Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-12-15
no MORE SENSATIONS WERE DE-
vELoPED YESTERDAY.
COLLINS GOOD CHARACTER"
MUCH EVIDENCE INTRODUCED TO
sUBSTANTIsTE 1T.
Strong Effort Made to Break Down
the Testimony of Joe Smothers-
Policeman jenkins saw
Negro on the Morning
of the Murder.

TOPEKA, Dec l4-CSpeciaIl The most
of the testimony introduced by the de-
sense in the Collins murder trial to-day
consisted of good character evidence and
evidence tending to break down the testl-
mony given by Joe Smothers, the Law
renee negro. who testified that the detenu-
ant asked him TO find him 4 imam Killer.
Aside from this, probably the most i'm
portant witness to-day was Policeman
Jenkins. who testified for the state at the
beginning of the trial. jenkins to-day said,
under oath. that a few minutes before the
Collins tragedy was reported to the police
on May 13 he was at the corner of Sixth
and Kansas avenue and that he saw
negro going north on the avenue toward
the Smoky Row district at 4 rapid walk,
with his hat in hand. He constantly kept
his head turned so that he could look over
his shoulder. if expecting some one 10
chase him. The policeman said at the time
he did not think much about the matter.
Jailer Larson was called and testified that
he had heard Detective Dell Harbaugh tell
Johnson Jordan and Jesse Harper, while
they were in the county Jail, that they
must stand together with their stories.
The witness never saw Harbaugh give Jor-
dan or Harper any money.
The first witness called to-day was Owen
McCafferty, Of the Atchison police force.
He testified:
Sunday morning. November 20. at .
o'clock l saw Joe Smothers in the Union
depot at Atchison. We talked about the
Collins case and l asked him If Collins
would be convicted and he said he ought
TO be, because there would be a lot or
paid swearing in the case. Smothers said
he was a witness for the state and would
get 1900 for his testimony, no matter how
the case goes"
William n Saip N nf he Wells
Fargo Express Company at Atchison.
swore:
"On the morning after Thanksgiving l
went into Ayrss Bros restaurant. Smoth-
ers was sitting on stool and just l en-
tered the door L heard him say: I'm u
witness in the Collins case, and i will get
N,0O9 for my testimony regardless Of the
decision of the court
Il didn't know the man who made the
statement when L went in, but l got up on
stool beside him and after he got through
making his statement l asked him what his
name was and he said .Smothers
These two witnesses stated that Smoth-
ers talked earnestly about the matter and
did not Seem to mean what he said as u
joke.
William Tarrant, night clerk at the res
taurant in question, testified that Smothers
told him that he would get $1,000 for his
testimony. Smothers said that when he
got the money he proposed TO marry an
Atchison girl. He said neither the state
nor the Collins family was to pay him.
Charles Phelps is Il saloonkeeper and
barber from St. Joseph, Mo. He became
acquainted with Joe Smothers last sum-
mer. Smothers was at that time work.
Ing in q house of ill-fame.
. The defense showed by Mr.. Phelps tes-
tinony that Smothers WIS not working for
the water company in St. Joseph, because,
mo colored man ever gets a job tn.
works. The only place Smothers worked
in 81. Joe was at this house of ill-fame."
The witness was asked who furnished
him ticket to come TO Topeka.
The defense furnished the Atchison
and st. Joe witnesses tickets and We are
responsible for their time" said Mr.. Hay
den.
John Mcnamara of St. Joe police
man for eight years, and employed in the
secret service since July l. was the next
witness. He testified that during the
months of June and July Joe Smothers had
worked at 220 North Second street. the
house of fame referred to by Phelps and
kept by Pearl Armstrong. The witness was
collecting monthly fines from those places
and during his trips on that business saw
Smothers. There were no additional facts
brought out in the cross-eXamination, but
on the redirect examination Mr.. Nc.
Namara said he saw Smothers carrying
beer to patrons in Pearl Armstrong; place
William Rogers, a colored bartender
who works in the saloon kept by the
colored man Phelps, was called but the
prosecution objected to the questions which
were being asked and that there had beer
no previous foundation laid for tbs fur
ther impeachment of Smothers.
The objection was sustained; then TIL
defense asked Rogers to step aside for
moment, and called Joe Smothers for fur
ther cross-examination. Smothers wa
asked If he had said to Rogers that h,
would get $1,000 for testifying in the Collins
case. He said No"
Mr.. Rogers was then recalled.
Did you hear conversation betweel
Joe Smothers and the Singleton boy il
Phelps barber shop?"
Yes"
"was Smothers there?"
Yes"