The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-23

in the house and ask where was his son,
had killed James Collins must have been
boTribIe cTfI71e Of ltiIIins his father What
did he do? He went Immediately to the
for the telegram that had been sent there
a few minutes before addressed to Miss
he got that telegram he wrote to the
words Father is dead the words Tell
That afternoon he wrote to Miss Bah
cock and in that letter he said: The man
dastardIy. He. arranged things SO that
suspicion would fall on the only. other
man in the house, myself. And further
along: Il think our greatest sorrow is
yet to come What did he mean by that
! sentence2 Gentlemen, John Collins knew
that under the circumstances he would
| have to stand trial for the murder OF his
murder Of his father, and he had planned
moment the crime was committed.
Unearthing johnson Jordan.
1.-Two or three or four days after the
murder Sheriff Cook got a pointer. He
heard that a cOlored man named JOr-
dan had John Collins watch and chain.
He started to look up Jordan and on
the 9Th day of June, 1898, Johnson JOr-
dan was arrested in Newton. They told
him that they wanted the Collins watch
and chain and ne told them where they
could get it Dell Harbaugh went out
to get it and while he was gone johnson
/ Jordan dictated a statement. He was
| brought that day to Topeka and as soon
| as he reached here he was confronted
| by John Collins. What did John Collins
do? He said he didn't know him. If
| it was only gambling deal he was
/ mixed up in with Jordan why did he say
he did not know him? Why didn't he
/ say, Yes, that's the man gave my
watch and chain to gamble WITH? He
/ didn't say it, gentlemen, because it
\ wasn't so and because when he talks of
/ a gambling scheme he lies.
| Jess Harper was then brought up
I from lawrence and he was taken before
1 Justice McClintock and made a state
ment that COrrObOrated the statement
made by johnson Jordan. And then he
/ was brought down to the county Jail
/ and he was confronted by John Collins.
| And then what did John Collins do? He
| said to Sheriff Cook, That is another
man I don't know Gentlemen, this
| was another lie.
This was the beginning of the end
After the arrest of these negroes the
officers started out to verify their state
ments. And right now 1 want to say
| that I don't claim Johnson Jordan is an
angel He is a thug and a gambler.
| Jess Harper is a thug. If they weren't
these kind of men John Collins would
I him a sucker; they played him for a
sucker. But they wouldn't carry out
his plans, they would not harm a hair
/ of the head of his father.
John Collins has told his wonderful
| story Of gambling on this witness stand.
| Gentlemen of the jury, this story was
/ made up since this case started. The
| defense saw that the states chain Of
| evidence could absolutely not be broken,
/ and this story was the result. They
saw that our evidence was so strong
| they couldn't break it down, and then
| they put John Collins on the stand to
say that he did these things, that he
| knew these negroes, that he lied to his
| friends and to Miss Frances Babcockl
but he said it was simply a gambling
deal I was in. And he was asked why
had he lied, and he said, oh, I did this
to save my pride If John Collins
would lie to save his pride, what
wouldn't he do to save himself from the
penitentiary? I was going to say to
save his neck, but in Kansas we don't
do any hanging.
''All the way through this case John
son Jordan is corroborated by Miss