Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-12-10
is JORDAN TO BE ACCUSED?
AN INTIMATION THAT HE Is NOT YET
OUT OF TROUBLE.
John Collins Side of the Famous Case
10 BE Told TO the Jury To-day
State Announces Ii Has
Virtually Completed
It's Case.


John Collins defense be? The public viii
learn tomorrow.
Ever since the arrest of the young man
on the charge of parricide. neither he nor
his relatives attorneys have intimated
what the defense would be. John was en-
Joined to keep still soon after his arrest
He showed signs for the first few days OF
paddock on his mouth and it has been there
up until the present. The Collins family
lave also SHE'D at newspaper men and re-
fused to discuss Johns connection with the
murder.
Il am innocent" is all John has said.
He is innocent his attorneys always
said.
family In echo.
And this is the sum and substance of all
that the defense has said about the case.
Tomorrow John Collins side Of the awful
story will be told to the jury. Then will
come his witnesses to substantiate it. 1t
will take week to take their evidence.
Having been kept such a profound secret
for the past five or six months. the story
of Collins side OF the case will be intensely
fnteresting-probably far more so than the
evidence given at this trial by johnson
Jordan and Jesse Harper, for the reason
that their testimony was given before, at
the preliminary
The statement of the defense will not be
the only sensation at to-morrow's session
of court. Johnson Jordan has been ordered
back for cross-examination on a point that
it is said. will create big stir. Just what
it is is not known to anybody except the
attorneys for the defendant and John Col
lins himself.
VIII the defense advance the theory that
johnson Jordan killed ]. s. Collins?
One of the attorneys intimated as much
tonight. He would not say positively be-
cause. as he put ii, ''the state has not yet
rested absolutely. and We do not care &c
give them any pointers as to what we
have up our sleeves But everything indi-
Gates that Jordan is to be accused The
defense was very desirous this afternoon
that Jordan be kept around where it could
get at him The state says it can establish
an alibi for Jordan in case he is accused.
They claim he was at Emporia the night
of the murder.
Attorney GODDARD will make the opening
statement for the defense It will take him
two hours, and he will go into minute de-
tails.
At o'clock this afternoon County Attor-
ney Jetmore announced that the state had
practically completed its case; he had sent
TO Lawrence for witness that would tes-
tify on some minor points, and that the
witness would not be here until morning
Attorney Hayden asked that Johnson Jor-
dan be placed on the stand again for cross
examination.
The sheriff could not find Jordan. He
was not around the court house. The de-
Tense tEen announced that 1t wanted to
question him a few minutes longer before
the state rested Judge Hazen said that
could be done in the morning.
Attorney Hayden then filed n motion COM
pelling the state TO elect which theory q
was trying the case on-either that John
Collins fired the shots himself, or that
someone fired them and that he was an ac-
complice.
1--WE will elect TO stand on the theory that
John Collins fired the shots himself" said
Assistant Prosecutor Stafford
Then you confess Judgment on the mo-
ton TO that effect" asked the court.
I'VE do" replied Stafford.
Stafford afterward explained to the news
paper men 1t would not be absolutely nee
essary TO prove that John actually pulled
the trigger. If he was in the room when
the trigger was pulled, even though il was
pulled by another man. he is just as guilty.
He is not an accomplice in that sense. hut
Is the murderer along with the other fell
low.
Interest in the Collins case. which has
been at fever heat for a week. seems
TO have slackened after the appearance
of Miss Frances Babcock, the star feature
of the trial. Curiosity to see this young
woman turned the usually orderly crowd at
the courtroom into surging mob. This
morning there WAS no more than l01 people
present when court convened
Sheriff Cook. the first witness this morn
ing. being continuation of his examina-
tion from yesterday. told how John Collins
had come to him with Del Harbaush
who had. by a letter from Miss Babcock,
been introduced TO Collins and told the
sheriff that there was truth that he
Collins was married TO Miss Babcock. 'Ie
said that il was understood that if in the
fall things Were as pleasant as they Were
In the spring. he was 10 talk to Miss Bah
cocks mother about marrying her daugh-
ter" said the sheriff Continuing he said,
John told me that he had told Miss Bah
cock several stories about his father being
shadowed. bu: there was no truth in Them
He told me he did not know where mi,
watch and diamond were. and said that Ii,
had celebrated Dewey day at the Beta
house with his fathers revolver and ther
returned ii to him. John also denied thai
he had said that a bomb had been found il
his fathers office and that he John hat
put IL in the safe. He said he had gone Il
Kansas City TO see man about going ou
as advance agent of some show; .that Al,
didn't find him: that he bought a whit,
vest and drank two cocktails and Il glas:
of beer. then took 10 Lawrence a 25-cen
bottle of champagne. He afterwards tol,
me that he thought negro had gotten hi.
watch-taker 1t from him during 4 dis
turbance on Kansas avenue on the night o
Dewey day. He said. TOO. that if il VA,
found a negro had his watch and said h.
gave it 10 him it would be his word agains
that of the negro, as 10 the truth of tn,
matter"
The sheriff then told how John had said
they wanted 10 trade their home for :
smaller place. wanting some one TO assum.
the mortgage of $500. and that John said
his father owed about s.. Je0 John told
me his father was carrying heavy Ioat
and he would like very much 10 take tn,
burden from his father"
On the Sunday preceding the death of ]
$. Collins. Mr. Cook said John told hin
he came up to see about borrowing money
but decided not borrow il. He told M
he played poker one night and lost - and
then went TO bed. but afterwards he go
up. won the s. back and then quit tn,
game forever"
Did he say ANYTHING about the Telegram
sent 10 Miss Babcocky"
hat ha h