St. Paul daily globe., 1895-08-31

house, was called to the stand, and
described the condition of the house
after the fire. His testimony did not
differ materially from that of the
nremen.
Mrs. Annie Cloutier, an elderly woni-
an who has lived at 2937 Tenth avenue
south for eleven years, was the next
witness. She admitted that she had
a slight acquaintance with both Mrs.
Perkins and Mrs. Hawkins. She ran
over to the Axtell house Immediately
after the outbreak of fire and saw Mrs
Hawkins. The injured woman seemed
confused and dazed, and finally said
that she didn't know how it happened,
but thought the lamp had fallen on
her. Mrs. Perkins didn't seem to
know how 1t happened. On the cross
examination Mrs. Cloutier stated that
when she first heard Mrs-SHawkins'
screams she did not know there had
been fire. Other women had reached
the Axtell house before she did, but
she was sure that only. herself, Mrs
Axtell and DR.. Bell were in the room
when Mrs. Hawkins made her so-called
ante-mortem statement
Mrs. Minnie Virgins, residing at
ZSl6 Tenth avenue, was the next wit
ness. She had known the ladies as
twin sisters; had visited Mrs. Haw-
kins while she was in bed from her
first accident. On cross-examination
she said that Mrs. Perkins had stated
that her sisters life was not insured.
We were talking about the furniture
not being insured, and it occurred to
me to ask Mrs. Perkins about the
other insurance.
Mr.. Hall had the witness relate the
manner in which Mrs. Perkins had
mentioned the life insurance. He also
brought out the fact that Officer Ho-
ban had visited her last Tuesday
night.
The Witness-On Saturday morning
she stated that she had been surprised
to learn from examining her sisters
papers that she had $1,000 insurance
On her life. Charlie" Kistler. as Mrs.
Perkins called him, started the search
for insurance papers.
Cross-examined again she stated
that Mrs. Perkins had said that one
policy was a $1,000 life and the other
a $1,000 accident. This conversation
had occurred at breakfast Saturday
morning after the fire. Mrs. Axtell.
Mrs. Cloutier and Mrs. Perkins hay
ing been invited to breakfast with Mrs.
Wiggtns
Mrs. Cloutier was recalled and con-
hrmed Mrs. Virgins statements as TO
insurance.
Mounted Police Officer Hoban, who
has been prominently connected with
the case, appeared as the next witness
His beat covered the location of the
Perkins-Hawkins case He said that
he knew both of the women. He lives
at 290S Ninth avenue and was aroused
by his wife on the morning of the fire.
Looking out, he saw smoke and flames
pouring out of the house and Mrs.
PERKINS running across the street to
the AXtell house, screaming and yell
ing. Later Mrs. Hawkins was carried
over. He returned to bed. Between 10
and IL he went over and saw Mrs.
Perkins. Asked her how the accident
occurred, but she said she didn't know.
She said she had fallen asleep about
O'Clock and was awakened by her
sister running by the door afire He
asked her If Mrs. Hawkins knew how
the fire started, but she said she didn't
know. She said that very fortunately
she had had Frankie sleep on the
lounge in the front room that night,
for 1t he had been up stairs he might
never have got down.
He asked her if she had any insur-
ance on the furniture She said no.
She also said that in pocketbook
$50 which had been destroyed by the
fire. In a purse in dressing case in
the front room there were $50 in change
hi oh +lo
fire.
Then it was in pursuance of your
suspicion that you went to bed said
Mr.. Hall. Now, if you had an. honest
suspicion, why didn't you go over there
to the house?"' well, 1 saw that the
fire was out"
Did you have a telephone in your
bed? How did you know that the fire
was out?" 81 saw the flames go
down"
Now, were your observations of the
b!eionE? f5Fsmen p? along !No. the line of your sus
Now, was there anything else that
thing. that happened a year ago.
What was it?' Something man
named Bonman told me. He was a
coachman for Burt Sawyer"
Shortly after the accident you in
vited Mrs. Perkins over to your house
to dinner, didn't you? Was that in line
with your suspicions?" 81 don't know
Mrs. Perkins came over to dinner"
Are you sure of that?" Yes"
Was that in line with your suspi-
cions, too?" Il had thrown them over
that time. My wife told me that there
was no insurance on the furniture
That accident Insurance hint your
wife dropped into your fertile imagina>
ton related to Mrs. Perkins accident
last fail. didn't it?'' Yes"
Did you ever try to ascertain the
al 10 irlj1 nd tla inc
ance?" NO; my Suspicious were
aroused long ago by a certain circum-
stance"
You may give that circumstance"
ST went over last fall when Mrs. Per-
kins was supposed to be convalescent.
She came into the kitchen and limped.
When she went back into the parlor
she limped. When she returned to the
kitchen she did not"
GO on and tell the rest" That's
all"
"Is that alI?" eyes"
"Then your suspicious were aroused
because Mrs. Perkins had q, broken
leg. sometimes limped and sometimes
By. this time the spectators were
shaking with suppressed laughter.
rs this all you know about the in
surance suspicion?' Yes"
was aware of the general bad char
acter of the woman He had investi-
gated that and as soon as he had as
sured himself of the facts he had not
sociate with them. Once last winter
Mrs. Hawkins had sent for him to
protect her. She told him that a man
had chased her into the house with a
horsewhip.
The examination was next directed
to Hoban's. inspection of the burned
house. He said that the commode was
not burned, and that he had pried