The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-01
oDII-F ". II Il-I--FIO-N,
AS he looked when he disappeared

The original suit was against the ltew
York Life company for $40 1000, the Mu-
tual Life of New York for $4,000 and
the Connecticut Mutual for $1,000 The
New York Life company settled after
the fifth trial; the Mutual Life settled
in August, 1901, nine months after a
verdict of $22,o6S had been rendered
against it in the sixth trial The Con-
neeucut Mutual company. carried the
verdict against it for ss1l.054sz which in
Guided interest on the original policy to
the United States supreme court and it
was there set aside.
This reversal left Mrs. Hillmon-Smith
liable for costs estimated at about $780,
and one that would hold good. 1t is
said that she accepted an offer to settle
the Connecticut Mutual agreeing to
take care of its own costs. On the 9TH
er hand, F. W. Hutchings, one of her
counsel, states that she received several
thousand dollars besides. When the set
tlcment was made Mrs. Hillmon-Smith
was in court surrounded by her attor-
neys, F. w Hutchings Of Kansas City,
J. H Atwood and L. Is. Wheat Mr.
Wheat was the only one of the original
attorneys who started on the case
quarter of a century ago. James Green
CT the law department of the Kansas
university represented the insurance
company.
IN COURT "a YEARS
The Eillmon case has been in the fed
eral courts "a years and before the SUI
preme bench twice. The latter. in Feb
ruary of this year, reversed and remand
ed the case to the Kansas district for
another trial Originally the suit was
against the New York Life for $4,000,
the Mutual Life of New York for S1o,-
COO and the Connecticut Mutual for So
coo. The Connecticut Mutual is the only
one of the defendants which would not
settle until now. The costs in the case
were about 100000
John w HillmOn lived near Tonga
noxie. Kan He worked on farms and
traded stock. frequently visiting Law
renee. While leading this kind of life
Hillmon formed the acquaintance of
Sallie E. Quinn, to whom he was mar
ried in October. 1873 Within the next
three months he, took out policies in the
New York Life for $4,000, Connecticut
Mutual Life for $4,000 and the Mutual
Life for $4,000. Levi Baldwin, cousin
of Mrs Hillmon. is said to have fur
nished the money to pay the first pre-
MUM, amounting to $500.
Soon after the contracts were closed
with the insurance companies and the
policies delivered Efillmon started for
southwestern Kansas. In March, 1879,
Hillmon left Wichita in company with
John w. Brown, a close friend of him
self and Baldwin. for a trip west. They
were going on a rambling trip On
March 81, while in camp at Crooked
creek. near Medicine Lodge, a man was
shot and killed. 1t was reported at the
time by Brown that it was Hillmon,
and that he was accidentally shot while
pulling a gun from the back of the
wagon. An inquest followed, the coro-
ner'S jury reported a verdict that Hill
mon was accidentally killed and the
body was buried.
About the time Baldwin and others
were preparing to fence in the grave
rived on the scene and demanded the
body. The agents of the insurance COM
panies said they had received informa-
ton that the body was not that of Hill
mon. but that of another man who had
been murdered by Hillnon and Brown,
and that a conspiracy was on to rob the
insurance companies of $4,000, the
amount of the three policies.
The body was disinterred and photo
graphed. This was followed by bring
ing the body to Lawrence, Kan. where
it was buried a second time. Within a
few days it was disinterred again and
photographed once more and another in
quest was held.
1t is charged by Mrs Hillmon that
the body was mutilated; that vaccina-
ton marks were cut out of the arm
and that he was disfgured in other
ways. A third inquest was held and the
body, then considerably decomposed,
was viewed by many Lawrence people
who knew Hillmon- Some swore it was
the body of Hillmon, while others were
positive it was not. dentist who had
filled one of Hillmon's teeth was
brought into the case, and according to
his diagram and statement the body
was that of another man. The testi-
mony OF this dentist has been one of