The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-13

ness with his father when his school days
should De over.
las TO Johns life in Lawrence. we Will
show that his father allowed him IS
month In his first days at school this
sufficed for him. As time passed his or
Gle Of acquaintance became larger and
his needs greater and he spent more. lis
father knew OF this and told h-0 that
when his school year was over he would
try and raise the money 20 pay his debts.
Mr. Collins did not know the amounts
With Johns limited knowledge Of the
value OF money and his inexperienca n
the ways Of the world he incurred debts,
but the money was not spent in drunken
ness or Hcentious living, but fo- books.
confectionery, clothing. presents and llv-
cry rigs. AS time went on John saw him.
self getting deeper in debt and when he
came 70 pay the sums seemed very large
He did not know what 10 do or which
way 10 turn. He could not 20 10 his
father; he knew his father had TO money
with which TO pay. Then came the first
really strong temptation Jonn had ever
had in his life. He committed a moral
wrong which he should row regret He
had acquaintance among the negro sing
ers who used 10 come around the college,
and they posed as lucky gamblers.
John Henry Collins wsS led by Joe
Smothers 70 meet Jess Harper. and then
they sent for their pal Johnson Jordan.
and they induced him TO give them SIS
20 gamble with them on their promise
thar they would return him half the prof
its OF their winnings. These negroes led
John into a gambling game When he
tried 10 get his profits they buncoed him
and got his watch TO gamble more with
When ne realized that he had been duped.
swindled and robbed they got him deeper
than ever into their clutches. This made
John so sick that he had 10 come 70 To-
peka and consult his family physician
the day before his father was murdered.
He stayed home that night. and the next
morning was awakened by those fatal
shots and jumped out Of bed and ran out
and came face TO face with his sister.
Together they ran down stairs. We will
show by the evidence of Grace Collins that
she heard some one run through the hall.
Some one else was in the ollins home that
night and went down the hall and out
the window c.
John rushed downstairs and into the
bedroom. where his father lay bleed
ing. He rushed back upstairs and slipped
on his trousers and coat and ran across
and called the nearest doctor and tele-
phoned the police. He went back imme-
diately 70 his home He exhibited all the
emotion. affection and sorrow 10 be ex-
pected OF the mosI loving son over the
loss OF his father. His friends told him
10 brace UP, that he was now the head Of
the family, and he did brace up. We
will show that after this the thought
came 20 John about the loss Of his watch
II would have been better for him had ne
told the truth about the watch But he
was ashamed of it and he concealed the
facts.
There was no motive that could have
existed adequate 20 make John Kill his
father. There was no sufficient reason
for it, On the contrary. there was every
reason why he should want his father
10 live. He knew that his father had a
real estate deal under way that would
have made him s. 60 or $4,000 in commits
sion.
We will show that ~ morning OF the
murder three men were heard IN the alley
back Of the Collins house talking IN 4
suspicious manner. Early in that week
a negro had been seen 10 climb of the
coal house in the rear of that house end (
run away very early in the morning just
as it was getting light on the morn
ing of the murder a man was seen crEs-
ing this shed roof carrying something in
his hands that looked Ike n pair OF shoes
at or about o'clock in the morning. and
he went down of the coal shed and disap-
peareG in the alley. We will not attempt
10 point out this man. We will no. say
who held that gun. whether this uysteri-
Gus negro who had been shadCwing Mr..
Collins had at last succeeded in accom-
plishing his murderous purpose. or wheth-
er other parties had a stronger motive
to kill Mr.. Collins. But we do say 10
you that when we have laid all OF these
facts before you We Will expect that tes-
timOny Will convince you, as II has Us,
that John Henry Collins is absolutely in
nocent OF the crime with which he e /
charged. He never did and could not !
have conspired to the death OF MS /
father"