The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-09-05

accidental explosion of a lamp. No
one was charged with criminal con-
nection with the death. The verdict
is consequently neither a conviction
or eXoneration-the jury simply keeps
it's hands off. Mrs. Perkins will be
held and the grand jury will make an
investigation.
Minneapolis, Aug. 3~1.-Jostling. Gu
rious crowds again. The days of the
Hayward trial were brought to mind
~ the throngs of people who gathered
around the doors of the municipal
court to be present at the examination
Of Mrs. Lora Perkins, charged with
numbering Mrs. Lola Hawkins. Mrs.
Perkins was very late, by reason Of
the weakness resultant upon her sick
ness.
At 2:30 a hush fell upon the gossip
ing crowd. and a figure attired in
black and deeply yelled entered. sup
ported by Mr.. Hall and Sheriff Holm
berg. 1t was Mrs. Perkins. Her steps
We're slow and lettering. She was
soon escorted to a chair to the attor-
neys' table. and her friends, Mrs.
Hood and Mrs. Axtell, took seats on
either side Of the accused woman, who
san limp and almost Painting into
her chair.
The time was occupied by the testi-
mOny of tiremen who eXtinguished the
fire. Nothing sensational was deyel-
oped.
Minneapolis. Sept. l. - The dingy
hallway leading to the criminal court
room, where Mrs. Perkins trial is
held, was we'll filled with the morbid
ly curious long before the doors We're
opened, and when opened the crowd
pressed in. soon filling every available
seat. Before the door opened there
was a sound of heavy trampinG on
the stairs, and those near the stair
railing saw the slight but closely
yelled form OF Mrs. Perkins borne up
the steps by Sheriff Holmberg and his
deputy and carried into the clerks
room. When the court had been
called to order. there was a wait Of
| some minutes till Mrs. Perkins came
in. Before she was brought in her
friend. Mrs. AXtell. came and ar
ranged a rocking chair for her, plac-
ing in it a cushion and pillow. y
moment later Mrs. Perkins, clad from
head to foot i'll deep black, and lean
ing heavily on the arm Of Attorney
Hall, walked slowly up the aisle of the
room. Following her came Mr.. and
| Mrs. AXtell and Mrs. Perkins little
son frankie. Mrs. Perkins sat heavi-
ly into the chair, and, throwing back
her heavy black veil, was vigorously
famed by Mrs. AXtell. Mrs. Perkins
was very pale and quite nervous, II
during the forenoon took frequent
doses of nerve tonic.
HOban's fiasco was the principal
feature of the examination. The po-
lice officer who was first to work up
the case against Mrs. Perkins has
gone around with such a air of con-
centrated mystery and an appearance
| of knowing so much. that many peo-
| pie have been convinced that when he
took the stand it would be all over
with the defense. If he really pos
sesses any very damaging evidence
against Mrs. Perkins, ne was so con-
fused by Mr.. Halls crOss-eXamina-
| ton that he didn't know how to tell
it. or else he has been instructed by
| the state to guard his knowledge for
| the trial. At any rate, Bert Hall
made him the laughing stock of the
court room when he pressed him to
| explain the source of the information
| that made him suspicious. 1t was a
most embarrassing moment for Hoban
| when he was finally forced to confess
that his source was My wife first,
and myself next"
The woman in the case has appeared
| again. Is the whole tragedy to be re-
| ducCd to a n~eighborhood jealousy?
Attorney Hall believes that the crime
originated in Hoban's mind, and he
| stated TO the our just before ad-
iOurnment. that the whole bubble was
| there, in the witness stand, ready to
be pricked.
Though court adjourned in a burst
Of merriment, OccaSiOned by Mr..
Halls sallies at the expense of Officer
Hoban, it was not until the state had
| brought out, through a number of
women in the neighbcrhood. one or
two suspicious matters in connection
with the insurance. Mrs. Minnie
Virgins, who lives at 2016 Tenth av-
| enue south, and Mrs. Annie Cloutier,
of 2937, on the same avenue, stated
without qualification that on the day
Mrs. Hawkins was burned and died,
| Mrs. Perkins declared that her sister
| had no life insurance. The next morn
ing she told them that Charlie Kist-
Ter had made a search through the
dead woman's papers and found two
insurance policies-One an accident
| policy for 5000. and the other a
straight life for $1,000. Now. there Is
a mass of evidence to show that Mrs.
Perkins knew of her sisters insur-
| ance and hat she was even instru-
| mental in getting it and keeping it in
force. That was the point made by
the state. Each side scored, but the
defense seems to have chalked down
the larger number.
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