The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-25
YOUNG COLLINS CASE
Every Indication That He is Next
Thing to an Idiot.


Thing to an Idiot.
In regard to Collons' preliminary in To-
peka Dave Leahy say:
Collins has made all kinds of a fool OF
himself and the method he pursued Of Sc
curing the death of his father was so IN
sane in the conception of its details that
the theory of idiocy set up at this time
would hardly be disputed.
Not only Collins, but all the detectives,
policemen and newspaper men in Topeka,
ought to be convicted Of idiocy. Half the
negro sports in Topeka knew that John
son Jordan had Collins watch in his pos
session for month before he was ar
rested. His chain was in pawn shop.
Not les than a dozen men knew that
Collins and Jordan were talking about
securing a dynamite bomb. There was
no apparent effort made to conceal the
fact that Collins and Jordan were en-
gagged in a conspiracy of some character.
Nearly everybody in Lawrence knew that
Jesse Harper had Collins diamond pin
and that Collins had given Jordan SO 10
do dirty piece of work" And with all
that evidence floating about, James S.
Collins was dead nearly a month before
there was a single line of proof showing
that John II. Collins was in any way
guilty.
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE.
A summary of the evidence Of guilt
against John Collins is as follows:
He told Miss Babcock that his father
was in danger of assassination.
He told her that negro was shadow
ing him.
He told her that he was going to the
seashore this fall.
He told her that he had hired detectives
to protect his father.
He telegraphed her after the murder,
saying: Father is dead; say nothing"
He borrowed SO at a bank at Lawrence.
saying he would be well fixed soon.
He wrote a letter to Joe Smothers. ask
ing him to tell nothing about wanting to
hire Jesse Harper.
lie employed Jesse Harper to find him
a man who could do some dirty work if
he was well paid for it.
He gave Jesse Harper his diamond pin
for his services.
He gave him $75 to give Johnson Jordan
to do the dirty work.
He gave Jesse Harper money to pay his
way to Topeka to ask Jordan why he
hadn't done the dirty work.
He gave Jordan his watch in the pres
ence of witnesses to get a dynamite bomb.
He offered 3. Green s. if he would go
to the police station and pilfer a dynamite
bomb. which he supposed was there.
He made a statement to Sheriff Cook
over his own signature. saying he had his
watch and chain on the night of May 10,
when the fact was that a pawnbroker re-
ceived itfrom Johnson Jordan four days
before.
He wrote two letters to Jordan, asking
him why he had not killed his father.
He said tina this diamond pin had been
lost in the laundry, when he had given it
TO Jesse Harper, who pawned it long be-
fore.
He made sveral other statements that
fully corroborate the testimony of those
who accuse him of hiring them to muir
der his father.
COLLINS SHOWS ANXIETY.
Collins was very much interested in the
days proceedings. There was the look of
the unlucky samester, with the cards
running against him, on his face Beads
OF Precipitation stood on his brow. All the
cheerfulness he manifested the first two
days of the trial had vanished.
At times he seemed TO regard his des-
nerate situation from a philosophical
standpoint. He looked as if he would
break out at any time and say: well.
played my game. lost. fortune is against
me and it can't be helped played for
"A good stake-I put up my liberty, my
name and my ambition against fortune
and pretty girl and I lost"
The crowd in attendance was large.
and great interest was manifested. John
SON Jordan was on the stand ali day The
climax Of the proceedings was reached
when The letter quoted above was reached I
Notwiths,a landing the fact that it is as
good as proved that Collins killed his own
father. all sympathy has not beeen lost
TO HIM. There was not a person present
bat what oped tat te witnesses would be
caught perjuring themselves or that some |
thing else would happen 20 turn the tide
In the young mans favor.
People hate 10 think tia the killed his |
father. Kansas never had a criminal who /
got as fair a hearing as Collins did "
who has received fairer trial than he /
VIII receive. He IS bounded by nobody /
II h els sent 10 the penitentiary for life (
be Will have no reason 10 blame anybody /
5ut himself
There seems to be NUT one hope for him. /
HIS stepmother may so on the stand at
the trial as theoulyeye -wituess Of The /
murder and say that she saw tae man /
who fred the shot and TIA, it was nc, /
John.
JORDAN TAKES THE STAND.
johnson Jordan is our next witness"
said the prosecuting attorney. AZ 10 /
clock