The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-02


the homicide?
Al do not remember.
Odd you talk with him after that?
A.-No.
Ex-Chief SteeIe's Testimony.
Ex-Chief of Police Henry NJ. Steele
was called to the stand at o'clock He
has resided in Topeka 20 years and is
now in the real estate business. He
was chief of police until the governor
abolished the police commissioners.
Q-DO you know John Henry Collins?
A.-By sight only.
Q.-Where were you on the morning
At home. 1912 Monroe. North To-
Q,-Did you go to the Collins resi-
dence2
A-Yes
O-Who came after you?
A.-Albert Heartburg, in a buggy.
Q-What time did you reach the Col
Inns residence?
A-Twenty or twenty-five minutes
past s.
O.-What did you do?
A.-Went into the house where Mr..
Collins was.
Q.-Was there any one outside?
Al think not.
Q.-Who did you see in the hall?
Al don't remember.
Q.-Where did you go from the hall?
A-IntO the paElOr-
Q.-Through what kind of a. door?
A--Sliding DOORS
O.-Was there any. one in the parlor?
A.-No.
Q.-Who was in the bedroom?
A.-Donovan, DR.. Tefft, Mrs. Collins.
Odd you see J. S. Collins?
A.-Yes. on the bed.
Q.-Where was the bed?
An the center of the room near
the north wall.
Odd you examine the bedy2
A.-Yes.
O.-What did you find?
A of
There were a patch quilt, a counter
pane and sheet on the bed. He had
wound in his right shoulder and hip.
Odd you examine the house then?
A.-Yes; the closet.
Q.-What did you find?
A.-Three or four valises: a hunting
coat; pair of Overalls, and other appar-
el, male and female.
Q.-Where were the valises?
A.-The shoulder satcheI was on the
shelf.
Q.-Did you open it?
Q.-What did you find?
A.-Shotgun shells.
Q.-How many times did you examine
this closet?
A.-Three times
Q.-Then where did you go?
A.-To the second floor.
Odd you go into all of the closets?
Odd you notice a closet in the
hail?
A.-Yes.
Odd you examine it?
Aust looked in.
Q.-After looking over the second floor
what did you do?
A.-Went to the basement.
Q.-FOr what purpose?
A.-Was looking to see if some one
was concealed in the house.
Q.-Then where did you go?
A.-TO the room where the body was.
Q.-Had you heard anything about
missing revOlvers.
A.-NO.
Q--When did you first hear?
A.-When I went into the adjoining
room to talk with Mrs. Collins.
Q--Then what did you do?
A.-Returned and looked through the
bed.
Q.-Who were there?
A--Tefft and Donovan.
Q.-TeH the jury about it?
A.-Tefft was on one side of the bed;
Donovan on the other. I stood at the
foot OF the bed and they turned the
bloody bed clothes down to me.
Odd you find the revolvers?
A-NO.
Odd you make a further search of
the closet upstairs?
A.-Yes.
O.-How did you do it?
A.-TOOk the bed clothing out, a piece
at a time, and examined it.
Odd you take it all out?
A.-As much as I thought was neces-
sary.
y
Al did.
Q-Was the closet searched later by
anyone else?
Al do not know
Q-Was your attention called to that
closet later?
A.-Yes. the next day.
Q-Where?
A-Ur town. Heard a revolver had
been found
Q.-What did you do?
A.-Went to the Collins house.
Q.-Who did you see?
A.-John was in the hall.
Q-What did you do?
A.-Told him I wanted to see his
mother. and she came.
Q.-What did you do?
Ave went to the library.
Q-What did you say?
A.-That I would like to see the gun
found the night before.
Q.-Then?
A.-She went out of the room and re-
turned in a few moments with a key
which she gave John and told him to
show me the closet. When I went into
the closet could see the handle of the
revolver on the south shelf of the closet.
I then searched further in the closet
I then searched a bed and bureau in a
room at the end of the hall. John was
with me. We went back down stairs
and showed the revolver to Mrs. Col
Inns. She said it was hers.
Steele then described the revolver but
the state could not produce it for identi-
fiCation because it was in Sheriff Cooks
possession and he was not present
Q.-When you were in Mr.. Collins
room did you see any jewelry?
A.-Yes.
G.-Where2
A.-On the dresser.
Q.-What kind of jewelry?
A-StiCk ninE with stones dOT1st