The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-08

to get in and ride, and who he (Hillmon)
proposed to hire to herd and work for
him on the ranch as proposed to be To-
Gated. This man was with US during all
this trip. Hillmon proposed to me that
this man would do for subject to pass
for him. told him and commended with
him that the man would not do to pass
off for him, giving him various reasons
why the man would not answer his de-
scription, and complained and objected,
because his proposition was to take the
mans life, and protested, and said that
was going beyond what we had agreed
and something l had never before thought
of and was beyond my grit entirely. But
Hillmon seemed to get more deeply de-
termined and more and more desperate
in the matter. Pains were taken not to
have ID ore than two of US seen together
! in the wagon, sometimes one and then
the other would be kept back out of
sight. On his trip up to Lawrence
HilImon was vaccinated, his arm was
quite bad Hillmon kept at the man IN
til he let him vaccinate him. which he
did, taking his pocket knife and using
virus from his own arm for the purpose.
He also traded clothes with him, Hill
mon first giving him change of under
clothing, then traded suits, the one ne
was killed in. The suit he was buried
in was a suit Hillmon traded with Bald
win for. This man appeared to ne
stranger in the country, sort of an easy
going fellow, not suspicious or very at
tentive to anything. His arm became
very sore and he got quite stupid and
dull, and as his name was either Berkeley
or Burgess, or something sounding like
that, we always called him Joe. He said
he had been around Fit Scott awhile and
also had worked about Wellington or Ar
/, kansas City. l don't know where he
was from, nor where his home or friends
were. did not see him at Wichita that
l know of. 1 had but very little
to say to the man, and less to do
with him. He was taken in charge by
Hillmon and yielded willingly to his
will I dreaded what l thought was to
/ be done and kept out of having any
more to do with him than possible.
! frequently demonstrated with Hillmon
and tried to deter him from carrying out
his intentions of killing the man.
Murdered by HiIImOn.
The next evening after we got to the
! camp last mentioned the man Joe was
sitting by the fire, 1 was at the hind end
of the wagon either putting feed in the
box for the horses, or taking a sack of
corn out when l heard gun go off. l
looked around and saw the man was
|
around to keep him out of the fire. Hill
| mon changed a day book from his ow n
coat to j. e's, and said to me everything
was all right and in shape just as he
wanted it, and that | need not be afraid
but it would be all right He told me to
get on a pony and go down to the ranch,
about three quarters of 2 mile, and get
some one to come up He took Joe's
valise and started north, this was about
OTlf
about communicating with each other.
He first proposed to. do go, but
told him / did not want to know where
he was; that in case l should, | might
find out in some other way. l have never
heard a word from him since. At Law
renee Mrs. Hillmon gave me to under
stand that she knew where Rillmon was
and that he was all right The man over
whom the inquest WAS held at camp
afterwards at Medicine Lodge and a
Lawrence, Kan, was this man Joe Bur
CESS or Barkley, killed by Hillmon, a!
related above, and John W. Hillmon
} believe to be still alive; at least he lef
our camp and went north as stated above
: after killing Joe.
, Hillmon said he would assume tn,
/ name of William Marshall. Baldwin
: wife and Mrs Hillmon know all abou
| this. In my testimony at Lawrence
, but the man who I described as being il
camp with us aud who | said went OF
with some wagon, was Joe, the maj
killed. l afterwards sometime in Angus
1879, made four affidavits under grea
opportunities from Baldwin, who cam
after me three different times, the las
time persuading me to go with him t
Kansas City, where Hon. Samuel Rigg
insistad on my signing them l don
think Mr.. Riggs is aware of the facts i
this case, nor the other counsel in tn
case.
81 make the above statement in TIL
Hillmon case as the full and true facts
the case, regretting the part have take
in the<affair.
e[Signed. JOHN b. BROWN.
subscribed in my presence, and swor
to before me, this 4th day
rs7 September, A. D. 1879. NJ
term expires on the End ds
of April, 1888.
sTSigned.1 FRANCIS NJ. MCDONALD.
Notary Public"
d. NJ. Ward Testifies.
The first witness to testify for the d
Tense yesterday was D. N. Ward. E
stated that he had resided in Wyandott
Kan, since the year 1857, and was i
). timately acquainted with the Brow
family. In the year 1879 he had know