The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-08-24
KILLED HER SISTER
That Is the Charge Minneapo-
lis Police Bring against
Mrs. Perkins.
LIFE INSURANCE THE OBJECT
And the Arrest the Result of
Investigation by Insurance
Companies.

Perkins, aged 2S, and formerly residing
at 2917 Tenth avenue south, was ar
rested by Inspectors John p. Hoy and
Joe Lawrence, on a charge of murder
in the first degree.
Mrs Perkins is charged with having
murdered her sister. Mrs. Louise Haw
kins, who died OH the morning of Aug.
=, supposedly from the effects Of inju-
ries received by the overturning OF
lamp in the house at 29l7.
The motive assigned for the murder
is to obtain life insurance to the
amount of $1,000, which the dead Mrs.
Hawkins carried on her life, and in
which her sister, Mrs. Perkins,
now under arrest, was made the sole
beneficiary.
The details of the case could but
meagerly be learned as none of the
interested parties would even say one
word about it or concerning the evil
dence.
Was Supposed to he Accidental.
At the time of the occurrence every
one suppored it to have been accidental,
and no one for a minute ever thought
that the sister, still alive and a widow
who resides with her one child, was
capable of the terrible act Of which She
now stands accused.
Superintendent of Police Smith, how
ever, looked into the case slightly and
finally consulted with County Attorney
Nye, and, asa result of their investi-
cations, Inspectors Lawrence and Hoy
were detailed to work on the case, and
the insurance companies, too. asked to
do some investigating before paying
the $1,000 insurance. They sent their
two medical inspectors to this city.
and since that time work has been go.
ing on night and day on the case, with
the result that Mrs. Perkins was ar
rested on the terrible charge.
Not Giving Out Details.
No one was allowed to see her at the
Central station, and it was not even
known what she said or had not said
in answer to the charge, the authori-
ties stating that they did not propose
to have a repetition of the Hayward
case, and give the public all of the
states evidence before the case comes
to trial.
The authorities advance the theory
that the first time Mrs. Hawkins was
injured by the supposed accidental
over.urning of lamp was simply a
deliberate attempt, on the part of Mrs
Perkins, to cause her sisters death,
that she might obtain the insurance
Failing the first time, they surmise
that she tried it again on the morning
OF Aug. 9.
Mrs. Hawkins was an invalid, Law
ing been injured two weeks previously
in the same manner by the overturn
ing of q lamp, and had been unable tt
leave her bed. On the morning in
question the lamp was again over
turned, at that time it was supposed
accidentally, and Mrs. Hawkins re
ceived injuries from which she died
few hours afterwards.
There was no one in the house bu
> Mrs. Perkins, her dead sister, and he
child. The accident occurred about
O'Clock in the morning, but the author
tiles, it is claimed, have evidence tina
Mrs. Hawkins death was caused b,
other means, which were put in opera
ton that same morning about 4 o'clock
and that the overturning of the LAM
was simply blind to cover up tn
effects and workings Of whatever wa
used by Mrs. Perkins to cause her sis
ter's death.