The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-16
WILL ACT.
Young John Collins, Son OF >.
s. Collins,
Will Be Placed Under Arrest
Pending Examination
INTO BLOODY MYSTERY
Grave Suspicious Which 1t is
Hoped Are UnfOunded.
But the Authorities Will Run
No Chances.
INTO BLOODY MYSTERY

John Collins must prepare TO ueIeAu
himself from the grave suspicious that
lead to a belief that he may be guilty
of the terrible deed of killing his own
father, the late J. S. Collins, who died
by unknown hands in his own home in
this city Friday morning last.
1t is a dreadful thing to even think
that young Collins killed his father and
yet the suspicious are many and strong,
however unfounded in point they may
prove to be in the future.
The thought that the son may be
guilty is on every ones tongue to the
point of utterance.
In the annals of crime there are rec
ords of many cases where circumstan-
tial evidence has been far stronger
than it is in this case and yet the sus-
pected person was proven not guilty.
No tangible clue or evidence is believ-
ed to exist at this time pointing to any
one except the son and yet he may be
innocent.
John Collins must accept the unfortu-
nate situation and chain of circum-
stantiaI evidence which puts him on the
defensive and prepare himself accord
ingly.
A warrant is already in the hands
of the authorities and the arrest of
John C. Collins will be made within a
few hours.
Sheriff Cook and County Attorney
Jetmore had a conference today at the
court house when the facts were gone
over and the various clues discussed.
While the evidence is circumstantial
Chief of Police Steele says he is con-
fident that he has enough to secure
conviction. This is the string of evil
dence as unearthed by Journal report
ers, Sheriff Cook and Chief of Police
Steele and his force.
John c. Collins lived beyond his
means in Lawrence.
He borrowed money in Topeka and at
Lawrence without the knowledge of his
father.
He thought that his father did not
treat him as a young man should be
treated by a well-to-d do father and
chafed under the restraint
One of the revoIvers that was taken
from under the pillow of the bed occu-
pied by Mr.. and Mrs. Collins was found
hidden in a closet in an upper bed
room.
The missing gun case has not been
found. It would not have been carried
off by a burglar.
No doors or windows in the house
We're left open.
A burglar would have escaped by the
nearest way after committing the hor-
rible crime. Every door down stairs
was locked and the front and side en-
trance doors were found double locked
after the murder.
Every detectice who has visited the
scene of the murder, gave but one opin-
ion: That the murder was committed
by some one familiar with the house
and habits of the family.
The officers used every possible means
to discover evidence that the murder
had been done by an intruder. but not
a bit of evidence was found in support
of that theory that would stand close
scrutiny.
The missing revolvers indicated that
the. murder had been planned and that
they had been taken away to prevent
them being used when the assault was
made.
who would have let down the fold
ing bed and removed these revoIvers in
advance?''
The energy of every officer was di-
rected toward securing these weapons.
The house was twise searched and moth
ing found. The yard and barn were
overhauled, and they could not be
found. But Saturday afternoon Chief
house for the third or fourth time. In
the closet of the west bed room he took
down a comforter, and when he started
to unfold it, one of the missing revoI-
NCAS OIoppeO Oul 1hlS Is the revolver
that belonged to Mrs. Collins.
Chief Steele says that he searched the
same closet before, but did not find the
revolver, and he thinks it was put there
after he made the first search. 1t is not
probable that a burglar would have
stopped on his way out of the house to
have hidden the revolver in closet 1t
is possible that the revolver might
have been put where it was found by
some member of the family before the
shooting, who had no evil intention, but
no one remembers that the weapon was
ever removed from the bed.
Sheriff Cook, accompanied by a Jour
nal reporter, went to Lawrence Satur-
day. 1t had been rumored that John
Collins led a fast life and had borrowed
large sums of money.
1t was found that this report was on
ly partially true. His schoolmates spea k
In the highest terms of him and it could
not be found that he ever drank to ex-
cess or gam bled.
But he had borrowed money. The
watkins bank holds his note for $50
Elghed by young Mr.. Collins and Samuel
Osher, a prominent society man as sur