The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-31

been to Wichita, and came back to
Lawrence; that he then returned to
Wichita; that when he came back he
began to look after his insurance.
Why? Because he ascertsined that in
as much as he had not been vaccinated
one of his applications had been re-
jected for characterization. But after
wards in order to secure insurance in
this company, he was, on the 10th day
CO February, 1879, vaccinated. On the
2Sth of February he leaves Lawrence
for Wichita. Now comes Mrs. Hillmon
and claims her husband wrote her on
the 5th of March before leaving Wich-
ita, that she might go and get the
money, as he did not want the policy,
as he would soon return. Would this
man endure vaccination, which was so
distasteful to him and then, within five
days after, write her that she might
get the money back, and that he was
coming home, and this at the very time
that he was starting on another trip
to the southwest? The thing that
strikes every one IS the enormous
amount of insurance taken out by Hill
mon, a man of no means whatever,
insurance recurring an annual pay
ment of over $500; an amount equal to
his total income. Here we have a cat
tie herder, miner and a plainsman,
keeping house with his wife In single
room and who they claim is dead, but
left not one single dollar of property,
and yet he has $4,000 life insurance
The premiums were payable semi-an-
nually, and the second six months
premiums were about due when the
shooting occurred. These two facts
stamp the transaction as an absolute
fraud. and are conclusive proof of a
conspiracy.
you must also remember that when
Hillmon was insured he stated that he
was Vouched for by Levi Baldwin,
who had at that time large transac-
tions-that the New York Life knew
nothing of the insurance in the Mutual
Life and Connecticut, and the Mutual
nothing of the insurance in the Con-
necticut until after the alleged shoot
ing:
rece, receiver for the Simpsons bank.
To this bank Baldwin owed a large
amount of money, for which he had
mortgaged his property. Mr.. Crew
was pressing Inn for payment, and
Baldwin told him that a portion of
this borrowed money was used to pay
the premiums of Hillmons life insur-
ance Baldwin came to Mr.. Crew, the
day after the shooting was known III
Lawrence, and told him he was to get
$4,000 of this insurance money on Hill
mons life.
share of the spoils-probably $4,000
was to go to Hillmon and $4,000 to
Brown.
I'VE find Hillmon leaving Wichita
first the 18th of December, 1873,
with John H. Brown to hunt for a cat
tie ranch. Do you believe that an old
experienced ranchman would start out
in the depth of midwinter, with heavy
SHOWS on the ground, to locate a cattle
ranch, starting out with a cheap pair
of small ponies and spring wagon,
an outfit not worth over $40. Now
when they got to Medicine Lodge, this
man who was carrying $4,000 life
insurance, slept in the hay loft of
livery stable.
II do not believe that it was their
original intention to kill anyone; but
that their scheme was to find some
dead body which they could palm off
as the body of Hfllmon, and in pur-
suance of this they followed the old
Santa Fe trail looking for dead body.
There were a great many men tramp
ing at that time, and they would be
liable to find someone on that route.
They returned to Wichita, and on
the 5th of March, 1879, they started
out again to hunt the same old cattle
ranch. The weather is still cold and
Indictment The experienced plains
man, if this body was HillmOns, is
tramping around over the country in
this cold, Indictment weather with low
shoes on instead of boots, for the body
found had on low shoes. 1 say that
s circumstance for your considera-
ton in aScertaining whether that body
was the body of Hillmon or Walters,
who was atenderfOOt.
You will remember a bit of evil
dence which came from Mrs Nichols
(Hillmon's sister, that John w. Hill
mon had left with her his army dis
charge, and some other papers, which
had been in her keeping thirteen
years, and on the 2Sth of December,
1873, he writes for this discharge, etc.
And these papers were found upon this
dead body. evidently placed there for
purposes of Identification.
Ti1linghast, Wiseman and Colonel
Walker, on arrival at Medicine Lodge,
to fence in the grave where this body
was buried, found Baldwin there.
They demanded that the grave be
opened and the body taken to Law
renee for Identification, and when the
corpse was exposed to view the first
exclamation made by any person
standing there was that of Alva Bald
win, who was not in the conspiracy:
That's not Hillmon!" Colonel Walk
tooth, put his finger in the mouth of
the dead body and found no missing
tooth, but as perfect and complete a
set of teeth as the creator ever put
testimony was read at this trial, ne
now being dead.
THE Insurance companies simply
sent down Colonel Walker and these
men to bring the body to Lawrence,
for identification, and where, if it was
where his home was and friends were,
a fraud, it would be discovered. Wise
man, Walker and Tillinghast knew on
seeing the body that it was not Hill
mon and that a fraud was being per-
petrated, and telegraphed to Mr. Grit
fifth to see Mrs. Hillmon and get a
description of her husband, especially
as regards his teeth and height.
Mr.. Selig and Mr.. Griffith testified
that when questioned regarding her
husbands height, condition of teeth
and description generally, she answer
ed she did not know. Baldwin on ar
rival with the body at Hutchinson,
wires Smith. the undertaken. to inform
Mrs. TIflImOn; secure lot: have grave
dug Immediately; will be in at o'clock
a. m, Santa Fe train.'' This is the
evening before arrival; he was going
to have a grave dug immediately and