The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-13

Brown were engaged in q conspiracy,
having insured Hillmon's life. Baldwin
paying the premiums, that Hillmon MUIR
dered a stranger. and that they tried to
palm off on the companies this strangers
body as that of Hillmon; that Mrs. Hill
man was aware of all this.
Mr.. Crew testified that Levi Baldwin
had told him that he, Baldwin. had paid
the premiums on Hillmon's life insur-
ance, aud that he was going to get &c.,
GOO when the companies paid the
amount, this being told Immediately
after the shooting.
Judge Thatcher testified that Levi
Baldwin, took the Hilimon policies to
him, and asked him to bring suit.
Many of the plaintiffs witnesses testified
that at the coroner's inquest at Lawrence
Baldwin was the man who got hold of
them and asked them to go and identify
the remains of Hillmon, and the evidence
shows that Baldwin was the man who
went three times to John Fl. Brown and
| labored with him to sign the necessary
| affidavits for the proof of death. Mrs
Hillmon testified that Levi Baldwin was
sent to Medicine Lodge to bring the body
back to Lawrence, and the evil
dence shows that instead af bring
ing the body back, not only
was it buried, but Baldwin was
engaged in fencing in the grave, and
refused to bring the body back when
asked by the insurance companies; also
when the body arrived at Lawrence for
| the purpose of Identification, that Bald
win wired Bailey & Smith from Hutch
inson, to have grave dug in the Law
renee cemetery, meet the body at the,
train, and take it directly to the grave
and bury it.
| The Attorneys are the Real Plaintiffs
Mot Mrs. HzillmOn.
It is claimed that Mrs. Hillmon is only
! figure head in the suit against the COM
panies; that the actual parties in inter-
est comprise joint stock company, con-
sisting of Mrs. Hillmon's attorneys, and
others outside who have advanced money
as a speculation; and that the
only interest Mrs. Hillmon has in
the suit, is a mere bagatelle, and just
sufficient to give her an interest to ap-
pear as witness Mr. Riggs, one of plain
| tiffs attorneys, testified that the attor-
neys were to get so per cent of the
amount which might be recovered and
il addition all the disbursements made
| by them, and Mrs. Hlllmon was to get
the balance left
Plaintiffs ERebuttai Testimony.
Levi Baldwin cCntradicted the evil
dence given by DR.. Phillips, Mr. Blythe,
Mr.. Selig, Mr. Griffith, Major Wiseman.
Mr.. Car. Mr.. Crew, Judge Thacher. and
the John H. Brown confession" which
appears above under the heading of
conspiracy"
Frank Brooks and John ]. Jones testi-
fed that while Chas. Hay (who knew
Hillmon) mentioned to them at the time,
that certain stranger whom they met,
talked and dined with, was John w.
HllImon, that upon subsequently seeing
the photograph of Hillmon in life, it did
not look like the stranger whom Mr..
Hay stated was Hillmon. but they could
give no definite description of the
stranger.
Mrs Hillmon contradicted the testi-
1nony given by Mrs Geo. A Nichols, w.
w. Nichols, and MIR. and Mrs. Nixon to
the effect that she stated wbec Mrs. Hill
mon found out that they would testify
that HilImon had defective teeth, that
she would withdraw her suit and give
her husband up to the authorities for
prosecution, which appears under the
heading of "Hillmon alive in 1882"