The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-08
SAW HILLMON IN 1889.
Was He Seen by Several Men in
Tombstone, Arizona?
STARTLING EVIDENCE FOR DEFENSE.

HiIImOn 1t is said Was Identified In
Colorado in the Latter Part OF the
Year He Was Reported KzIled-The
Confession of John III. Brown Ad-
mitted as Evidence.
In the Hillmon case yesterday there
was legal fight over the admission of
the confession made by John II. Brown,
Hillmon's travelling companion, and
Judge Thomas allowed its admission,
when it went to the jury. The entire con-
fession is as follows:
Estate OF MISSOURI,
County of Platte. 'N
John II. Brown, of lawful age, being
first duly sworn according to law deposes
and says: My name is John H Brown
my age 80 years l am acquainted with
John W. Hillmon, also Mrs. S. H. Hill
mon and Levi Baldwin, of Douglas coun-
ty, Kansas; have known John W. Hill
mon for about five years; have been with
him good deal for the past two years;
was with him last March at Wichita, and
on the trip from there to and around
Medicine Lodge in Barber county, Kan
sas. where it is claimed that 1 killed him
on the 18th of March, 1879. Along about
the 10th of December, 1878. John w.
Hillmon, Levi Baldwin and myself talked
about and entered into a conspiracy to
defraud the New York Life Insurance
Company and the Mutual Life
of New York out of some
money to be obtained by
on the life of said John w Hillmon.
Baldwin was to furnish the money to
pay the premiums and to keep up the
policies in case they had to be renewed
The Insurance Conspiracy.
Our original arrangement was to get
Hillmon's life insured for $4,000, but it
was afterwards changed to $25, 900. Hill
mon and myself were to go off southwest
from Wichita, Kan, ostensibly to locate
stock ranch, but in fact to in some way
lind subject to pass off as the body of
John w. Hillmon for the purpose of OBJ
tanning the insurance money aforesaid
We had no definite plan of getting the
subject, but to in some manner get one
the final termination of the matter was
the last idea thought of. Our first trip
out from Wichita the last days of Dec
ember, while the snow was on the
ground, we expected to find a
subject that would appear to be
HillmOn frozen to death and that
could not be Identified only by the
clothes and papers found on it, and SO ]
from Wichita to Medicine Lodge anc
then direct to Sun City, from there t.
Kinsley, from there to Great Bend on ths
Santa Fs road, then to Larned and on t.
Wichita via Hutchinson. HilImon and
myself we're entirely alone on this trip
81. Gift of Medicine Lodge, saw HilImor
on this trip, we put up at his stable)
then stayed at Wichita until the 4th O
March, Hillmon in the meantime wen
up to Lawrence to see his wife and ge
some more money. He returned abou
the first OF March, and on the 9th O
March we left on our second trip. w
went due west to Cowskin creek, the
went to Harper City, then to Medicine
Lodge on by Sun City and beyond som
miles, there we turned northeast dow
Medicine river to camp on Elm Cree
about Is miles north of Medicine Lodg
where Hillmon is claimed to have bee
killed. We got there about an hour be
fore shutdown, and stayed in camp unit
the next evening.
We overlook stranger on this trip tn
first day out from Wichita about or q
miles from town, who Hillmon invite