The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-19
COLLINS is
BEING TRIED
FOR MURDEk
Accused Of Killing Nathan
Marshall Last July.
SON OF THE DEAD MAN
Is the First Witness to Tell of
the Story of=the Tragedy.

Oklahoma City, Q. T, Feb. Is.-Au IN,
morning yesterday was devoted by tn,
district court to the selection of a jur,
Tor the trial of William o. Collins on the
charge of numbering Nathan F.. Marshal
In Cass township on the 21st day of July
1902. The jury was not completed. in fact
until about o clock in the afternoon.
The court room was crowded during the
entire day owing to the fact that the
crime has created considerable feeling in
the nefghborhood where committed.
The widow and little son of the murder.
ed man attracted much attention when
they entered the court room and took
seats Immediately back of County Attor-
ney Ramer.
At o'clock. the jury having been Sc
lected, County Attorney Rarner read the
indictment against the defendant w. O.
Collins, charging him with the murder of
| Nathan F. Marshall in July last. and stat
eo that Collins had plead not guilty to
the Indictment
| Elsie Marshall, the u-year-old sen of
the murdered man, was the first witness
| introduced by the territory He had gone
| to the field where his father was working
on the morning of July u. 19O-. The field
was located south OF their home and be-
yond the Collins place. His story as de-
! veloped by questions from Mr.. Ramer
was as follows:
AS We were coming by Collins place
at noon time on the way home Collins
was sitting out in front of his house
leaning against a tree ard his four boys
were with him. When wegot a little
past the house Collins went into the house
and got his shotgun and came out and
ran some distance and motioned to papa
| (witness here giving a beckoning motion
with his hand) to stop. Then he came to
a post, held up his gun and shot He
shot at once. Papa fell over in the front
| part of the wagon, where Collins shot
| him. l jumped out of the wagon and ran
| to our house. There was nothing said by
either father or Collins as we passed the
Collins house. Collins just motioned and
| said nothing. 1 did not look to see what
Mr.. Collins did after firing the first shot.
The wagon did not stop at any time while
We were driving by there. Papa made no
| motion before being shot; he was just
| driving. He had just turned around a lit
| tie to the left in his seat. Collins was be-
| hind and a little to the left of the wagon
/! when he shot. Papa was sitting up
straight in the wagon and had turned
little bit to the left. Father did nothing
| when Collins motioned; just drove right
along.
Colonel ]. w. Johnson, attorney for the
defendant here cross-examined the wit
| ness and while putting his questions In
| the tenderest tones. the examination was
so close and severe that Judge Burwell
was compelled to interfere. ard in reply
to Colonel Johnson's remonstrance said
the child was of tender years and it was
! his duty to protect him. Under the cross
examination the boy said:
Il was II in November last. The field
was beyond Collins house from where we
lived. 1t was early in the morning when
papa went to the field. which is one and
quarter miles from where we live The
big road runs north and south Our
house is on the east side and Collins lives
on the west side. Collins house is about
fifty feet from the road. When papa
went to the field that morning he was
accompanied by Mr.. Street. l did not
go down with them. / went to the field
at about . or 10 o'clock, riding on a pony
and stayed there until father came back.
He had n two-horse wagon and l rode
with him as ..e went home. There was a
bed on the wagon and spring seat, with
back and ends Father and l were rid
ing in the seat as we went past the Collins
place. We had got past the we'll a little
-. cid hav
I first saw Collins he was out south OF
the house and we were coming down the
hill He was sitting in a chair. / don't
know whether papa saw him or not. Just
as We got a little bit past the house l
saw him go into the house and come out
with a gun .-e went into the house from
the south side. He had a shotgun in his
hand The horses were walking as We
drove by AS Mr.. Collins came out he was
holding the shotgun in his right hand.
ter he passed the well he motioned TO
papa l watched him al the time after
saw him with the gun. He walked as far
as the well and then ran to a post in tn
fence. He rested the gun against the
rost and shot. When he shot was
about thirty feet from tae wagon ] told
rapa once that Mr.. Collins was coming.
Pa said Just let him come and he turn
Ced around TO look and Mr.. Collins
shot
Colonel Johnson asked the boy IL Collins
was not standing at the well when his
fath.r drove up: whether Collins had re-
ouested Marshall not 10 travel the side
road: whether Marshall had told him TO
GO to he'll: whether Marshall had not
stopped to pick up gun. saying. Go ia
hell. Cd d-n you ard whether the Col
lins boys were not near their father whore
they could see the shooting.
To all of these questions the boy
prou,otlv answered in the negative and
AT no time was his testimony al all tan
eied. II al had the tenor Of truth
Mrs. Georgia Marshall. the widow of
the murdered man. was next called 20 the
stand She e q young and quite eonely.
with rather q strong face She said that
at the time OF the shooting she had just
taken her baby IN her arms saving. We
VII go and meet papa. vhen she heard
the eatsl shot and the7 El=ie scream
Running out 70 the road. she lcc<ed into
the wagon as the hcrses arrived and saF
Mr. Marshall iying doubled NJ between
the seat and the dashboard with the rtfns
e-ssped tightly IN his Hfeiess hands She
removed The lines with some oiffscSity
and said her husband s hands were never
st-aishtenAd IN response 20 Colonel
TosuScr-s = query Mrs Marshall Satd there
ua< M Ez7 IN tfse wagon at that tire
She also r-<rsaesa tfAt she krs- b th-
-e-,e-t OF tie zu- where 8. vas Fre-
e,,s,.,v - herself ard husband wuui1 -