The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-13
CHAIN OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
Many of Which Only Make Things
Look Blacker for John Collins.

John H. Collins, who is accused of
the murder of his father on the morn
ing of May 13, wanted Grant Meade
arrested soon after the murder took
place Grant Meade is the son of Mrs
j. 5. Collins. He did this in the pres
ence of Sheriff Porter S. Cook and in
answer to questions propounded by
Detective Dell Harbaugh. Harbaugh
questioned the young man closely on
the subject Collins said to them:
why don't you investigate this clue
about Grant Meade? How do you
know but that he was here that night
and killed my father? My father bor-
rOwed $500 of him and Grant claimed
that he never paid him back Why
don't you look the matter up and find
Out?''
Detective Harbaugh Immediately tel
egraphed to the superintendent of the
division where Grant Meade was con-
ductOr and learned positively that
Grant Meade was hundreds of miles
from Topeka when the murder oc-
CURED. This the first intimation
which Collins made at trying to def
nitely place the crime. When informed
that positive information had been re-
ceived that Grant Meade was hun
dreds of miles away, he said nothing
in reply.
Mr.. ]. P. Griswold, of the milling firm
of Shellabarger & Griswold, was at
Lawrence the day on which Detective
Dell Harbaugh secured from Miss
Frances .BabcOck the important state
ments which corroborated other dam
aging evidence against John Collins.
He was at the Babcock residence and
after listening to the conversation for
some time, said to Mrs. Babcock: 'At
| first I was convinced that John Collins
was not guilty. Now, Mr.. Harbaugh
is fooling you. He don't believe Mr.
| Collins committed suicide at all He
| knows just as well as L do that he did.
| 1 am going to leave, L don't want to
| hear any more.
After Mr. Griswold left, Mrs. Babcock
| said to Harbaugh: You won't let him
influence you, will you?"
But as time passed and Harbaugh
again visited the BabcOck family, they
| became convinced that John Collins
| was the murderer of J. S. Collins. Miss
| Frances Babcock said: Just bring
! him down here to see me, and if he
| admits that he lied to me about those
| stories of his father being pursued by
| colored men, will accuse him of killing
| his father
Detective Harbaugh says that he be-
lieVes that if he had been successful in
| having a meeting between Frances and
| John, the latter would have broken
| down.
There is a rumor current which will
| be verified shortly to the effect that
| previous to the supposed arrangement
| made with the colored toughs, Harper
| and Jordan, that John Collins entered
Lawrence drug store and tried to
| persuade the colored porter to procure
| some deadly poison, as 'he wished to
kill man.
This brings up little circumstance
| related by Miss Babcock to the effect
| that once while tandem riding, John
| Collins puffed as if out of breath, where
upon the young lady asked: What's
| the matter, are you out of breath?"
| Mo- replied Collins, but I some
| times have a heart trouble. My father
| has heart trouble, and we expect him
| to drop over any minute"
| This has been proven to be a mis-
| take as J. S. Collins passed a good
| physical examination for life insurance,
| and no affection of the heart was dis
| covered.
| Miss Frances Babcock has made her
| important information in the form of
! an affidavit, which will be most valu-
| able in the trial of the case. She states
| that Collins made a proposal of mar
/ riage to her and that she went with
J him to her mother, but that Mrs. Bah
! cock stated positively that her daugh-
| ter was too young to think of such a
| thing but added that he would be al
! lowed the courtesies of the Babcock
| home but that thoughts of marriage
| for the time being should be banished
| from their minds. She says further