The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-13

ing at about IL O'CLOCK; anu conseQu6n
ly, Hillmon and " alters travelled on the
same train. Walters letters to Miss Gas
ten and his sister, on March and 3,
1879, from Wichita, state that he had
made arrangements to go cattle ranch
ing with man named Hillmon, and that
they would leave Wichita on March 5,
1879. Witness Schott testified that
he spent two days with Walters at
Wichita in the beginning of March. 1879,
and witrfess Todd testified that HiIlmou
called at the postoffice for mail on the
evening of March 4, 1879, and that he
was accompanied by a tall man, with
very dark curly hair, Hillmon himself
stating that he was going west in the
morning Hillmon and Brown actually
left Wichitn March 5, 1879, the exact
date given by Walters in his letter, as
the time fixed upon for his leaving with
HiIlmon The Brown confession cor
roborates all this.
RiIIrnon Alive After 1879.
Charles Hay testified that he saw
Hillmon alive near Leadville in July,
1879.
The following witnesses testify to his
being alive after March 18th, 1879, the
tie at which Hillmon is claimed 10
have been shot: Richard Helm, of Albu-
querque, N. NJ, j. d. Benton, of New
Mexico, and W. E. Northrup of New
Mexico, who saw HIllmon alive in 1884
and 80.
The following witnesses who knew
Hillmon intimately in the 70s, having
hunted on the plains with him, iden-
tilted him when arrested in 1889 when
lying in jail in Tombstone, Arizona,
John II. Matthias, Geo. S. Baker, Chas
w. Hart.
hrs. HiITmOn fn 1882 Admitted Be
fore ) Witnesses That Her Husband
Was Alive.
Mrs. Geo. A. Nichols (Hillmon's sister,,
Geo. A. Nichols and w. W. Nichols,
(Hillmou's two brothers in-law). MIR. s..
D. Nixon and Mrs Maggie Nixon, all
testify that Mrs. Hillmon, at the first trial
of this case at Leavenworth, came to the
Continental hotel, where the above
named parties were stopping, and want
ed to find out what they intended to tes-
tify to in the case, as to the appearance
of her husband, and when told, that they
would describe his defective teeth and
scar on hand, exclaimed, elf you, his
sister, you, his brothers-in-law, and you,
his friends, will testify to that, then l
will go and withdraw my suit. and turn
my husband over to the authorities"
Mrs. HiJlInOn Releases the Companies
From AiI Liability.
On the 18th of September, 1879. Mrs.
Hillmon went to the office of Mr. Wheat,
one of the attorneys for plaintiff in this
case, who lived in Leavenworth, and de-
manded the policies from him, which he
then had, stating that she wanted to
back OUT from suing the companies;
and Mr.. Wheat refused to give them up
unless he was paid $4,000. claiming a
lien to that extent Mrs. Hillmon find
ing that she could not get the policies to
hand back to the companies, executed
four releases, the following being copy
of one, and all being Identical, except
the name of the company, number of the
policy and amount:
Copy of Release.
LAWRENCE. KANSAS, Sept. Is. 1879. .
In consideration OF one dollar to me in
! hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby
acknowledged, I hereby release, sur
render aud acknowledge satisfaction in
full of all claims against the Mutual Life
Insurance company of New York, by rea-
son of policy No. 1885, 32, issued bv said
company, dated December 10th, 1878. and
for the sum of ten Thousand dollars on
the life of my husband, John W. Hill
mon, and hereby enter satisfaction 10
full, and order the dismissal of any and
all suits or proceedings commenced or
that may hereafter be commenced by any
| person OF D0ESOUS AL my O0ndlI9 IOE LIZ
collection of the same.
[Signed. S E. HILLMoN."
Attest: W. ]. BUCHAN,
| JOHN Fl. BROWN.
These releases were signed without the
| payment of one dollar, or the promise OF
the payment of one dollar. They were
| signed upon one condition, namely, thai
the companies should agree of them
selves. not to undertake the prosecution
of John W. Hillmon, Mrs. Hillmon, Lev
Baldwin and John II. Brown; but witt
the understanding that if the state pros
ecuted them, that the companies would
not withhold the evidence which was
| then in their hands.
| Conspiracy to Defraud THO Companies
The insurance companies claim tina
john W. Hillmon, Levi Baldwin anC
John II. Brown for the purpose of insur
! ing HilImon's life, and securing the body
! of another man and "palming it Off
upon the companies as that of. Hillmon
and then collecting the insurance money
! upon Hillmon's life and dividing i
among themselves. The companies alsC
claim that Mrs. Hillmon became a CO
conspiratOr with them at the time of the
inquest, and has continued to be sucl
from that time on; and that also others
on account of their pecuniary interest
have become co-conspirators, engaged il
the endeavor to collect the Insurance.
money on the life of Hillmon, Hillmol
not having been killed.
In support of this charge of conspi
racy, DR.. Phillips testified that Lev
Baldwin asked him all about life insur
ance, the length of time after death be
fore decomposition set in, the appear
ance of man after being buried, ant
also said, doc, wouldn't it be GOO
plan to insure some fellows life, hav
him to disappear, and go south and ge
the body of some 'greaser' and pass it OF
on the insurance companies for him?"
Mr. Blythe, an attorney of Tonganoxie
testified that Levi Baldwin and Hillmo
came to him and asked all sorts @
questions in regard to the way to col
lect insurance in the event of death
and that Baldwin told him that he wan
ed to insure HiIlmon's life, and wante
to know how he should go about it; tina
Mr. Blythe told him that he was not