The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-13
Attempt to Remove Him
From State.
Chief Witness for State In M0li-
neux Case.

New York, April 12.-The attempt to
in the Molineaux case. from the juri1ic-
tion of the state was frustrated by the
authorities today. Incidentally q daring
conspiracy was discovered and A. s. Coll
var, Jr. a lawyer of Nashville, Tenn, is
a prisoner. He is charged with conspiring
to have Hickman extradited to defeat
the ends Of justice in the prosecution of
Molineux. Hickman is the man who
testified that Molineux had rented a let
ter box from him under the name of Bar
net some weeks before the poisoning Of
Mrs. Kate ]. Adams.
Some days ago, the authorities were
were Informed that requisition papers
would soon be sent here for the extra
dition of Hickman who. 1t was asserted,
was Z. e. Raymond, alias Williams. alias
Hickman, an escaped convict from the
Tennessee penitentiary. A woman known
as Blanche e. Graham, and whose real
name Is said to be Ida Cole, Is alleged to
have been coached to swear that she knew
Hickman, aud that under the name of
Raymond he served two years in the
penitentiary of that state.
The case has progressed so far that
Lawyer Colyar aud Captain Casteen OF
Nashville had come to New York to take
Hickman back with them. The papers
had already passed through the hands of
both Governor Roosevelt and Gov. Mo-
MILAN of Tennessee, both of whom had
been deceived by perjured statements
When Col. Gardiner heard of the move to
get his principal witness in the Molineux
IN hn n Inx-o ti.raf Ion,
and as n result Lawyer Colyar was taken
| to police headquarters this morning, kept
under surveillancs all day and finally
looked up. Colyar made admissions ia
Captain McClusky confirming the Iatters'
suspicion that there was a conspiracy to
get Hickman out of the state. Habeas
corpus proceedings came mp before Justice
Iruax in the Supreme court this morning
with the object of obtaining the release of
Hickman and bringing out the details Of
the alleged conspiracy.
The evidence taken was quite lengthy
and finally Hickman in his own behalf
swors that..he had never been in Tennes-
see.
Justice Truax discharged Hickman
from custody. Colyar Will remain In the
custody of Captain MoCluskey until Dis
trict Attorney Osborne Is through with
him. Mr.. Osborne announced that he
would hold Colyar as a witness against
three persons In Tennessee who were con-
nected with the conspiracy.
-sBartow 5. Weeks, counsel for Roland
B. Molineux issued statement tonight
with reference to his connection with the
Hickman case. In his statement, Mr..
Weeks says: ''On March 2, 1899, A. S.
Colyar. Jr., an attorney at law at Ma sh-
Vile, Tenn, wrote me letter In which
he stated that he was surprised that
Nicholas A. Hickman was allowed to
testify for the reason that he had been
convicted in the State OF Tennessee and
offered to get me copy of the record OF
his conviction
Continuing Mr.. Weeks relates the cor
respondence he had with Colyar over the
latter's claim that lie ident titled Heck
man as Raymond. He also says that
Colyar's assertions were SO strong that i5
left no doubt in his mind chat Percy E.
Raymond was identical with Nicholas A.
| hickman.
| MIR. Weeks also tells OF Colyar's visit
here ani his positive identification of
Hickman AS Raymond; then of Colyar's
return to Tennessee and correspondence
| over the Issuance of indictment and
| Iequisition papers. Continuing MIR. Weeks
says that he learned of the Instructions
| from Gov. Roosevelt to withhold the ex-
ecution of the warrant and finally met
Colyar in Jersey City OH Tuesday night
After questioning him thoroughly MIR.
Weeks says he became convinced that Col.
var could not identify Hickman. He
then had Colyar go with him TO police
headquarters and from that on followes
the case 10 The hand.