The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-16

thew a broom at her and hurt the side
of her head and blood poison set in and
she died and had Clara my wife TO write
to Mrs Dishman TO shield me-
JOHN CUMMINS.
On the back are two names: j. 5.
Younkin, L. S. Wolcott
The next confession was made two
weeks later and the edges of it are part
ly burned. The fact that there were two
confessions rather breaks into the theory
of the defense in one particular At the
last trial Cumfnins claimed that he only
wrote cut the confession to please her
and that it was understood that the old
est son was 10 keep it. Now she appears
with two of them made two weeks apart.
If, after making the first one which she
took and did not allow the boy TO keep,
as Cummins claims she agreed to. he
made another one, il would show that te
was not so very mad about her keeping
the first one instead Of letting the 10y
have il. The second confession is as fol-
lows:
l am writing this to say am the cause
of Anna Dishman death. never murdered
her. she made me mad and threw the
broom at her and it hurt the side OF ner
head and blood poison set in and she died
and buried her and then dug her bones
up and burnt them and Clara my wife
wrote those two letters to shield me !
asked her to write them for me.
JOHN CUMMINS.
The witness gave her age as 80. She
came 10 Kansas from Indiana ana mar
rjed John Cumins in Wellington. 10 years
ago. Her maiden name was Pingston
She is very nervous and hard TO manage
on the witness stand. but some of her
answers are very sharp and cutting
While Mr. Elliott was examining her
about the farm which Cummins put in
her name so that he could try to get
claim in the strip she turned TO Judge
Swarts and asked, whats that got TO
do with the murder of that girl. judge?'
She told how her husband hated Anna.
One time he packed his clothes IN
gunny sack and started TO leave the place
tie said: If you don't take that dam
thing home I'll leave She promised
to do so and he came back. She admit
ted to Elliott that she had often told
Cummins that he was a male offspring of
a female canine. and added vehemently
before she could be stopped, although
Jude Swarts and all of the attorneys of
the state were trying TO stop her, Yes,
and that dark compleXioned friend or
yours. referring to slim legs) I've called
him that, many a time, too
She told of Furnishing Annie at one time
by ducking her in the horse trough.
The girl feigned unconsciousness and
Mrs Cummins admitted she was fright
ened. but said the girl was shamming.
and had been put up to it by a black
sneak (Another reference to the imagi-
nary man.
She claims that John and the boys were
always on one side of every quarrel and
she and Annie on the other.
I'll o,o.- ctorta1 ~ question
her about her nemesis and the states
attorney objected. After a brief discus
sion with Judge Swarts. he decided that
the question was proper and Elliott asked
her TO describe slim Legs" She went at
il very savagely at first. but became very
nervous and excited and finally appealed
TO the court to avoid further discussion
Of this man who is such a terror 10 her.
She said he is a very slight man with slim
legs. a very dark skin and black eyes.
Said he was even darker than Mr.. Elliott
and something of his build. Said she
often called him black eyed devil"
slim legs" and "unprincipled scoun-
drel" Crowded by the attorney To tell
more about him. she turned excitedly to
the judge and said. appealingly; That
hasn't anything to DO with the killing
Of that girl"
Continuing. she said: 7 only know OF
having seen him twice. I haven't seen
him here. but ] know he Is around. And
the nalmost shouting: 1T can he proven
that he follows me around all OF the
time" She was getting very excited and
spoke in very loud voice Another ques-
ton was asked TO her on another line.
when she decided not 10 leave the sub
ject. "That fellow. (meaning Slim Legs
laid with her every night and nut II in
her head TO do ali these things. He hyp-
Noticed her.
She told of the ambition which seized
her a dozen years ago, when she persuad-
ed John TO sell some wheat and send her
TO Cincinnati to study for the operate