Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-12-19
SOME SENSATIONAL TESTIMONY.
Strange Words on the Day of the
Stillwell Murder-The State is
Making a Strong Case.

DON LINZ ohE4EN, EuO.y DcC. 1t.-lt
was confidently expected by everyone
interested that Richard Stillwell would
go on the stand again this morning
and the court room was crowded
early. 1t was an ideal day for d drive
in from the country and the usual
crowd of Saturday farmers was large
" augmented on this account. Shop
ping was largely neglected, however,
and stocks of holiday goods in the
stores around the square were lone
some, for, as soon as the rural popula-
ton got rid of the butter and eggs
and produce, the crowd in the court
room was increased by just as many
as could get in.
Instead of Richard Stillwell,a shape
ly little woman, not young, but hold
ing her age more than well, took the
stand. 1t was Mrs. Susie Hayward,
the woman whose testimony, made
public in the Hearne-De Young libel
suit, was the primary of the
present trial. She was accompanied
by her husband, who sat near her.
Colonel Dryden, approaching that the
proximity of the husband would be of
benefit in nerving the witness, also
subpoenaed him. AS soon as the
subpoena was issued Colonel Dryden
moved to apply the rule. He lost on
this and Mrs. Hayward began.
This is the story of Mrs. Hayward in
brief:
81 visited in Hannibal in the sum-
mer of 1SSs-visited the family of Mrs.
Amos j.. Stillwell and my sister-in-
law. One morning Mrs. Stillwell and
I went out together. She said she was
going to Mrs. Archer's house and
started to visit my sister-in-law, but
met her on the corner. After some
conversation she left me and I went
to DR.. Hearne's office for Mrs. Still
we'll, because / heard she was there.
There was nc n in the outer office
and the door to the inner office was
locked. | went across to the park
and sat down on a bench commanding
a view of DIR. Hearne's Office entrance.
at was about 10 O'Clock in the
morning or 10:05 when l entered the
park, and l stayed there two hours.
About IL o'clock Colonel Rufus An
derson came through the park on his
way to dinner and l had a talk OF
about ten minutes duration with him,
| saw Amos j. Stillwell come home to
dinner at a quarter before II. AT
noon saw DIR. Hearne open the door
of his office, look cautiously up and
down the street, wipe his face with
his handkerchief and go inside again.
Almost as Dor as he disappeared Mrs.
Stillwell came ont on the corner.
hurried to the opposite corner and
called her to come over. When she
came | taxed her with being in DIR.
Hearne's Office for two hours and she
did not deny it. We went together to
dinner and found Amos j. StilIwell
and the children there.
"Tbat night | slept with Mrs. Still
well-in the same bed. We talked
about the occurrence at loo and Mrs.
Stillwell said she was very unhappy.
She said she loved DIR. Hearne, but
would be glad to break with him if she
could; she knew there was nothing
but trouble ahead. She wanted to
break off, she said, and had made up
her mind every day she would, but
DR.. Hearne had such a strong in
huence owe her that she could not
fight against him. She asked me to go
to DIR. Hearne and ask him to have
nothing more to do with her or to say
to her; to tell him that if he would
give her up she would gladly give him
up. | said l would do it if she made
the appointment. / met DR.. Hearne
the next day at noon in Mrs. Still
wells parlor.
81 told him my mission and he said:
you know how matters stand be-
tween US. want Mrs. Stillwell to get
a divorce and marry me- 1 told him
it was a poor thing to do; that she vas
a woman of extravagant tastes, used
to plenty of money, and that it would
be foolish for him to marry her, if
nothing else. He said she would have
alimony, and l told him she would
never have alimony from Amos ].
StiiIweli.
"sDo you believe that?' he asked.
"I do | said.
"'Why,' he said, Il can get Amos j.
Stillwell slugged for $3.50. 1 under
stand you know | vas in Amos Still
wells house one night at 1 O'Clock
when he got back from st. Louis. If
he had caught me there 1 would have
shot him and no one would ever have
known who did it. 1t would have been
said it was a burglar
81 thought his threat to have Amos
Stillwell slugged was a bluff and
thought no more about it. l renewed
my request that he break off with
Mrs. Stillwell and he refused. He
asked me to remember that he visited
Mrs. stillwell in a professional capac-
and that preachers and physicians
never suspected. l asked him
what he would do if l told anyone else
what he said, and he said he would
kill anyone who stood in his way. l
told Mr.. Dick Stillwell what / knew
Of the case for the first time last
Mrs. Hayward, after a long siege,
confessed that the only reason why
she delayed so long in making public
her knowledge of the relations be-
tween DIR. Hearne and Mrs. Stillwen
was because she loved Fannie Still
well and did not want to tell. She al
80 told of a letter she received from
Mrs. Stillwell on the day of the muir
der, in which the latter told of how
she was getting on with her
husband. The contents of another
written by Mrs. Stillwell to her
in November, 1883, we're brought in
evidence. In this letter, Mrs. Hay
ward stated, Mrs. Stillwell wrote that
she was having trouble with her hus-
band; that DR.. Hearne wanted her to
get a divorce and that she and the