The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-13

CnaC the CnOuSnC Oh the
which would occur when she went to
the Seashore seemed to worry Collins.
Finally, she says he told her that If
he received an invitation he would go
to the sea shore also. He added: Y es,
L know you will go down there and
some of those plug hat, slick tongued
eastern fellows will fall in love with
you and entertain you so nicely that
when you come home 1 will not be in it.
But will just fool them and will go
to the seashore and show them that
Frances is my own girl Miss Babcock
says that on the Sunday before the
murder she was with Collins and she
said to him: John, what ails you?
You seem worried about something
She says Collins replied: Yes, L
know L am. Father is in trouble again
and expect he will be killed, as those
negroes are following him yet. But
pshaw, I've told you too much al
ready
Miss Babcock says of receiving the
telegram Father is dead, say moth
ing that a few minutes after receiving
it she received a telephone message
from Collins in which he explained
that the words SAY nothing meant
that she should not say anything about
the conversation they had had about
the negroes following his father. She
says that on the day following she re-
ceiVed a letter from him which con-
tained the repeated warning.
When Detective Harbaugh had Sc
cured the evidence from Miss Babcock
he asked her to give him a letter of in
PRODUCTION to John Collins so that he
might be enabled to find out facts at
the Collins residence. She did and
furnished the following letter which
she headed THE Roanoke" which is
the Babcock family residence:
My Dear Friend John: The gentle
man who will give you this letter is Mr..
Harbaugh. He has known me ever
since 1 was a little girl and my family
long before I was born. L tell you this
to show you that we know all about
him. 1 have told him all that you ever
told me about your father. He wishes
me to write to you asking if you will
see him and tell him all the different
little things that your father said to
you. 1t may help him. I hope you will
see him and tell him all the things he
wishes to know. Your true friend,
.FRANCES BABCOCK."
Armed with this, Detective Harbaugh
was received by the Collins family and
he made the important discoveries
which have led to the collection of the
circumstantial evidence. considera BILE
direct evidence, and the arrest of John
Collins on the charge of numbering his
father
covered that young Collins did not sleep
in his own room on the night of the
murder, but occupied the front spare
room. In his sworn statement he stated
that he occupied his own room. In the
sworn statement made by Mrs. J. S.
Collins she stated positively that John
slept in the spare room, and that he
had only occupied it once before. These
statements We're taken down by two
detectives in Dell Harbaugh's charge,
who We're introduced as insurance ad-
justers to the Collins family, but who
were in reality securing evidence for
the arrest.
At another time when the statements
were being made, Mrs. Collins said that
when she first awoke she looked up and
saw the transom. John Collins was
present and he quickly interrupted her,
saying: mo mother, don't you re-
member, you looked first at the ceiling
Mrs. Collins, in her sworn statement,
said:
Il slept sound1y all night till o'clock
in the morning, when 1 awoke and
looked around. The dawn was just
breaking. 1 think now that it was the
noise made by the burglar that aroused
me. 1 know it was o'clock because
heard the clock strike and counted the
strokes I turned over and went to
Sleep 1t was Sis when I was awaken
ed by two shots. They sounded very
loud The room was full of thick smoke.
1 saw nobody. My husband groaned:
oh, Helen am shot I went to get
out of bed and he said: Get the
camphor, Helen. oh, my back L got
up and got the camphOr and went to
rub it on him and then saw how badly
he was wounded. I kissed him and
ran to the stairs and called to John
and Grace and then ran back. He died