The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-09-12
THE PERKINS CASE.
THE GRAND JURY WILL INVESTI-
GATE THE ALLEGED MURDER.
At the Conclusion Of the Testimony
Judge Holt Decides 10 Hold Mrs.
Perkins to the Grand Jury on the
Charge of Murder.

hhib' WHY \" ouS w
prevent her appearance in court. 1t
will be resumed tomorrow.
II is alleged to-day hat attempts
have been made to intimidate some of
the witnesses for the state in the Per
kins case. Two witnesses at least
have received anonymous letters
threatening personal violence and
business ruin if they should give evil
dence injurious to Mrs. Perkins. There
are no clues to the writer Of the letter.
The prosecution is still convinced cf
Mrs. Perkins guilt. and it is now
limited that if Mr.. Hall had not ar
rived on the scene just when he did
the morning after the arrest Mrs.
Perkins would have made a confess
sion. At any rate she refused to see
any attorneys for the purpose of get
ting them to take her case, but asked
for County Attorney Nye and her min
lister, the Rev. Faude, of Gethsemane
church.
w. NJ. Todd, the inspector Of the FL
deity and Casualty company, speak
ing of the case this morning, alleges
that every insurance document
touched by either Mrs. Perkins or Mrs.
Hawkins in tainted with fraud.
Attorneys Hall and Hewitt, of the
defense, while digging this morning
in the debris thrown out of the Per
kins-Hawkins house after the fire,
found almost all % The pieces of the
fatal lamp and the collar of Mrs.
Hawkins night gown. They say that
they have evidence TO prove that at
the first fire Mrs. Perkins. far from
desiring the death of her sister, and
planpipp II ~noplnptal hprSnIf in a
most heroic manner in saving Mrs.
Hawkins life. Ii was considered SuS-
picious that she threw the burning
material into the hall, instead Of
through the window, but it appears
that the window was INSTRUCTED by
the bed and closed with a wire screen.
1t has been given III from time TO
time by the state that they have con
siderable more evidence against the
accused woman than they haye given
so far in the municipal court and the
chief of police confirmed the rumors.
The chief is thoroughly convinced
that the greatest part Of the evidence
against Mrs. Perkins has been dug up
by the department. in fact. brought
to light by Officer HOban, assisted by
Inspector John Hoy. and if she is
lbullu SulllN II VII pt tloh uNhNN
produced by them.
The chief thinks that it looks rather
damaging that Mrs. Perkins should
have been dressed in street garments
the night of the fire instead of a house
wrapper: that she should have been
prepared as if to get out at the first
warning of danger seems incompre-
hensible. looked upon as an ordinary
fnsi1nnr .pI1f' said no ''fnEp this
into consideration and the fact that
we found two valises belonging TO
Mrs. Perkins in a back shed all ready
packed as though she was going to
leave the city, and it looks very
strange. All her best clothes were in
the valises. don't know how the de-
Tense will explain this when it is
brought before them, but in my opin-
ion it is a piece of the best circum-
~stantial evidence we have yet found"
The states case against Mrs. Per-
kins was materially strengthened by
the evidence submitted at the eXamin-
alton which was resumed this morn
ing. Julian +. Wood, the assistant
of the Northwestern office Of
the Security Mutual company. who be-
gan HiS l'Stiiiois taSt We was
subjected TO searching cross-eXamina-
ton. which in no way shook his state
ment that Mrs. Perkins was the wo-
man who had taken out the policy in
his company under the name of Mrs.
Hawkins. He reatfirmed his belief
that such was the case. and he did it
in such a way as TO make it evident
that he was convinced that he has
,,a1n M fnintnln A1tnunthnr htS fDG-
timony was very strongly CORRIDOR
ative of that given by l.. X. Thomp-
son. of the same company.
DR.. A. b. Hates, the company's
medical examiner. succeeded Mr..
Mood on the stand, and his absolute
statement that it was not Mrs. Haw-
kins whom he examined in connection
with the application made for insur-
ance in her name carried much weight
with il. The doctor was evidently pre-
pared 10 state that Mrs. Perkins was
the woman he examined, but a timely
objection on the part of the defense
prevented him from doing so. MIR.
Hall was unable to shake n doctor
at all on the crOSS-eXamination, but
it was conducted with great minute
ness of detail as to the matter con-
tanned i'm the medical examination, ev-
identity for the purpose Of comparison
with the testimony the defense in
tends to introduce to neutraliZe its
effect. The doctor admitted that the
measurements of her body were
without great eXactness, and that he
accepted her own statement for her
height.
The state closed its case and At
torney Hall, for the defendant, moved
that the case be dismissed and Mrs.
Perkins discharged, but the motion
was overruled.
Minneapolis, Sept. If Mrs. Fer
kips is bound over TO await the action
of the grand jury it will not be the
fault of her friend Mrs. Axtell. That