The morning call., 1894-12-06
CAUGHT AT LAST.
Murderer HilIman i'm the
Hands of Officers.
FOR AN ATROCIOUS CRIME.
Committed in Texas Many Years
Ago.
FOR AN ATRoCIoUS CRIME.
TO OBTAIN INSURANCE MONEY
He Was Found at an Arizona Camp
After Being Followed All
Over the World.

TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 5. - Among the
Huachuca Mountains, at what is called
Salvation Army Camp, about forty miles
from Tucson, a man was arrested on Mon
day last whom the authorities have been
bounding for years. 1t was John W. Hill
man, and the capture was made by Sam
w. Finley. Deputy Collector of Customs
at Nogales. and Orren GemmilI, Under
Sheriff of La Junta. His capture recalls
one of the most remarkable cases in the
annals of crime.
In 1879 Hillman and two companions,
one Of them resembling him very closely,
took trip into the Buffalo Mountains of
Texas to hunt. They were gone several
weeks. and when Hillman and one COM
panion returned the man bearing so strik-
ing resemblance to him failed to accom-
pany them.
1t seems that Hillman, who carried an
insurance OF his life of $SO,0O0, while in
the mountains conceived a murderous
scheme and proceeded 10 carry it into exc.
cutiOn. He killed in cold blood the man
who so closely resem bled him and then re-
turned to the settlement. He took the
name of the man whom he had murdered
and said that Hillman had been acc-
dentally shot dead and was buried up in
the mountains.
In due time Mrs. Hillman made claim
to the different insurance companies in
which her husband had been insured for
$4,000. The insurance people became sus-
plcious and began an investigation. The
remains of the murdered man were ex-
humed and the discovery was made that
they were not the remains of Rillman.
Mrs. Hillman instituted legal proceedings
10 the courts of Topeka, Kans., her home,
to recover tie amount of insurance. The
case was carried from one court to an
other. until finally she secured Judgment
for the principal, interest and attorneys
fees in the Supreme Court of the United
States. According to the order of the
court the Judgment must be satisfied ar
the end of this year.
During all this time the insurance CON-
paniss have kept detectives ON the trail OF
Hiilman, who disappeared shortly after
his wife made claim for the insurance. He
was followed to Australia and other for
eigh countries and reward of $4,000 was
offered for his apprehension, dead or alive.
On the 4th of last month Under Sheriff
Gemmill arrived in this Territory from
Colorado and interested Finley in the
case. Gemmill having learned that Hill
man was in Sonora, he and Finley took the
murderer's trail at Magdalena, Sonora. and
followed him to Altar, Sonora. thence to
Prescott (Ariz). Mesa City, Old Glory
Camp and then to Salvation Army Camp
in the Huachucas, where he was arrested.
Hillman denied that he was the right
party when told by the officers What they
wanted him for. He was taken to Tom b.
stone, where be is held pending the ar
rival of requisition papers from the Gov
ernor of Kansas.
TOPEKA, Dec. 5.-W. N. Nichols of Val
ley Falls is authority for the statement
that John w. Hillman, supposed to have
been killed in 1878, shortly after taking out
heavy insurance on his life, is living in a
little town near Tucson, Ariz, and Nichols
is on his way to Tucson 10 identify
Hillman.