The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-17
THE MILLS=ADAMS CO


Odd Mrs. Collins seem excited or
cry?
A.-No; she seemed perfectly cool
and was not excited. She is not that
kind of a woman.
Odd you ask her if she saw the
person who did the shooting?
A.-She said she had not.
Odd she say that she heard two
shots?
Ayes, my impression is that she
did not distinguish between the shots.
Mr.. Collins died?
ABOUT ten minutes. I looked at
my watch and it was % minutes past
five when he breathed his last.
Q-WhO was there when hesdied?
Tefft.
Q.-Was John in the room where his
father was after you got there?
Ayes, I saw him there.
Odd you examine the house after
Sheriff Cook arrived?
A.-Yes; 1 went with him.
Odd you see any tracks that in
Dictated that any one had entered or
left the house?
A.-No; but in place in front of the
house where the grass had died out,
saw two or three tracks leading toward
the house.
The examination was then adjourned
until 1:30 p. m.
w. NJ. Lyon, a reporter on the Jour-
nal, was the first witness called after
noon.
Q.-Were you at the Collins house af-
ter the murder?
Ayes, 1 was there about 10 o'clock
Friday morning
Odd you talk to John?
A.-Not then, but I talked to him on
Saturday.
Q.-What did he say?
Al asked him what his theory of
the murder was, and he said that he
thought whoever committed the MUIR
der, entered the house in the evening
and hid in the closet, and that after he
committed the murder left the house
either by the dining room window or
the back window up stairs. He said his
sister thought at first that the lower
lock was fastened, but was not sure
Odd you ask him about the revo1-
vers?
come of the revolvers, and he said he
did not know; they had not been found.
Q.-Have you, in the line of your du-
ty,. made any other Investigations?
Ayes, I went to Lawrence.
Q.-Who did you see?
Al was unable to see the people
wanted to see, and 1 met Howard Leon
ard John Collins roommate at the de-
pot, and asked him if John Collins had
told him that he was afraid that a ne
gro would kill his father, and he said
that John had told him that he had
such fears.
The examination of A. w. Knowles
was then resumed. He said that he de-
sired his testimony corrected when he
SAID that he saw no Otner young lazy
except Miss Grace Collins. He said
Miss Lange was there.
Q.-TeH just where the gun was ly-
ing.
A.-As I remember, the gun was 1y-
ing just opposite the west half of the
folding doors between the par1or and
the hall 1t lay with the butt end to
the east and the barrel pointed a little
to the right of a straight line. 1t was
on the left side of the hall and looked
as if it had been put there by some one
with his left hand.
Q-Was it nearer the stairs than the
front door?
A.-Oh, yes.
Q.-Then person would have to
have stepped east and laid the gun
down if he went out of the front door?
Ayes, the gun would not have been
put there by a person who went out OF
the front door.
Cross-examination by Mr.. GODDARD:
Q-You opened the dining room win
dow before any policeman arrived?
Ayes.
Odd you see any tracks?
Al saw some tracks, but they had
no connection with the window. 1 af-
terward found that the tracks had been
made by my son and policeman who
were looking for some one.
Edwin Lange, a travelling man, was
next called. He lives at $40 Van Blu
rem street, across the street from the
Collins residence.
Odd you hear any report of a gun
on the morning of May 10?
Ayes, I heard two reports; I sleep
in the southwest room up stairs. 1t was
just after o'clock.
Q-How far apart were the reports?
A-Not more than two or three Sec
onds.
Q.-Might both barrels have been
discharged at the same time?
|, A.-No; they were distinct.
O-What did you do?
Al sat up and studied awhile, and
concluded that it was some one shoot
ing cat. 1 lay down again and L was
just doing off when the door bell rang
and 1 jumped out of bed and slipped on
a bath robe and went down, 1 heard
some one walking up and down on the
porch. 1t was Miss Collins and she
inlr il rInt.t