The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-08-31
CRIMES EpIDErIIcs.

s.&@3 tJ$ss kKlMEso EPIUEl lIas0s
It has often been stated and the state
nlent has never been proven false, that
crime runs III certain grooves or channels
for certain periods Of time, at the expira-
ton Of which new phases of the laws in
fractions appear and continue until they
have run their course. AT one time incen-
diarism will be rampant; at another
life and this in turn will give way to the
pistol. Death by poisoning viii be re-
sorted to for a period as means EN-
ployed by one human, or rather inhuman,
being in getting rid OF another, and then
will occur an epidemic Of suicides per-
sons taking their own lives from all man
ner Of causes and often without any ap-
parent cause whatever. .Infanticide runs
its course followed by a long series of
| cases Of people who commit crimes for no
! comprehensive reason, and so the whole
gamut Of life taking is run over, begin
ming in one corner Of the earth and
spreading like a contagious disease.
Just now the epidemic of committing
murder for the purpose Of obtaining the
| Insurance On the lives of those put out Oh
existence seems to be in the ascendant,
and 1T TOO will run it's course We are
Mortified every day to read of the afro
cious crimes that have been committed
for this purpose, the most glazing exam
pie, considering the number of victims
sacrificed, being Holmes, who seems to
have had an unsuitable mania for putting
people away, young and old, for the pur-
lives.
And women, 1t would appear, are not
exempt from this horrible tendency
There is ON trial at this monument in the
municipal court of this city a Mrs. Lora
Perkins for having burned to death her
bosom friend IT, order to obtain the few
thousand dollars which she carried on her
life as insurance. No tales ever written
ten to harrow up the soul by the most
accomplished novelist can equal the feat
ures Of this terrible crime, even supposing
that only 1.-THE OF what has been charged
is true. Briefly summing up the main
facts, Or alleged as facts which are now
under investigation, Mrs. Lora Perkins
and a Mrs Iona Hawkins lived in this city
for some time past, claiming to all who
knew them that they were twin sisters,
the children Of a Spanish count and born
near Madrid or somewhere on the coast
of Spain. They stated they came to this
country at an early age with an aunt and
settled in Florida where both the girls
married at a very tender age and that
their respective husbands died, after
which they came to Minneapolis. The
sisters, as they were thought to be, SEEM
ed most devoted to each other. They
were always together and spoke little or
nothing Of their former lives. A short
time ago the room in which Mrs. Haw-
kins slept caught fire from an exploded
lamp and Mrs. Hawkins was badly burned.
While she was still confined to her room
| from Injuries received another fire of
similar nature occurred and in the latter
Mrs. Hawkins was SO badly burned that
she died In few hours afterwards.
| Such appeared to- be the situation. IN
vestigation developed the following.
which the state in its prosecution alleges
to be facts: That the two women were not
sisters. nor relatives of each other. That
| they were both. born in Iowa, Mrs. Per-
| kins being the daughter of man named
Donovan. That both were country girls
and both had been married several times
and that the husbands Of each whose lives
were insured, died in suspicious manner
and that when the husband Of one refused,
| to insure his life a separation followed.
| That the women lived fast lives both in
Des Moines and this city and instances OF
this fast life are toopnumerous to recount
| here. but all going to show that they stop
ped at nothing when money could be Sc
cured. Further that Mrs. Perkins
caused the burning Of her friend in both
| instances, which occurred early In the
morning and on both occasions she had
her little boy sleep on sofa down stairs,
| instead Of upstairs, as was his custom,
fully dressed and ready to leave the house
! at a moments notice. That Mrs. Perkins,
herself, although pretending to sit I'D
with her friend (sister as she called herr
was on both occasions found fully dressed
| for the street. The insurance on the life
OF Mrs. Hawkins was 81 900 and portion.
of that insurance was procured by Mrs.
| Perkins unknown to Mrs. Hawkins, she
alleging herself to be Mrs. Hawkins.
| 1t would be impossible in brief sum-.
mary to give all the horrible and slispi-
cious details blrt enough is outlined to
show that even a youthful, pretty woman
is not averse to desperate deeds.
For the sake Of humanity many people
would like to see Mrs. Perkins prove her
innocence and that the state had been
misled by circumstantial evidence but it
looks low as if the coils were Tightening
around the one who is supposed to be
guilty and that the scriptural warning
would be again verified that the way of
tbs transgressor is hard
THE RETORT Courteous.
The Independent says that for the bene-
4+ - ry,,,