The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-25
MRS. HILLMON'S THIRD DAY
She Spends Another Day on the Witness


She Spends Another Day on the Witness
Stand.
The greater part of the time in the
Hillmon case yesterday was taken up
with arguments about the admission of
evidence concerning the coroner's inquest
at Lawrence. Mrs. Smith denied having
given the policies to any one for the pur-
pose of commencing suit and she could
not remember who gave them to Mr..
Wheat.
The releases were then read. There
were three of them, one for each com
pany and were as follows:
LAWRENCE, KS, Sept. 10, 1879.
SIN consideration of one dollar to me
in hand paid, the receipt whereof is
hereby acknowledged, hereby release,
surrender and acknowledge satisfaction
in full of all claims against the Mutual
Life Insurance company of New York,
by reason of the policy, No 195. 152, is
sued by the said company, dated DeceIn-
Der 10, 1878 and for the sum of ten thou
sand dollars, on the life of my husband,
John w. Hillmon, and hereby enter salts
faction in full, and order the dismissal of
any and all suits or proceedings COM
menced, or that hereafter may be COM
menced, by any person or persons in my
behalf, for the collection of the same.
(Signed) IS. E. HILLMoN."
s.Attest: W. J. BUCHAN,
JOHN H. BROWN"
The order of Mrs HilImon upon her
attorneys for the policies was also read.
The rest of the morning was taken up
with arguments on the question of ad-
hitting evidence concerning the coro-
ner's jury, and when court adjourned at
noon the argument had not been finished.
At about 4 o'clock Judge Thomas deci-
ded to admit the testimony.
Mrs. Smith testified that Mr.. Bogal-
thaus was not retained as one of her at
torneys until May, 1899, and that he did
not attend the coroners inquest at Law
renee by her request, although she re-
membered seeing him there. That the
county attorney. Mr.. Green, had not asked
Mr. Borgalthaus if he had any more
questions to ask, on her, Mrs HilImon's
behalf She further denied that Mr..
Green had asked Mt. Borgalthaus at the
coroner's inquest if he had auy more
| witnesses to call on plaintiffs behalf.
In the cross examination by Mr. Barker,
! Mrs. Smith testified that she did not
! know that a coroner's inquest was to be
| held at Lawrence;. that she never heard
any question or dispute in regard to the
| identity of the body over which the in
quest was held, and did not know how
long the inquest lasted She did not
know how long the inquest was in SEES
sion before she went to see the body, mol
what coroner's inquest was. All thai
she knew was that Sheriff Clark haC
asked her to bring any photographs she
had of her husband to a room in Law
renee, which she did not know was the
court room, although she ad mitted it wa
in the court house. She admitted that sh,
had asked Coroner Morris what the verde
of the coroner's jury was, and that ht
told her no verdict had been reached. bu
that the whole matter had been dropped
She also admitted, under cross examina
ton, that she had discussed the coroner:
inquest with Jurors Tosch and Adams
She further insisted, most positively, that
she had never known during all these
fifteen years that there was any verdict
rendered at the coroner's inquest at Law
renee until the present trial, few days