The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-08
By Miss BabeOck, Whose Story
is of Thrilling Interest.
Collins Told Her Frequently of
Impending
PERIL TO HIS FATHER
The Usual Scenes of Turmoil on
Opening Court.
Doors Broken Down by the
Wild Mob.

Today Miss Frances Babcock, whose
advent has been awaited by the spec
tators at the Collins trial for many
days, appeared on the witness stand
Humanity in all its phases crowded
the corridors of the court house an
hour before the district court room was
opened.
The hall adjoining the court room on
the second floor was packed. The two
flights of stairs leading up from the
first floor were impossible with human
beings. On the first floor scores of less
fortunate spectators paced up and down
the stone floor jmpatiently waiting the
opportunity to make their way to the
court room above.
The hall leading directly to the bal
cony of the court room on the third
floor was as packed with humanity as
the hall below.
The crowd of spectators had been
gathering practically from daylight.
The first to arrive was a man and his
wife from the country. They had been
on the road in the piercing morning air
since o'clock
Shortly before o'clock Bailiff Coyne,
by sheer force. made his way through
the jam on the stairs and in the hall. It
was o'clock when he opened the court
room door. simultaneously the door of
the balcony was opened by an assist
ant.
It was the signal for the most des-
perate rush for seats that has been
made any day since the trial of John
Henry Collins commenced. The bailiffs
attempted to force the crowd to file in
one at a time. They might as well have
whistled to stay a storm.
Past them surged the excited stream
Of curious spectators with a mighty
rush that found impetus in the crowd in
the halls outside. Men and women, old
and young, black and white, in every
manner of attire imaginable, pushed
and showed in a mad endeavor to go
through the court room door. Weak
women were dragged back by strong
men, hats were lost, clothing torn and
now and then a cry of pain would tell
Of some one being trampled upon.
For five minutes pandemonium reign
ed The bailiffs were powerIess to stop
the awful crush. The stream of hu-
manity swept into the court room and
the balcony, and at the end of five min
utes both were packed.
In the balcony men and women drop
ped to the floor of the balcony along
the front railing and were literally
walked over by those who sought to
secure seats in the front row. On the
court room floor only the seats inside
the railing were occupied. The hun
dreds of people at the rear of the rail-
ing remained standing.
A Climax of Interest.
When Miss Frances Babcock. the
Lawrence society girl with whom John
Collins was in love. took the witness
stand in the district court room at 10
o'clock this morning, a hush of expect
ancy fell over the dense pack of hu-
mantty as her name was called. It was
succeeded moment later by a radiat-
ing murmur, increasing in volume as it
spread through the crowd of spectatOrs
which sounded like a great. .subdued ex-
ctamatlon, as she stepped through the
ooor and mounted the steps of the wit
ness stand
1t as a moment Of most in+ansa in
terest. The murmur in the court room
slowly died away, and it was followed
by dead silence as she took her seat
IN Ihe chaT. The spectators fairly held
their breath.
Frances Babcock is an ideal society
beauty of the delicate type. Her fea-
lures are full rounded and pretty ans
her complexion a faint rose pink. She
was handsomely dressed in a grav s11it-
ing trimmed in brown and attractively
made. A hat of the same material was
worn low on her forehead.
AS Miss BabcOck made her way to
the witness chair, she looked straight
ahead with a somewhat constrained ex-
preston. When she seated herself her
eyes rested on the face of County At
torney Jetmore. Not once did she look
IN the direction of John Collins.
me defendants gaze was centered
upon her. When the prosecuting attor-
ney pronounced her name he had set
tied himself deeper in his chair until
MS form was almost hid by those of his
attorneys and his lips parted for some
thing that sounded like a sigh. AS she
came in the door of the court room he
slowly raised his eyes until thew rested
on her countenance. and soTnefhing
there seemed to hold his gaze. From
his half-hidden position he continued to
watch her face intently as she testified.
= Mrs. Collins gaze followed that of
her son. She sat bolt upright IN her
chair and with lips closely set and
clasped hands bent her eyes earnestly
on the face Of the witness. Grace Col.
4nn alone seemed not to be fascinated