Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-04-17


Z sturn From the Funeral of HIS Wife,
u XHTo Thousand People at the Cemetery
II Y n Sister of The Murdered Woman tainted
III dfial CORRESPONDENCE OF Gazette and Journal.
IN laurel, April Il. The murder of
III rs. Alma ID. Collins, the young wife OF
Elmer }. Collins, who was found dead
4 ina stable near this place Saturday, is
still q mystery. 1t appears that the
sioulT living creature that saw the
Y murder. except tho man who COM
mifted the crime, is II hen, which is
sf1H peacefully setting in box two
feeS from the spot where Mrs Collins
BODY was discovered by her husband.
Rhe news Of the murder spread
!. raHidly, and all day and far into the
ni&ht the house and yard were throngcd
With people. Yesterday the scene of
fhe Tragedy was visited by thousands.
I Insfact, the road to the house became
4 Blocked with vehicles and pedestrians.
\ ItHwas the most shocking murder in
1.-THE history of the county, and the
entire neighborhood has been engaged
In The search for the murderer.
The fences surrounding tho farm
have been torn down and great part
Y OF Them carried away as souvenirs.
n Aside from footprints which led from
A thefharn where the body was found,
and which are lost in nearby wood,
noNclue has been found, except that
two boys who were fishing in pond
near the house Saturday morning saw
man running through the woods
shprtly after the hour the crime was
coMlnltted. They say he wore II brown
coat white felt hat and light trousers.
III }eH ctlve Francis arrived in town
}A'atprday night and, with the coroner
,ad DIR. James Chapman, of George
#9Wn, made an investigation of tho
MrQnlises and the wounds. The de-
la3entiye was out at work on tho case all
}SEThe coroner selected the following
''Stify: r. Pierce Ellis foreman, Major
Wooten, Col G. W. Kenney, Hon.
T. fIlliam +. King. Laurence Riggin,
taeprge Orwell, John King, William
SF3ruitt, Ira Melvin, Charles Orwell,
Harry b. Jacobs and Ellwood Adams.
Hi lhe inquest was not held until 2
|EaN}'clock in the afternoon, so as TO give
hShe authorities time to produce wit
3xiHsses. The undertaking establish
3E$3nent of ex-Speaker Emory B. Riggin
SfAs used for the hearing. All of the
ssfternoon was taken up in hearing
|#1stimony.
|eElmer j. Collins, husband of tho
Wandered woman, told low he had
NAken the two little children in the
IXIield to work with him, and, his wife
lgi0t coming out when she had promised,
i$lS returned to the house. He found
NSaer in the stable with her throat cut,
il ~ whole back of her head crushed in
#Y1th an iron bar and her forehead
lx{Fuck in three places, evidently with
Ratchet the blade entering one
MI one-half inches into her skull.
Il Ahe other witnesses were Jacob FL.
III 1ollins, father of the husband James
I#N Collins. father of the murdered
Woman; Mrs. Harriet f. Henry, Mrs.
Ahry E. Smith, James II. Smith,
*3eorge W. Henry, S. p. Guslee and S,
sA Kitchens, all neighbors The testi-
n3bny of all agreed, except that of Mrs.
y harriet +. henry, who said Collins
RON to her house in an excited manner
und cried Someone has murdered my
#ife ~ The other witnesses claimed
fhat Collins told them his wife had
heen killed by horse
fX The coroner's jury rendered averdict
that Mrs. Alma d.. Collins came to her
aeath from injuries inflicted at the
faands OF IN unknown person.
4A1he mutilatcd body Of Mrs. Collins
was found in u stable by her husband,
lEShturday morning, at their farm near
lp'crtsville, two miles from Laurel. Col
Ems had gone to work in the field,
Making his two small children with
MIN. His wife was to join him later.
|iAs she did not appear Collins returned
70 the house, but she was not there.
alarmed he searched tho
9remises and found Mrs. Collins body
tia stable, with the throat cut from
Van to ear, and the head crushed. In
the carriage house Collins found
ratchet and an iron bar, covered with
blood.
IL physicians express the opinion that
|lthe woman was killed by blow with
3the bar and that the Ratchet was used
atosmutilate the body.
gfWhen Collins left his wife in the
she had in her possession
SAbout $50, which is missing. Desire
$fof the possession of this money is
Ssupposed to have been the incentive to
athe crime.
laurel, April Is. Elmer ]. Collins.
husband of Mrs. Aida Collins, who was
wandered in stable near here Satur-
1tny morning last, was arrested upon
8ljs arrival home last evening from the
&aneral by Detectives Francis and Rat
Xedge. The detectives did not attend
h& funeral, but remained at the place
1ttere the murder was committed.
zH3f zen Collins returned from the funeral
31le WAS met by the officers and arrested.
Is lhsy endeavored to get him away from
|#3le mousse without the family discover
81g ~, but in this they failed.
I#kInis county never saw larger nor
'Aaduer funeral than that of Mrs. Aida
&s5ollins, which took place at Mount
rleasant, little country church five
&zAiles from here, yesterday afternoon.
The hour for the funeral was o'clock,
snt before noon people from all parts
III the county began to drive through
8S|1asrel on their way to the church.
III ~ O'Clock more than 1000 people
Wed assembled in the church and the
urxpunding grove, many Of them hay
&nGl driven 80 miles TO attend. They
iexe talking in hushed whispers in
4mkA groups, trying to decide among
hnmselyes who was the guilty man or
1piaining the case to those from dis
lance.
AS the hour for the funeral came
near those who were still outside strug-
skled to got inside the church, or,
slpWded around tho door, to at least
~ glimpse of the casket as it was
zfled from the hearse to the church.
undertaker had difficulty in MAX
u&Foom for the remains and family to
pAAa inside. As the funeral procession
passed up the aisle the choir. to the
of the church organ,