Evening journal., 1902-04-19


Collins house about . o'clock in the even
ing. / had a talk with Collins that night
and again on Sunday. He told me that
he got up about o'clock on Saturday
morning. He said that first he cleaned
the manure out OF the hen house, fed his
stock and ate breakfast at G O'clock AT
z O'Clock he says that he took the chill
dren and went out TO the field to plant
some tomato seed. His wife, he said.
was not ready to 90 with him so he told
her TO bring the seed and money out TO
the field with her. After working half
an hour. and his wife did not come, he
said that he thought that she must have
a caller 50 he went to the house when
he found her dead body. He told me
that he picked her up in his arms and
kissed her. He then went over 10 Mr.
Henry's and gave the ALARM
Did you find the tomatoe seed OF the
moneyY asked Mr.. Ward.
NO. sir. ] asked him about the seed
and he told me that he did not know
where the seed was kept and that his
wife. always attended TO that part Of it. Y
Did you End any knife about the
placer
NO. sir ! asked him for his knife and
ne told me he hadn't one. asked him
what he had done with it and he told me
that he never had owned a knife
Did you search the houseT
Yes, sir; but found nothing
Did you go againT
! "Yes, sir, and got Mrs. Collins clothes
and the blood-stained clothing worn by
Collins on the day Of the murder
Bloody Clothing Of Collins
Here the detective unrolled one or TIVE
packages and displayed the Overalls
bearing a big blood stain ON the bib an'
leg. and blue calico shirt with a bloo'
stain on the right wrist band and sleeve
Next the iron bar was shown TO tn
court. Judge Spruance took both In
clothing and bar of iron aud examine'
them closely.
: Where did you get these clothesY
; asked Judge Spruance
~ got them. out OF a closet upstairs il
the Collins home"
How did you know that they wer
theref"
Mr. Collins told me where to fin
! them and went with me to get them
Were they concealedw
mo, sir. 1t was dirty clothes close
and they were in there with other piece
o to be washed"
, Mr.. White-"Mr. Collins explained a
the inquest that he got the blood upo
n him by picking up his wife's body an
pressing her to his breast, did he notY
u "Yes, sir"
John w. Henry was next called.
d Mr.. Henry, do you know Elmer Co
4 linsY'
. ''Yes, SIR"
did you ever see him have a knife
Yes, sir; during the February bll
zard / was over to his house and he ha
n bone-handle knife and was makiI
dominoes."
Conrad Gessler said that last Ma
s while he was working for Mr.. Collins,
g saw him with n bone-handle knife.
n Constable Cadmus l.. Phillips,
10 Laurel, said that Collins came to him {
1t Sunday night and said:
II am in trouble and l am as innOce
N as you are. 1t would ruin me to be a
rested"
N The arrest was not made until Mond
night
le Court Seemed to Disagree
at After a conference in which it looked
if Judges Boyce and Spruance were fl
'A"'A' ~ Int lAlooltA anu Until Huri
IT Lore against, the Attorney General a
Robert G. White were called TO {
? bench and consulted.
After this consultation, Chief just
N Lore informed the court that Elmer G.
lins should be released on $500 bail
Two Fathers as Bondsmen
lt There was some comment when it W
ID announced that Jacob and James ColliI
father and father-in-law of tho prison'
would go his bail.
G. When Collins went outside the rail-
in order TO get to the clerk Of the pea
to sign the bond, he was congratulate
pc on all sides by men and women. i
ae step-mother embraced him and shower
ia kisses upon his cheeks while many v
IL men shed tears.
su Collins stood the ordeal well. But
did not look at the blood stained iron b
le which had killed his wife.
He shook hands with Attorney Gene
CT Ward and thanked him for his courte
a and considerations
Hazel, the 5-year-old daughter Of c
ne lins, never has been questioned by I
~ detectives. Her relatives have refu.
Detective Francis request to let h
NE question her. She H. said to be so IN W
TO WhOOning cough that she cannot talk.