Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-22
HIM
WITH A HATPIN
Richard Higgins, Charged With
Causing Death of Mrs Thorn.
asson, Makes Statems Mt.
CORROB0RATED BY SISTER
Incident Recalls Murder or Detective
Who ShaGowed the Elder
Higgins.

Peoria, Oct 22-Richard Higgins.
held under arrest here for tnficting in
juries in an assault causing the death
of Mrs. Nellie ThomassOn. the LacOn
woman, whose mysterious end is the
sensation Of the hour here. makes the
following statement:
We have been trying for years to
break up the relations between my
father and this woman. When we got
that letter of hers making an appoint
ment with father. my sister and l went
down there to see if we could not make
some arrangements with her to break
their relationship. We met her in the
waiting room. l went up to her and
touched her on the shoulder.
Mrs. Thomasson. l believe said.
Woman Uses Hatpin.
She turned around quickly and
said:
80, it's you, is ito and drew out
her hatpin.
4 then pushed her sharply against
the side of the face and knocked her
over a chair.
My sister then pulled me away and
told ne that l would be arrested; that
we could not do anything with her.
That's all there was to il.
Higgins says that his family made
frequent efforts to break up the at
tachment between his father and Mrs.
ThOmasson, and had offered her large
sums of money to leave the country.
but she had always refused.
He declares that she frequently call
ed up the residence by telephone and
taunted them upon their failure TO
break off their relations.
sister COrrObOratcs Brother.
Miss Jessie Higgins corroborates
her brothers statement. She said:
4 had nothing 10 do with the affair
whatever. only as a witness. l saw
Mrs. Thomasson attack my brother
with a hatpin. and then he struck her
several times. I did not engage in the
scufie."
John G. Higgins. whose friendship
for Mrs. Higgins was the primary
cause Of her death. has lived with his
family at S23 First street for many
years. He is chairman Of the commit
tee on education of the county board.
Mrs. Thomasson has not lived with
her husband, J. w. ThomassOn, for
three years. and at the time of her
death did not know where he was To-
Gated. They were not divorced.
Case Recalls Detectives Murder.
Peculiar developments in connection
with the case are the circumstances of
the murder of Detective William f.
Murphy last June. It appears that on
the night he was killed Murphy was
shadowing the elder Higgins at the in
stance OF the members of the family.
He was called from this duty to inves-
tigate a burglary in Second street. At
9 o'clock that night he was killed.
On that night or the following one.
Richard Higgins says, Mrs. ThOmassOn
called UP the house by telephone and
said:
Murphy was a good friend of yours.
Well, He got what was coming to
him tonight. kierans "a fellow detec-
tive Of Murphy is your friend, too.
He will get his dues next
Case il widely Discussed.
The sensational features of the case
coupled with the fact that those inter
csted are prominent, are being widely
discussed. and the case threatens to
become a cause celebre.
\ formidable array of counsel has
already been engaged by the family 10
defend the young man. Frank Quinn.
chairman of the democratic state con
vention: J. \. We'll. and L. d. McCabc.
an uncle Of the young man, have been
retained by the members of the family
Mrs. Higgins is a wealthy woman in
her own right, and some years ago
decided large properties to her nus
band. They were married 80 years
ago.