The Red Cloud chief., 1899-03-31
COLLINS READS HIS OWN PLEA
vinaI statement OF the Topeka Boy He
fore His sentence.

father, John S. Collins, this morning.
Collins was game to the end, and when
the court asked him IL he had any.
thing to say why death should not be
passed he delivered himself OF n re-
markable protest, in part as follows:
MAY it please the court, | under
stood that this sentence was not to be
pronounced until this afternoon, and
for that reason | am not so we'll pre-.
pared as | might have been on what l
have to say upon this subject. Ihave,
however, a few things to say in my
W behalf, and have committed them
to paper so that there may be no con
troversy hereafter as to what l
said at this time. / am aware that
nothing | can say will prevent sem
tencc being passed upon me, but / de-
sire to say some things in my W be-
half at this time. / do not come here
rs a criminal, but l coma here as an
innocent man protesting against the
commission Of a great injustice"
Uttering this, Collins looked straight
into the eye Of the court in calm dc.
fiance and then slowly about him, and,
with a sigh, resumed:
81 feel, although my situation is
very unpleasant, that / have some
things to be thankful for. | have hosts
Of friends among the respectable peo-
pie OF this community, and | feel that
| ought to be thankful for them. ]
also feel thankful that | am not as
some other men are; for l had rather
have my past and my present and my
future than that of some of my ac-
cusers.
II submit, in the first place, that !
am the victim Of a series Of circum.
stances, or strange condolences,
somewhat remarkable, perhaps, but
not unusual. The history of circum.
stantial evidence will show many
stranger cases than this of men being
punished for crimes they never COM
mitted.
O"In the second place, | am also the
victim Of a morbid public sentiment.
Your Honor knows as well as | do the
stand that has been taken against me
by the newspapers of this community.
Newspapers are mighty moulders OF
public sentiment and %juries and some.
times courts are influenced by them.
l need not discuss tho sentence you
are about to pronounce"
In his reference to the newspapers
and their attitude toward him there
was n tone of rage in his voice. Con-
tinuing. he said:
I'm the next place. l am at this time
IS firmly as ever Of the opinion that I
should have had a new trial: that l
did not have a fair trial in this case.
l believe now, as | have always be-
lievcd, that the evidence in this case
does not justify the verdict which was
returned against me.
I'm the third place, l know that
am not guilty of the offense charged
against me-"
This was uttered without any -four.
ish, but In the calm tones of n man
conscious Of his own innocence, re.
gardless of the verdict of the jury, the
Judgment of court or clamor Of the
public.
Having laid his premises, Collins
proceeded briefly, but logically, to
state MS argument.
II have very little to say about the
first two of these propositions. But
! submit that no man should be con
victed of any crime or any al
legged crime upon circumstantial
evidence and nothing but circum,
stantial evidence, when the principal
witnesses against him are notorious
hraa lore nj tho laXu md urhap A,t
denco agar st him has been prepat ed
by a a who is known to be an un'
mitigated liar and unworthy of belief
But as to my being innocent, i know
that | am innocent; 1 know that ! die
not kill my father.
~ never conspircd with johnson
Jordan or any other person to have
him killed. l had no reason to desire
his death and did not desire his death
wish, lift were possible, that he nigh
come back here to-day from beyond
the grave, and be before you, SO yo,
might learn from him that / am moi
guilty. l would, II it would avail
anything, call upon Almighty Goi t,
: read my heart to-day and show you
that l am an innocent man.
But standing here as l do, l hav,
no fear concerning my past, my pres
ent or my future. We have not giver
, up the fight by a long sight, do no
feel hat | shall be in the penitentiary
very long.
II feel that there will come a da'
u when all the mystery OF this cass will
be cleared away; when it will b
known who killed James =. Collins
and that had no hand in that crime
when the guilty man will be brough
" to justice; when the constanc
Of my mother and sister and friend
will be understood, and when You
. Honor shall feel that when you passe,
r sentence upon John Collins you did
great injustice, for, as | am to b
judged by Almighty God, l swear tina
n ! am an innocent man"
Q Many were In tears through tn
l. prisoners plea. Collins himself wa
l. able to gulp down any emotion h
a may have felt.