The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-28
GIN STORY A FAKE
Collins as Cool as Ever and
the Family are Composed.
SAMPLE CRANK LETTERS
New Trial, if Granted, Not TO
be Held in Topeka.


always kept his shotgun had been found
by plumbers working in the Stormont
building. adjoining the building where j.
5. Collins mad his office. Sseriff Cook set
out early in the moinrng to Investigate
He searched the building and made N
quiry az plumbers shops. but al II O'Clock
declared he mad failed 10 md any trace
OF the gun.
The man who knows it al is always
about a block ahead of me- he said, but
1 hear the story all the time from good
people VINO believe it
As for John Henry Collins, he is as cool
as ne ever was. He slept last night as
peacefully a sa child and nothing in his
manner indicates that sentence in the
penitentiary is staring hi min the face or
dlsturbs him in the least. His Christian
wasn't lonely. A big box Of fancy confec-
tionery and a bunch of cut flowers were
sent to him in the morning by friends OUT
side of the family. Mrs. Collins. Grace Col
line, Grant Meade, John Collins, MS tath-
er's brother, and Dean Sykes of the Epls-
copal church. visited him and spent hours
in his company, giving him no chance 70
be lonesome.
Grace Collins was reported SATURDAY.
night to be Frustrated with grief. When
she visited the cell Sunday she was as
calm as her brother. Mrs. Collins AMI
Grant Meade were nervous and sho~F
sing effect upon them.
During the trial of John Henry Collins
for the murder of his father. bushels OF
letters were received by those directly in
terested from cranks of all kinds over all
the country. These letters came from law
yers, preachers, women, Sriritualists. clair
voyants, second-sight seers, detectives
and even from criminals One Of the most
unique of these letters was from W. W.
| Lowe. the self-confessed train robber, who
/ is in the Westport police station. Il was
| TO Detective Del Harbaugh. This letter
/ began by making a request that Harbaugh
/ call to see MIN and il ended with:
Il see by the papers you are making out
/ a strong case against Collins. l hope you
! will have success. l see the women are all
standing by him. If he had OF gone out
and stuck up a train when ne wanted
money instead Of killing his father for it
the women would have tnrowed up both
hands and howled."
Judge Bazen. who tried the case, re-
ceived a letter from the wife of a clergy
man in Kansas City, in which she said
she was confident John was innocent, she
was praying for him. and she requested
| the Judge to show her letter to the jury
so they would know that one unprejudiced
woman in Kansas City believed John was
| innocent.
from the members Of Christian Endeavor-
ers in Fort Scott, in which they urged
him TO do his duty and see that John got
fair trial. They said they were sure
John was innocent and were praying for
MIN.
Mrs. Collins and Grace Collins received
stacks Of letters by every mail. The most
of them offered to produce evidence that
would clear John and named the price
they expected TO be paid for it. one of
these anonymous letters to Grace Collins
read:
Il have been seated near you during the
trial and have admired you very much.
| know by means of secret communications
that the jury Is going to convict your
| brother but I nave power 10 hang the
jury. If you VIII meet me tonight az
o clock a; the south steps Of the state
| house and have 500 IN an envelope and
whistle three times I viii come up and
as YOU reach out 20 hand me the envelope
speak the words: For love and liberty.
will guarantee 20 hang the jury"
Mrs Collins received a letter from A
paInist Of Lawrence who told her that he
mad read the palm OF Miss Frances Bah
cock and he warned her to beware Of Mise
Babcock because she was not friendly 10
John.
Dozens Of letters came 70 Mrs. Collins
from spiritualists and sesrs Of different
kinds. All OF taem were OF the same char
scter. One was from woman IN Wichita
VINO wrote that she was the seventh
daughter Of seventh son and born VIII
a veil. she offered FOR 81 10 find the muir
derer OF Mr.. Collins and save John. Sew
eral spiritualists. two Of them in Kansas
City. wrote 20 her that the spirit OF oct
murdered husband had appeared 20 then
and told them VINO the murderer was
They offered 20 teI FOR pay. \ spiritualis
in Des Moines IA. offered % come q To
peka without pay "a she would permE 81 n
20 hold a seance in che room where hei
husband was murdered. He wrote that ~
feH sure ne could naterialize ne spirit q.
her husband and she might talk 20 6. an'
learn VINO me murderer vss-
The attorneys for the prosecution an
the defense received letters from lawyer
over all the country asking 20 be above,
20 assist in ne trlal wic1out pay. or offer
ing suCgestions.
some OF these letters were amusing Fl
the theories they offered \ lawyer q,
No-touvile wrote - the attorneys %
joan Collins that the best defense 90 max
was that John did zive tns negroes M
watch and money 20 gamble E.ta and q
prevent John from bounding thsm OF pros
{ ecut!ng tnem f5- ne return q me none
they murdered his father. arranging or
clnsznces 50 fra- suspicion would pom
n the boy. Tnis Collins would be con
yic-ed AID they Eculd be I'd y h.m-
4 letter ~ County Attorney ! stu3rs al
vauced this tfso-y n the crime
q believe caat Mr. Collins pisrasE ~.
bis family 70 XII niul- He V4z pushed 20
money and ~ finances were gong fr9z
bad 10 worse He saN ruin staring TN Il
the face ne knew tna- i Ee c1uuiftes
suicide me B. - Insurance money sou.
not - paid. 80 ae planned wi-t ne fz7sl
20 murder hlEn and -nsa leave ~ sa3-gIi
Il TIE hz5r
A-ocre- crank Er7-e ~ gilmore "a
~ believed ". Collins killed almxtif sla
.as s1o-Eun and nat Urs- COINS sf,er
zzr5s carried e cue lat5 tse ball.
A mar II Ma-yzv1le wrote la ,nls nay
d ''C5ula not To- l13eanah-e sEtst aezrt p
Grace C5Ii-s r. t1e hzl --Eni zfter f-
, sso-s were fras have aee- czEse8 ~ 20
, explosion q a1-s barres = t5s ga ia 20
. oose rs3z7 TE.s woe eaass a carrea
p 20 az % Tssh - ne stairway. past e.
. Door ard calEs sz- swls15-z a5.ss 81