The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-14
N COLLINS BEHALF
Neighbors Testify to His Pre-
vious Reputation.
MODEL SON AND BROTHER
Testimony as to Threats
Against the Elder Collins.
MODEL SON AND BROTHER

% or John Henry Collins begun this morI
ing. The burden of the testimony wa
o to show the loving relations that existe
n between John and the father he is charg
ed with having murdered.
Mrs. Isabel Cochran, daughter of W. W
r Phillips of Topeka, was the first witnes
for the defense. She said she had know
the Collins family Intimately ever sine
she was a child.
81 am prepared to state" saaid Mrs
a Cochran, that John was very affection
E ate to all the other members Of tn
family. He was loving and kind to III
) sister, mother and father. John AMI hi
: father were like two chums. They wer
together a great deal and seemed unusu
ally affectionate toward each o:her.-
never heard a word against John.
never heard that he was selfish, harsh o.
cruel, and I never saw anything in hin
that would indicate that he was so. Once
1 was out shooting with him and severa
of our friends at Lakevlsw, and while the
others shot at game. Jonn shot at Z
mark rather than az the game. L otter
noticed and remarked now cslunlIny Jchr
and his father were. 1 liked to observe
it,
Did you ever hear Mr.. Collins say that
he was held up by a negro?'
Il did. 1 heard Mr. Collins tell aIbou,
| being followed by negro. He said he was
going home at light and he felt ne was
| being followed. He looked around and
| saw a negro lodging from tree to tree.
Mr.. Collins drew his revolver and took
the negro under a light to look aat him.
| The negro had a long open knife. The
negro begged and begged to be turned
| loose, and Mr.. Collins said to him: This
is the second time you have followed me
and if you follow me again 1 Will fix you
so you cannot follow me. Mr.. Collins
| then turned the negro loose"
On croos-examination Mrs. Cochran
said Mr.. Collins told on July 3, 1897, about
| being followed by negro.
She was asked by the prosecutor: "You
| never heard word against John?'
mo, sir, never a word"
ibid you ever hear that he ran with
| negro gamblers?"
mo, sir
did you know he used to drink and 90
off on sprees?'
mo, sir"
did you know he drank and ganbled
and gave negroes his watch and money
to gamble for him?"
mo. sir"
Miss Mary Wyatt, WHO was stenograph
er for ]. S. Collins IN his real estate Of
flee here, was next witness She had
worked for Mrs. Collins ten years. She
said his the selling and renting of pro-
perty. He had all classes of tenants.
IiS aS
persons sought to rent buildings from him
for immoral purposes Mr.. Collins would
speak harshly 10 them and often order
them out OF his Office.
Miss Wyatt told of tenant in a house
owned by Judge Valentine; this tenant
was demented and abused his family. The
neig'hbors complained and Mr.. Collins
evicted him. Another tenant, in the sea-
brook addition, who was evicted, threat
ened his life.
Il was often afraid that Mr. Collins
would be assaulted in his Office, his man.
ner was so harsh" said Miss Wyatt.
'Once when he and were alone in the
Office negro came in and talked business.
After he went out Mr.. Collins said he did
not like the looks OF the negro. This
was a few weeks before ne was killed.
Whenever Mr.. Collins left nome to go to
another city he always told me particu-
larly to look after his insurance. because
he expected to die suddenly. He had a
presentiment that he would die suddenly
and often spoke of it. 1 heard him speak
once about some one accosting him at
Sixth and Van Buren, but 1 did not nav
much attention to It. ! knew he was
afraid of negroes. He never in all the
years 1 knew him went out upon the
street without a loaded cane. and he was
not lame and infirm. He said the reason
he carried the cane was that he did wish
to b etal1en unawareS.'
Miss Wyatt told about a great estate
in New York city worth more than a
million dollars. known as the Edwards
estate The mother of Mr.. Collins was
an Edwards and he was one of the claim
ants of that estate and was acting in
5ehaif OF other claimants. She said she
did not understand all about this estate.
but she had heard Mr.. Collins talk about
it enough 10 know that lease. which was
a missing link that would prove tina rights |
of the claimants to the property. had been
stolen by a man. and Mr.. Collins had !
this man in his power and could do him I
great deal of harm. Mr.. Collins was
soon TO start East to look after this
estate when he was killed. Miss WYATT 4
said that in 1895 or 1896 the office of Mr..
Collins was broken into and looks on 1
desks broken and drawers and boxes 4
rified.
'John was always kind to his father /
and mis- father was always kind 10 him 1
said Miss Wyatt They were more like /
brothers than father and son. They were
constant companions and there was al 4
ways the kindiiest of feeling between
them. Johns disposition was very gentle.
kind and unselfish. He was not avsri |
cious / have often seen MIN do things 1
10 save trouble for ais father lie was |
never cold biooded or harsh. He was al
ways the kindest and most gentle OF 1
boys. especially 20 his father.
when Mr.. Collins was murdered ne /
had deals on hand that ne expected would 4
net big profits. He was handling the 4
Troop. Copeland. Chesterfield and Fifth I.
Avenue hotels. trying 10 sell them John 4
knew about these deals and talked them
over with his father, and his father
planned With John now they would en-
JOY themselves after he got this money. /
heard Mr.. Collins say THAI joan had 4
studied hard and earned a rest and after 4
his school days wre over he might take /
a trip wherever tie wished
The morning Of the murder Was al tho
house about O'clock and John was weep
ing and sobbing- He seemed heart-broken.
He said il seemed 50 horrible that he had
TO sit there and see his father die without
being able TO save him. told John to
brace up and he said Re would do the hest
he ceu-d- He said he had lost kind and