The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-16
ELLA SAYS SHE LIED
When She Testified About the
Man on the Roof.
COLLINS Is AN ENIGMA
His Trial Is a Battle Royal of
Two Detectives.
COLLINS is AN ENIGMA

0 Topeka, Kan, Dec 15-Something Of
sensation was developed in the Collin
. murder case today, when Ella Buchanan
was recalled and testified that her testi
mony given on Monday that she saw g
man on the roof of the Collins kitchen or
the morning of the murder, was absolute.
J ly false. Miss Buchanan said:
Mrs. Burnett came 10 me On Brannel
street on the morning of the murder and
told me that 1 was TO swear that she had
been to Scranton and had come home and
that 1 had met her, and then we went
. looking for a house and saw man on the
roof of the Collins house Mrs. Burnett
told me 1 must swear TO this or go to the
penitentiary.
The witness then told how she had
sworn falsely in every particular and ex-
planned in detail how Mrs. Burnett had
told her to swear and what TO swear to.
A Kansas City Star dispatch 20 Topeka
says:
Whether John Henry Collins did or did
not murder his own father, his is the
strangest case that ever came into a
| court of criminal justice in all this Wes-
| tern country. And John Collins himself is
| as inexplicable and puZzling a character
| as ever sat in a prisoners dock. AS the
| trial goes on from one day to another,
stretching out into weeks of accommodating
evidence, the feeling of wonder and bewil-
! derment and horror grows upon those
who hear the testimony.
If John Henry Collins killed his own
father he is without moral sense, con-
! science or remorse. If John Collins is in
nocent, then his case is all the more re-
markable and the mystery about it all the
deeper.
Day after day the evidence piles up that
John and his father were like schoolboy
csums loving each other. always togeth-
er when they could be, proud of each
other, affectionate to an unusual degree
and planning each for the happiness of
the other The last words said by the
father to john were tho night before the
murder. The old man and his wife were
! going out TO party. John had come
| home from school on the excuse that he
was i'll. He was at the piano in the par
Tor. and before the father went out the
| door he stopped by the piano stool. placed
his hand gently on the boys head and
said:
Don't go to school IN the mornin, I
wish 10 have a talk with you"
John spent that evening playing and
singing in the room adjoining where the
murder was done few hours later.
1t seems almost beyond belief that the
boy singing there that night at the piano
had already the plan and determination
of the murder in his mind. AS terrible
as that though is, if he was guilty it
is nothing with what the young man did
after the murder, as shown by the evil
dence Of yesterday and today. Before
the body was cold John was kneeling
beside ii, one of the dead hands in his,
one of his own hands smoothing back
the hair from the white forehead the
mangled wound before his very eyes, the
smell in his nostrils of the blood that had
soaked through clothing and mattress
and formed in pool upon the floor
While the body lay stretched upon the
cooling board. and a woman was moping
the blood from the carpet John was in
and out with friends who called. He led
them to where the body lay and lifted
the sheet from the face to let them look
upon It,
man. told on the witness stand late yes
terday afternoon. What manner Of man
is John Henry Collins if he is guilty?
MY name is Rev. ]. W. Sykes, clergy
man, dean of the Episcopal cathedral in
this city"
The Very Rev. J. ". Sykes is a typical
Episcopal dean, with a long ministerial
face, solemn, clerical, English accent
in his voice.
How long have you been dean Of the
cathedral?" the lawyer for John Collins
asked slim.
''Since January %, last"
Were you acquainted with ]. S. Col |
Inns and the Collins famiIy?"
Il knew J. s Collins only slightly. I
had spoken TO him once or twice. I had
never been at the Collins home. nor spok- !
en- 10 John. In looking over the record
Of the membership when I became dean |
of the churchI saw the name OF John |
Henry Collins. inquired about him and |
learned that ne was a student at the uni |
versity in Lawrence that he was a Law |
reader in the Episcopal church and that |
he would undoubtedly be a valuable help |
er in the church work when his school |
days were over. as they were soon to be. /
Later he was pointed out TO me on the /
street"
Were You at the Collins nome the /
morning of the murder
I was. l was at home eating break /
fast when the bishop called me up bv
telephone and asked ne If had heard Of /
the murder OF course had not. With /
out waiting to finish the meal I went
right over 10 render what service I I
could?"
Did You see John9'
Il did. He met me- a. the door. 7 nut
my arm about his neck and ne pur his
arm around mine. I said 20 him: This is
dreadful. John" He answered.: IT Is aw-
full. awful"
The voice of the clergyman was solemn
indeed as he told this. He continued.
John led me into the room where the
body lay and lifted a covering from the
face and stood there with me"
Was ne shedding tears?"
''He did not cry. bur his emotion was
much deeper than II ne had went He
impressed me as boy who was striving
hard 10 not break down under the awful
weight Of sorrow. I was much affected
by it. because Of the emotion that he 50
well concealed. I took Il that he was an
afflicted boy. striving hard 20 bear I'D
Ike brave man. realizing his position.
yet not breaking down. His eyes we're
fuil OF tears. Yet he vas not weeping
Did sc DO ANYTHING or was there any
thing in his manner mat indicated 70 You
, consciousness Of his Own guilt
No. At all. So much was i To The
contrary THAI I talked With Mrs.. Collins
and others as % who could possibly have