating that an attempt had
been made to climb in. This was done
to verify the story afterward told in
Medicine Lodge. Hillmon took his
own grip and that of the dead man
and disappeared, while Henderson
into town where he announced that
his partner, Hillmon, had shot him
self, and asked for assistance.
The body was carried to Medicine
Lodge the next morning, and Mrs
Hillmon at Lawrence, was notified. As
she did not go the scene of the tragedy,
the body was buried as that of Hill
mon, after the proper inquest was held.
1t was afterward exhumed and cent to
Lawrence for final burial.
Before the trial
1T WAS EXHUMED
a second time, and, being found in a
fair state of preservation, was photo
graphed. The dentist who had done
some work for Hillmon compared the
teeth with the diagram he had in his
possession. and found that a gold-filled
tooth was missing, and in its stead was
a sound tooth. The resemblance to
Hillmon was so marked that the body
was recognized by some, but the iden-
tification was denied by others who
had known him for years. The meas
urement also agreed with that first
given by Hillmon, but which was re-
jected. The widow accepted the body
as that OF her husband, and she after
ward married a man named Cook
The second and third trials were
held in Topeka, one resulting in a YER
dict for the plaintiffs, and the ether
a new trial having been ordered by
the supreme court on error, resulted
in a, second hung jury. This case,
having worn out three judges, will now
be tried for the fourth and, as msny
believe, the last time.
Since the third trial Hillmon was de-
clared to be alive and well in the
Sierra dadre mountains of Mexico,