Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-07-18
AN ELOPEMENT PLANNE
DR.. Hearne and Mrs. Stillwell Prepar-
ing to Go to Indiana Sensational
Testimony of H. Clay Heather.

HANNIBAL, Mo-, July 16.-The fea-
ture of to-day's proceedings in the
Hearne case was the testimony of
Clay Heather, Prosecuting Attorney
of Marion county. The testimony
shows that prior to the murder DR..
Hearne and Mrs. Stillweli had con-
sidered means to rid themselves of Mr..
Stillwell.
The witness studied law in the office
of Col. Anderson at the time OF the
murder
"Did you see Mrs. stillwell visit DIR.
Hearne's ofiice?"
Eyes, sir"
"Where was DIR. Hearne's office To-
Gated in reference to yours?"
sit was down stairs in the same
building"
"Did you notice thatDr. Hearne
took any unusual interest inMrs. Still
wells financial a1airs?"
"I did"
"In what way?"
HE seemed interested in having
her make a will, and she did make
two wills, both of which / witnessed.
On one occasion Dr. earne remarked
that he wanted Mrs. Stillwell to make
a will. He said: what if she should
die, | would be left here holding the
bag"
Before he left the stand Mr.. Heather
gave a most sensational piece of tes-
timony. 1t related to a conversation
| he overheard hetween Mrs. StillwelI
aud Col. Anderson, in Col. AnGarson's
office. They We're discussing the ad-
visibility of Mrs. StillwelI separating
from her husband and clipping with
DIR. Hearne. Mrs. StillwelI was to
meet DR.. Hearne somewhere i'll In
diana. This was a week OF two before
the murder. At another time DR..
Hearne remarked to Mr.. Heather:
Suppose some OF these days you
should read in the papers that / had
run away with the wife OF a wealthy
man here?" To which Mr.. Heather
laughingiy replied: II guess it would
make a great sensation
This remark of DR.. Hearne's was
made about three weeks before the
murder, and coupled with Mrs,
Hearne's consultations with Col. An
derson, seems sensational.
Mr.. Heather's testimony closed the
case for the defense.
The testimony for DR.. Hearne viii
begin Wednesday, when Mrs. Hearne
is expected to go on the stand.
DIR. HEARNE's BOLD STAND.
If DIR. j. c. Hearne is innocent OF
the murder OF Amos j. Stillwell then
he is one of the worst bounded men
who ever had the misfortune to be
born. He stands here to-day among
the people who once looked upon him
with love, pride and respect as though
the very mark OF Cain were branded
upon his brow. He walks these streets
as bold and defiant as ever, but in
stead of the admiration of friends the
whispering breath of suspicion sur
rounds him at every step. The very
men who speak to him and shake him
by the hand are permeated with the
prejudice which is rolling upon every
tongue.
So overwhelming is the opinion that
DR.. Hearne was in some manner con-
nected with the now famous crime
he must find it difficult himself to
not be forced into that belief. 1t is
safe to say that 50 per cent o fthe peo-
pie of this city are convinced of his
guilt, and yet there is no II circum-
stance in all the years which have fol-
lowed the murder which begins to
conclusively incriminate him, nor has
he done anything which an innocent
man might not have done.
True the chain of events which have
followed from that awful night when
the wealthy pork packer was found
w~eltering in his own bed has been such
as to inevitably arouse suspicion dam
aging to DR.. Hearne and the widow OF
the dead man, who afterwards became
DR.. Hearne's wife. There are those
who point to the record of this couple
since the day of the crime and weave
its every feature into a chain of black
ening guilt. They cite to you the mar
riage of the doctor to the widow with
in a year of the murder, the removal
from Hannibal, the domestic infelicity,
the divorce, the ~remarriage and last
of all even the libel suit, and come to
but one conclusion.
DIR. Hearne realizes this. Heknows
how his actions have been construed.
lie admits that he may have been
foolish in many of them. He talks OF
it all in an explanatory way, and then
sounds out his defiance to all his enc
mics and s~uspectors.
Last night DIR. Hearne struck the
keynote of his character in the dis
cussion of this very subject. A friend
was telling him how imprudent he had
been and this was the mans defiant
answer:
"Since I married Mrs. Stillwell
have done just / did before / married
her and that's as l id please. My
conscience was clear and l had moth
ing to fear. 1t may have been foolish,
but that's me-"
But DR.. Hearne does not fail to real
ize the gravity of his position. Not
that he anticipates trouble from pros
ecution or apparently ever an unfa-
vorabIe verdict in his libel suit against
the San Francisco Chronicle. Still, he
understands that as long as he lives
the scandal of this case win attach to
him, no matter what the result.
He has two grown daughters by his
first wife and the unenyiabie notoriety
given their father is terribly painful
to them. They are here in Hannibal
and are cognizant of the state of pub