The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-24
STILL ON THE STAND.
Attorneys for the Insurance Companies
Continue their Examination of Mrs
HiIlmOn,

Attorneys for the Insurance Companies
Continue their Examination of Mrs
HiIlmOn.
All day yesterday Mrs. Smith. wife of
John w. Hillmon, was on the witness
stand at the Hillmon trial George j.
Barker spent the entire day in cross
examination and Mrs Smith stood the
severe test without hinching, though
once or twice she wiped the tears away
from her eyes.
she said that Mr. Hillmon last left for
Medicine Lodge on the 18th day of jan
uary or February, 1879. and that on the
4th of March she received letter from
him dated " ichita, telling her to go and
get her money back and not take the
policy. She never showed this letter to
her attorneys or To Mr.. Selig. the insur-
ance agent, or any one else, and this
letter was burned in the spring of 1894
She never knew Mr.. Hillmoh's people
until after the inquest, and when she was
advised of the shooting of Mr.. HIlImon,
she never advised his sisters or
brothers When she received the notice
of the shooting that she was at Levi
Baldwin's in the country, and Baldwin
drove her into Lawrence on the Gath of
March, 1879 She first received John II.
Browns letter from Medicine Lodge ad-
vising her of the shooting. after Baldwin
had told her about it That letter was
dated on the 18th of March. and received
by her on the gath of the same month.
She denied having told Mr.. Griffith in
Mr.. Selig's presence that she did not
know Hillmon's height, or that she knew
nothing in regard to his teeth.
She remembered testifying at the
coroner's inquest, but said she did
not testify there in regard to
his height, teeth or hair, and that such
matters were not discussed at the in
quest. She did not see w. J. Buchan be-
tween the time of seeing him in Wyan-
dotte in May and his coming to her house
on the following first of September
When Mr.. Buchan called on her at Law
renee she was still living with Mrs. I'd
son, and that she refused to talk with
Buchan, except in the presence of her
attorney, Mr.. BOrgalthaus, and she met
Buchan there the same afternoon, but
they discussed nothing but passing the
time of day, and Buchan left, saying that
! it was his train time. She positively de-
MED that she had previously testified that
! this visit was in June, and not in Sep
| TENDER, whereupon Mr.. Barker read her
| the previous testimony, showing that she
stated it was in June.
Mrs. Smith said that she went to Levi
! Baldwin's on September u, 1879, and
met John II. Brown. He told her that
! Buchan had sent him to tell her that he,
Brown, had made statement that he
did not shoot Hilimon as he had already
related, but that Hillmon had shot a
stranger for the purpose of defrauding
the insurance companies.
Mrs. Smith also said that she arranged
with Brown to meet Buchan at the Plan
ters' hotel at Leavenworth on the follow
ing Monday morning and did So
Mr.. Barker then produced the releases
which Mrs Hillmon had signed, releas-
| ing the companies from all liability.
The releases were dated September 10Th,
1879. Mrs. Hillmon acknowledged ex-
ecuting the same, and stated that she
was left handed and signed her name
with her left hand. She said that after
| signing the releases she accompanied
! Mr.. Buchan to Wyaudotte where she
stayed in hotel for one Dight, and then
went to Buchan's house and stayed there
for two weeks, afterwards going to her
sisters at Ottawa, where she re-
manned a few DAYS. and then again
| went to Buchan's at WyandOtte
and stayed there another two weeks. Mrs
Smith said that although she knew that
the body was that of her husband, and
that although she knew that Brown and
Buchan were lying to her, and were try
ing to cheat her out of her insurance
that although she told them such facts
that she at the same time not only signed
the releases. was willing to give up the
policies, but also went with Buchan, and
retained friendly relations with him
She said the reason she signed the re
leases was because she was told that the
insurance companies would bother hel
to death if she did not