The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-19
ABOUT THE COLLINS FAMILY
Early History of J. S. Collins Was
Somewhat Romantic.

TFrom Sundays Kansas City Start
There was romance and mystery in
the Collins family long before the son,
John Henry Collins, was suspected of
having murdered the father. Johns
father, James S. Collins, was a hostler
for a Topeka doctor and was working
for his board; Johns mother, Miss
Simpson, was a waitress in a boarding
house when they met for the first time.
Johns father was then engaged to
marry another woman and Johns
mother was engaged to marry another
man, but three days after the first meet
ing the hOStler and waitress were mar
ried. They lived in the utmost poverty,
she sewing to help support the family.
Then John and his sister Grace were
born. Six years after the marriage
Mrs. Collins died, and there was so
much suspicion that she had commit
ted suicide that there was talk after
the funeral of having the body eXhumed
for a post mortem examination. Five
months after the death of his first wife
Mr.. Collins married Mrs. Meade, a
widow with two children. She is the
present Mrs. Collins.
Collins Start in Topeka.
James S. Collins was born in Water
town, n. Y. His father moved to Potta-
WatOmie county, Kansas, when James
was a boy. In 1871 James S. Collins,
who was then 19 or 20 years of age,
came to Topeka and worked for DR..
Martin as a hOstler doing chores for
his board His next job was backing
stoves in the Wilcox hardware store.
This was in 1872. Then he tried house
painting and later was on the police
force a few months. He went to work
next as a butcher for William Maxwell.
He went to a little slaughter house, still
standing in the suburbs of Topeka, each
afternoon at 3 o'clock and butchered
the sheep and hogs and beeves for the
next days sales. His next place was
with George B. Palmer, an undertaken,
and he worked for him off and on for
six years.
In 1876 Collins was boarding at the
old Capitol hotel, known now as the
StOrmOnt building. He was engaged to
marry a young woman in POttawatOmie
county, but one day girl waitress
came to work at the boarding house
and Collins fel1~in love with her This
young woman was from Vermont. Col
Inns proposed marriage to her the sec
Ond day after he met her. She was en-
gagged to another man, but the next day
they were married in the office of the
hotel People in Topeka who knew
Mrs. Collins well say that her diSpOsi-
ton was sweet and amiable, but she
had much to worry her in the years
of her married life. They were very
poor. Mr.. Collins worked for Under
takeT Palmer and his wages were small
Mrs. Collins sewed in the family of Mr.
Palmer and in other families and helped
her husband save a. little money.
In 1877 Deacon Swallow started in the
real estate business in Topeka and gave
Collins an interest in it. Collins was
the outside man. He is remembered as
a most energetic hustler His part of
the business was 10 take buyers around
and show their property. Mrs. Collins
worked night and day. She was an
ambitious woman Her poverty and
hard work made her morose and gloomy
during the last year of her life. She
died February II, 1882, and the entry
of her death in the books of Mr. Palmer,
the undertaken, shows that she died of
congestion of the bowels. But there
was much talk of suicide.
His Second Wife as Housekeeper.
A day or two after the funeral Mr..