The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-07

tO'Dirl spencer WAS n prominent dttDrue,
in ST. Louis during the early seventies
and as a commissioner he was eXclnsivel
employed for five days in taking testimon
in the famous case. In which was involve'
a part Of HYDE Park. a suburb of Chicago
AT the time of the suit the land wa,
valued al $1,000. 1t Is nov estimated Ia h
Robinson had a patent on the land in dis
pute, which h" eavs AIR. I"seph Hoxie. hi
New York employer. in consideration o
500 in cash and of any loss which Mr.
HoXie may have inquired by an overdraf
of his employers account, and also in pay
ment of money advanced to pay the OK
penSes uf his trial.
Robinson used the 500 in fleeing from
part Of Mexico. where he changed his nam.
to Richard Pamlec. He became prpmin.n
in comfy affairs. and died while on a visit
to Louisville. Ky. in lN5i.
WILLED PATENT TO WIDOW.
Robinson willcd the patent to til" Illinois
land To- his widow, who had one daughter
After her husbands death she married &
man named Mckay.
The contention before the court was
whether Robinson's patent held by HoXie
ana released by his son as his heir tC
G"org. ". Hill. 4 lawyer Of Chicago. was
in the nature of Il security or an outright
conveyance
the highest legal acumen and the unScru-
puiGus behavior az a detective. who Ell
twiried himself i'll the good graces of Robin
I u = S.~t'l. fl4'l t''H sb'fE II HiiAi2b!r
umeut.
Il was brought into the case" Colonel
Spencer said, through Nj. Joseph p;
been my tutor at st. James, College. Wash
inston County. Maryland. a most excellent
! institution. by the way. which Is no longer
| in existence. Former Mavor I.atrobe, Nj.
Bernard Garter and other Marylanderl
since prominent were among the students
1 at the college
MIR Garrison WAS a brother OF Bishop
Clarkson of Nebraska. and a near relative
Of Bishop Potter of New York. He was
Il man of high and noble motives. and when
| h" discovered that 4 trick had been played
in the land suit he Withdrew from it.
Isubsequently he was a candidate for a
trick iii the suit. for which he was i'll ~
way responsible. lac WAS defeated. He met
a tragic end. nile opening 4 desk drawer
a pistol within was fired. the bullet Iene-
tratinS lis abdomen and causing instant
death.
The supposed trick in the case was put
mp by John + Roots. Il New York steam
boat captain. who acted as agent for the
MGKayS. the beneiiciaries OF Rohinson's
will. He employed Mr.. clarksOn to con-
duct the suit for them. -,
The plea which the McKays. through
their agent and attorney. set up was that
Robinson had not MADE a fun conveyance
of the property 10 Hoxie. but had only
transferred it to him as security. and,
therefore. that Rob;nson's title. or rather
that of his heirs. was still good for the
| land.
ROBINS1N'S r'Hv0TED SISTER.
There were only three parties fully cog
infant Of the facts of the transfer. These
ter. a Mrs. Emma Il. Still. Robinson was
dead. and HoXie had died soon after selling
the property to Hill.
voted sister of Robinson. c~linging 10 him
through all his troubles. was a c'airvoyant
and strollins. physician. She also claimed
"Woman's Rights" in this country taking
even tn. precedence of Susan b. anthony
or DIS. Elizabeth cady Stanton.
she was living separate though not di-
vorced from her second husband.
Roots had an Interview with Mrs. Still
after that the suit was instituted against
Mr.. Hill in Chicago. This suit dragged
along dnn. until n1 s'ehruafy. ISL; before much vas
Roots and Mrs. Still had another confer
ence at Albion. Mich. in the summer Of
ISL.
In the fall of that year she went to Chi
caSo, and was there weeks. during which
time clarkson CALLED upon her. and she also
toward taking her testimony.
Mrs. Still went To st. Louis soon after
and spent the winter OF 1928 there. living
on what she could sCrape together through
ter various occupations Of clairyoyant, doe
tresS and medium.
"FInaliy. near the close Of the winter. the
prosecution got power TO take the deposition
of Mrs. Still before a commissioner in ST.
Louis. This was done in my office. Hill
made a strong effort to have Mrs. stu!
Clarkson objected. claiming that She was
dclng such an extensive business that it
So Hill was Obliged to give in and content
M n'h1 ! With q rigid REORGANIZATION;
HILL WAS BAFFLED.
~ was occupied several days in taking
Mrs. Stilfs deposition. When Hill got
through he felt convinced. he said. that the
woman was concealing something and not
testifying TO the entire truth. hut still had
to declare that he could not break DOWN
her evidence.
In reply 10 his questions she said:
u have no interest In the subject matter
OF this SUI. nor have ] been m any
portion OF what may be recovered therein.
FOR my participation therein as a witness,
nor for the value Of the which
have furnished relative to the matter in
Throughout the entire examination Hill
was haff'ed. The woman clung to it that
OF the property. and that Hoxie only held
1t as security.
"She claimed that she was actuated only
tice done for her brothers widow.
On one point. however. both Mrs. StiI
ana ana ciarkson were touchy. Hill discovered
York City.
Tho witness and Clarkson BETRAYED un-
due anxiety to keep this daughters name
ana whereabouts out of sight. To all Of
the questions touching upon this point she
most emphatirally. Finally Hill
gave up his cross-eXamination In disgust
They took hold of the job rather einer-
". for 1t was calculated to call out the best |
Some preliminary observations led |
10 the discovery that Mrs. Still was in very |
circumstances. She was a wom- |
an of great experience. well educated and |
Did enough. e.. not to BIZ impressihle.
The chief of detectives looked the ground
over and then told Hill /, would be an al
most impossible task. and i; anything was \
lone time would be required.
Hill went hack TO Chicago, leaving the 1
matter in the hands of Chief Detective Har-
riean. Nothing mora was done for a short
Harrigan had among his staff a
to the public as Detective Stiles. |
who has made spiri:Uaiism a special study. |
VISITED A MEDIUMS HOUSE.
He was detailed to dance attendance
lpon the medium. He visited her house
rom time TO time, and gradually read her
led that he knew her well and was better
n the medium business than she was. She
vas In straitened circumstances. and these
stiles relieved.
NO ardent lover ever paid more assidrous
to his capricious beauty than
'Oung Stiles did to the medium. She was
I'D and wrinkIed. bony and haggard. But
hese characteristics were no obstacles.
stiles confidentialiy said that the only
accomplishments of the woman which stag
;ered him We're her habit of taking snuff
nd tendency toward catarrh.
However, the path of duty was straight
nd he made steady progress into the oil
Voman'S affections. Gradually she grew
onfdentiai and came TO trust fully in The
AT first she began to let out that she
lad doubts about CIarkson. She made uu-
illusions To him and Sites
ncOuraged her.
'FiuallV Sha GOT 50 far as 70 cug1eSf IN