Evening journal., 1903-03-19

would give some important Testimony,
and therefore there was much interest
when he took the stand.
Mr.. McCready saiil IL went TO the
house alone aarly on the day Of the MUIR
der Both Mr.. and Mrs. Collins attended |
my church on nearly every Ssuday that
we hold services. The church is a circuit
one with services every alternate Sab
bath. Elmer came out of the house on
N the porch and throwing his arms
about my neck, wept bitterly. Tears
coursed down from on mis- checks. said,
Poor boy, how did it happen? He ro-
plied i do not know, it Is so hard II
asked Kim how much money there had
been and he replied $50. Then / replied
is 1t possible that anyone could commit
such crime for the paltry sum Of thirty
dollars. Is there anyone with whom you
have had trouble, and he replied no. Any
stranger aboutl No, sir, he answered.
Collins added that he did not suppose
either himself or his wife had an enemy
Elmer and l walked into the house locked
arms. We entered the room where lay
the corpse Elmer drew the sheet from
the face of his wife and kissed her on thc
cheek. oh, llda, llda, what win l do
without YOU lifted the cloth from her
neck and the gaping wound siekencd ms
Her face was bruised and appeared sWol-
| len. Elmer, ! said, whoever did this was
very we'll acquainted with your wife. The
who who did this must have struck her
in the face with his first, and broken her
nose and after having thus beaten her
concluded that he had committed deed
which he could not conceal and then he
had decided to finish her. Little did
dream it of Elmer and DO not want 20
believe It now. Elmer at this statement
! sighed, but made no verbal reply. We
went 30 the porch and meet several per-
sons. / said dear boy, look at the blood
on your clothes. He replied: My poor
/ wiie's blood. can bear that for her
sake. / thought he got the blood in
bringing the body in OF that he might
have embraced her. He told me that his
wife had attended 10 the chickens. Hl
told me that he had taken the money out
of his own pocket where it was not safe
and had put it in the pockets of hon
dress fer safe keeping. lie said that heI
pocket when he found here, had beer
torn out and the money gone. Their,
were four bloody finger prints on the
doop post OF the stable. While we wer,
walking to the carriage house severa
J boys were running the chickens for tn,
b table. Collins joined in the chase, caught
e the chickens and chopped OF their heads
b / thought this strange. ] ehuddered al
e the marks on the post. We stood in
p group about the carriage house. Collins
= said the money was IN fiyeH and tens
y and he stood IN front of the carriar
4 house when he gave it 10 his wife,
o. The testimony about the money wa
> different from the statements Of Col
i Inns himself.
Mrs. Rachol ~ Kitchens saw tho ravrl
p, Ing on tho nail in the siii IN the stable
: She called Collins attention 20 81 and h
showed her blood stains on the door.
el Constable Testifies.
= Constable c.. L. PHILIPPE, OF Laurel. ali
Ia no heard Of the murder about 10 o'clock o
r Saturday morning. He sent for the stat
, detectives. In the afternoon he went
e. the Collins farm. II saw a crowd
,f men there. he said some OF them wei
II armed and wer0 walking around togethe
They looked as n they were scared an
= we're afraid TO get far apart. Late m n
4 AFTERNOON 7 saw Collins driving his co
n from The field. When he got close to M
a found he had blood on the front OF n
= overalls 1 said. Elmer you arc havlu
s trouble today Collins replied. 'Ye
i lsome. There were traces OF blood IN n
h stable. Mrs. Collins head was badly ba
/ ltered and lt looked as az her nose WI
6 lbroken. had a talk with Collins abo,
II his movements that day. He did not te
q me much. That night I saw DctoctiN
4 Francis In Laurel. We, with the unde
takor. Mr.. Rlggln. and Coroner Mars
10 went 70 the Collins farm and remains
n for about three hours. Mr.. Collins wei
10 up stairs with us and pointed out n
N bloody overals Detective Francis too
)t them. DIT. j. II. Chlpman was at q
It house and performed the autopsy on n
le body Saturday and Sunday the cor
le crib was locked. IT was opened on Mo
= day Some blood was found on the pa
tlt.on In the corncnb, n few Inches abol
u tho floor almost as large as his han
.y When I was there on Monday com co
,d cred the floor Six or eight days afte
10 wards / was there again and found
T. corn on the floor. one OF the boards WI
~ stained with blood"
lg Took May Rhoads From Theatre.