Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-09-05

ueE CuafT.
The time was occupied by the testi.
mony of firemen who extinguished the
rire. Nothing sensational was devel-
oped.
Minneapolis, Sept. /. - The dingy
hallway leading to the criminal court
room, where Mrs. Perkins trial is
held, was well filled with the morbid
ly curious long before the doors were
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. 4
moment later Mrs. Perkins, clad from
head to foot in 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, and
during the forenoon took frequent
doses of nerve tonic.
Hoban's fasco 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 an air of con-
centrated mystery and an appearance
of knowing 81 much, that many peo-
pie have been convinced that when he
took the stand 1t would be all over
with the defense. If he really pos
sesses any very damaging evidence
against Mrs. Perkins, he 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. It 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 he re-
duccd to a neighbOrhood jealousy?
Attorney Hall believes that the crime
originated in Hoban's mind, and he
stated to the court just before adj
journment, 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 neighborhood, one or
two suspicious matters in connection
with the insurance. Mrs. Minnie
Virgins, who lives at 2916 Tenth NV.
enue south, and Mrs. Annie Cloutier,
of 1887, OF 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 that she was even instru-
mental In getting 1t and keeping it in
force. That vas the point made by
the state. Each side scored, but the
defense seems to have chalked down
the larger number.