The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-22
Told by a Man From Burling-
ton, Kan,
Who Got Under a BOxcar Last
Spring.
POked His Head Through a
Hole In 1t,
AND HEARD THE PLAN
Laid For the Murder of James
S. Collins.
Apparently Another Case of
Manufactured Evidence.
JUDGE HAZEN CHARGE
The Jury and Gives Them
Lengthy Instructions.

Lengthy Instructions.
A most sensational story was told in
the district court room this morning.
which sounded exactly like a fake and
everybody took it to be one.
Sidney Updegraff, a farmer and la
borer Of Burlington. COffey county, went
on the witness stand and stated that he
had heard two white men discuss the
murder of J. S. Collins while sheltered
from the rain in an empty box car near
the Santa Fe station at Burlington one
day last spring.
He said the date was exactly two
weeks before the murder of J. s. Col
Inns.
Updegraff is a man -45 years of age.
and his testimony showed that he lacks
education. He is rather short in stat
ure and of medium weight. His COM
pleXlon is ruddy and he wears a short
sandy beard His face does not denote
Updegran said the name of Jordan
was mentioned by the two men in dis
cussing the murder. He also said that
lne men referred to another damned
niger"
Updegraff first told his story to Joe
Ralston, an attorney of Burlington last
saturday night. RalstOn wrote AttOr-
ney GODDARD, and Updesraff was sent for
yesterday and arrived this morning
His story on the witness stand under
as follows:
O.-Where do you live?
Al I've in Burlington, COffey coun-
Q-How long have you lived in Bur
fg ston2
About L. years. have lived IN
Eohey county aooul so yeas.
Q--How old are you2
Al am 45.
Q.-DO you own farm or rent?
Al rent. 1 did own a farm but lost
O-Were you around the Santa Fe
station at Burlington one day last
spring you remember of?
A.-Yes, sir.
Odd you meet two men there2
A--Tes, sir.
Q-DI9escribe their appearance.
judge, was % or SO. The Oldest one
would weigh I75 or $50 pounds. He was
raw built and of coarse fea lures. The
younger man weighed about 100 pounds
Qa2t Qsaa29t TisteE MISS Tald sa9 t9 g2g? g2e corld vo
ten me of any way. to get out of here to
trains are all gone and there won't be an
other until morning" Then 1 thought
train gone to Gridiey Southwest of here q
miles and it Will be back about s or 9
eha2es than know R@ Of Wen y9pT Said 'ag hgg
older one, by -, Wen ride tonight if
up my mind he had been drinking. Then
the younger one said to the older one:
that Then left the depot and Went to
see the section foreman I was hauling
Q.-Did you come back?
A--Yes, sir, started to come back to
storm coming up and I cut across a va
cant lot and made for an old box car that
depot The storm broke just as / got
70 70 the car and ! got under it and sat
S-Inen what happened2
81 heard somebody running down the
came toward the car. They jumped in
because the box car was old and there
was a hole in the floor big enough to put
the car could tell there were lry two ' men di1ro
and then heard one of them say: Wen,
drink From their movements I Judged
they sat down on the floor.
Q--Ihen what did you hear?
A-'Wen. jim said one of the men.
who I supposed was the younger man /
No. - - it." said the other i've
taken drink with you; you take drink
Q--What next2
.,A--Lhe older man. as I supposed, called
Der what he called him. I want YOU TO
~ 10 C109peka to locate things about old
want you to do Just as We talked today
2--NWIih1}at NIi1} did the, other man say?
Q.-What next?
l.,
the other. "All ask you to do is to 90
there and get everything arranged 81
III know what to do when I get there
myself"
Q.-What next?
A.-"WeH, I'll go back to Lawrence"
said the same fellow, 'and arrange
things there About time we take an
other drink, and then there wasn't any
thing said and suppose they took a
drink. Then the younger man said:
Well Jim, I'll go to Topeka and locate
everything the best I can, but I'll tell
you here 7 won't kill him" ''I didn't
ask you to kill him" said the other
Jordan and I and that other nigger.
You know who I mean, will kill him.
Inc nrst one of US three who gets the
opportunity will kill him"
tive?
A-The fellow suppose was Jim
SAID; The old man Collins, the old -
" -- broke me up financially and I'll
get even with him if have to kiln him -
Here, too says the other but what
ne meant by it I don't know
Q--How long did the conversation
About half an hour.
Q.-Have you told all the conversa-
tiOn you remember2
A.-Au that remember now
Q-COuId you at any time see these
men?
A-N0.