The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-24

the cadaver, and said that they represents
ed no one whom she had ever known.
Mira Geo. A. Nichols, sister of John
W. Hillmon, next was called to the stand
by the defense, and gave her testimony
as follows: That their fathers family
last saw her brother. John W., in 1877,
when he called at her home and
visited with them for three days;
that her brother at that time had one
tooth out; that she did not notice any
scar upon his hand. but saw her husband
examining his hand; that before leavln G
them her brother left In her charge GER
tain papers, being his army discharge
and other papers; that subsequently he
ing in that letter q photograph of him
self. The letter aud photograph were
handed witness and by her identified as
being those received by her and the
same were then put in evidence. The
witness further testified that she once met
Mrs. Hillmon at the Continental hotel
at Lea7enworth, during the progress of
the first trial of this case at that place in
1882; that Mrs. Hillmon came to their
room, there being present her husband.
Geo. A. Nichols, Mrs. John H. Nixon.
Mrs. S. d. Nixon. and the witness; that
her brother-i1-law, W. w. Nichols
came in with Mrs. Hillmon and intro
duced her to them: that Mrs. Hillmon
asked what their testimony at the trial
regarding the personal appearance of
her husband would be; that they told
her that Hillmon had poor teeth. one en-
tirely gone and some others defective;
that Mrs. Hillmon replied that her hus-
band had good teeth; that witness re-
piled that if that were so, that it was
not her brother, and that Mrs. Hill
mon replied yes it was witness
brother, but that he might have had
false teeth; that Mrs. Hillmon seemed
much excited and on leaving the room
exclaimed that if they would testify that
way she would withdraw her auit and
turn her husband over to the authorities.
The witness then was shown defendants
small photo exhibit of Hillmon in life
and pronounced it good picture. She
was then shown the plaintiffs large
photo exhibit of Hillmon and stated that
she would not recognize it as being a
picture of her brother. On being shown
the two photographs of the cadaver,
front and side views, she stated that she
was unable to recognize them as being
of her brother.
The brother of John W. Hillmon then
took the stand for the defendants; this
was Mr.. William Hillmon of Cripple
Creek, Colo. Mr. Rillmon stated that
he was engaged in mining at Cripple
Creek; that he had been mining and
since 1871; that he used to
live near Valley Falls with his fathers
family. but left there in 1869; that before
his brother John w. Hillmon left home,
at the age of II, his teeth had begun to
decay; that in 1869 they were worse
still; that he met his brother at Central
City, Colo, in 1872. and that they
worked there for soma time; that
he was with him in 1876. when
hunting buffalo in the southwestern part
of Kansas; that the last time he saw him
was in July, 1878, on the staked plains of
Texas til at during July John W., John
II. Brown, witness and others were to-
gether on the plains; that the last time he
saw his brother, he had one tooth COM
pletely broken off close to the gum, aud
that nearly all his teeth showed signs of
decay; that his brother, John w, while
not u constant user of tobacco, would
chew and smoke.
The deposition eof dentist Howe,
was read by the defense. In this depo-
sition the witness testified that in the fall
of 1878 John w. Hillmon called at his
dental parlors, and that witness made a
plate containing three teeth for him.
The defendants also read the deposit
ton of the photographer who took the
pictures of the corpse at the cemetery at
and whose name, it will be re-
membered. is w. H. Lamon. This evil
dencs read as follows; that
witness was a photographer in
the city of Lawrence, in the years 1889,
and had been for some time previous to
that time; that he photographed the dead
body purported to be that of John W.
at Oak Hill cemetery, Law
renee, in the spring of 1879; that at such
time he had taken two views-One a
front and the other a side view of the
corpse. The photographs referred to,
have been introduced in evidence by the
defense. Witness further stated that
Mr.. Borgalthaus, an attorney of Law
renee at that time, had interviewed him
on behalf of Mrs. Hillmon.
The testimony given by Mr. Geo. Lewis
at previous trial of the case, was next
read, Mr.. Lewis having died since that
time. This testimony was to the effect
that witnesses occupation was that of q
barber, and that he had resided in Val
ley Falls IA years; that he was in the
habit of shaving John w. Hillmon; that
he first met Hillmon in 1873, and that he
noticed he had a scar on the head about
one and half inches long. and that his
upper teeth were either badly decayed or
defective
Mr.. Charles A. Walker, of Wichita,
was the next witness to give his
testimony fer the defendants, which
was as follows: That in 1879
he was cashier of the Wichita
bank, Wichita; that in the summer or fall
Of 1879, he met Major Wiseman, who
was making inquiries in Wichita at that
time in regard TO the identity of a dead
body shot at Crooked Creek, Kansas;
that Major WisemaD showed witness tW
of the dead body; that wit
ness was secretary of the Wichita Ma
sonic lodge, and that some time after
the visit of Major Wiseman he received
The secretary of the Masonic lodge at
Wichita, and from the master of
he Masonic lodge at FIT. Madison,
Iowa, asking if he knew anything of the
of young man of the name
Of Frederick Adolph Walters, who was
asst heard of at Wichita, and who was