The Topeka state journal., 1898-12-10

best. That he has been brought up in
a good family and that here he assOci-
ated with just such people as you and l
would want our boys to go with. At
Lawrence he associated with the very
best class of people.
I want to say to you that a young
man who could murder his father must
have such a love of seIf-such selfish
ness as would seem improbable, but
we Will show that John Collins is not
selfish.
"A boy to commit this crime must be
a cruel monster; but we shall show you
that John Collins has no such DISPOSE
ton: that he has always been kind and
loving to his parents.
when John was five years old his
mother died and later his father mar
rted Mrs. Meade, who had two children,
and under the loving care of his new
mother, the children grew up without
the slightest friction or trouble. 1t was
a happy, loving family
At this point John Collins drew from
his pocket a handkerchief and wiped
the tears from his eyes. Mr.. GODDARD
was speaking in low sympathetic
voice and the effect was marked upon
the spectators.
We will show you that John Collins
made New Years calls with his father
last year. rather than with the boys.
We will show you that the relations be-
tween father and son were so unusually
affectiOnate as to be marked by peo-
pie outside of the family.
When John went to Lawrence, his
allowance of $25 per month did NOT
meet his expenses. John did not know
the value of money, and incurred some
debts which his father had said he
would pay at the close of the school
year. John wanted to come home but
his father would not permit him. and
insisted that he finish the school year
The money which John spent was not
in drunkenness, RIGHTEOUSNESS, gamb-
ling, but in buying confectionery, hiring
a occasional carriage and purchasing
wearing apparel. He got into debt;
he knew his father was in straitened
circumstances, and in his distress there
came to him a great temptation, the
first in his life, and we admit that he
committed moral wrong, when, at
Joe SmOther'S suggestion John loaned
his money to them for them to gam
bic. Jess Harper and oJhnsOn Jordan
were sent for and they took $I5 Of
Johns money. and then promised him
to return half the profits. When he
tried to get his money, these self-cOn-
fessed thugs buncOed and swindled him
out of his watch and diamond and then
got him deeper into the mire We will
prove these things to you, gentlemen of
the jury, and will also show you that
when he came home, May II, it was to
consult a doctor, these experiences hav-
ing made him-sick. The next morning,
he heard the shots and jumped out of
bed in a dazed condition, met his sister
in the hall and they together went
down stairs to see their father. We will
also show that as Grace got out of bed
she heard John jump out of bed, but
just before that she heard some one
run down the hall towards the window
which opens out on the roof.
"Gentlemen, you will believe the test
imony which that girl viii give upon
the stand and it will prove to you that
there was some one else in that house
that night and that John Collins did not
kill his father.
I'VE will show you that John Collins
in that fatal morning showed all the. af-
fectiOn and emotion possible at the loss
of his father. and that needing the sug-
gestions of his friends, that he should
brace up and as the only man left in
the family, the head of the family as it
were-he did do all in his power to
conceal the grief which he felt.
1--WE will show that there was no mo-
tive which could have existed which
could have caused John Collins to aC-
comp1ish the death of his father; that ne
did not know anything about his faith
er's insurance and that his father had
a trade in hand which he expected to
realize $1,000 or $4,000 and that John
knew it.
1--WE will show that on the morning
of that homicide three men were heard
talking and acting suspiCiOuSly in the
alley back of the Collins house, and we
will show you that few days prior to
that fatal morning, a negro was seen
going down off the roof Of that kitchen
roof, and we will show you that at
about o'clock on that fatal morning
man. carrying what seemed TO pc 4
pair of shoes, was seen crossing the
roof upon which the hall window, up
stairs, opens.
eve expect that the testimony which
we will present, will convince you, as it
has convinced US, that John Collins did
not kill his father. We will not at
tempt to point out the man who COM
mitted this terrible crime, but we will
show that John Collins is wholly innO-
cent of the crime with which he is
charged
Court then, at $50. adjourned until
10 o'clock Monday morning.