The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-06-10
, Tho Collins Murder Trlsl.


from 1899 to the time of his fatal illness.
When telling about Iras fatal illness,
Mrs. Collins broke down and wept. 1t
was some minutes before she could go
on. The witness admitted purchasing
rough on rats, but claimed she mixed
the entire box of the stuff with ground
feed in two pans which she placed in
the sheep shed. ,sa fpsf bu..
The defense had previously offered in
evidence receipts claimed to be in full
for the six summers that Leachman
worked for Mrs. Collins. The summer
season is seven months long from April
1 to Nov. 1, and during these months
Leachman was to receive $40 month
and board, while for the five winter
months he usually received lump sum
of about SEQ.
Mrs. Collins claims that the income
from her forty acres of improved land
supported herself, daughter and nephew,
paid Leachman and cleared a $500
mortgage from the farm since 1898.
| MORE EXPERTS BARRED.
The defense rested its case on Monday
morning, and the prosecution, in rebuff
tai, attempted to introduce medical
testimony to show that Ira Wright died
of poisoning, not typhoid fever. This
the court ruled out, fearing the jury
would convict Mrs. Collins of being
guilty of Leachman's murder simply be-
cause things looked suspicious in Ira's
case.
| Mrs. Collins swore that Leachman
had complained, after his fight with the
Burpee boys, of having been dubbed on
the head, and kicked in the back and
abdomen. Louis and George Burpee
were put on the stand in rebuttal
Louis Burpee was sworn and said
that Jacob Gross, who was working for
Mrs. Collins at this time, September,
1908, wrote witness wife letter which
fell into Burpees hand. Gross named
the evening for meeting with Mrs.
Burpee on the road.
Gross and George Leachman drove to
the spot, and the Burpee boys ambushed
them. The assailants unhitched the
horse, and Louis. dragging Gross out of
the buggy, beat him quite severely I'M
til Gross broke loose and ran away.
George Burpee did not strike a blow
during the encounter.
Louis then struck Leachman twice,
once in the mouth and once over the
eye, but the blows had little effect, as
Leachman was in the buggy and Louis,
being on the ground, could not reach
him effectively, Louis swore positively
that Leachman was not dubbed or
kicked.
MRS. ALCOTT A POOR WITNESS.
Mrs. Hattie Alcott, mother of Mrs.
Collins, was disastrous witness for the
defense, although sworn in her daugh-
ter's behalf. She could not remember
dates, and her testimony was a mass of
contradictions. Mrs. Collins testimony
on cross examination, was directly op-
posite to that given by nearly every one
of the prosecutions witnesses.
e-r TUESDAY MORNING.
The defense and prosecution rested on
Tuesday and acting prosecuting attorney
w. J. Parker made the opening address
to the jurySf for the prosecution.
He started out carefully, appealing to
the jurors to:disabuse their minds of all
prejudice in performing the sacred duty
entrusted to them. Hepointed out that
there is no sexlin crime; that woman
prisoner stands before the bar of justice
precisely inI the same relation as does a
man She should have no consideration
from the juryEsimply because she is a
woman,
He used fifty minutes Of the four and
one-half hours allotted to his side, and
Attorney McCurdy then started his adj
dress.
SEX TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
Attorney John T. McCurdy, for the
defense, began, his closing address by
apologizing for his hasty speeches while
angered several times during the trial.
He. declared.that subnitrate of bismuth
has been known to contain arsenic, and
pointed out that sixty grains of bismuth
had been enthusiastically Dr. Shoemak-
er during Leachman'sllast illness. He
wanted to know of the defense why this
bismuth had not been analysed for ARISEN
ic by DR. Gomberg, land gave as his
opinion that it had been, but as arsenic
was found, no report was brought in.
One form of arsenic test is by the use
of glass tubes, and although the tests at
the y. of M. resulted in discolored tubes,
showing the presence of arsenic in Leach
mans digestive organs, sMr. McCurdy
declared that this was not conclusive,
as mistakes were frequently made in
analysis.
QUESTION OF MOTIVES.
"Their wholelscase is;only theory"
said McCurdy, 'but would rather have
the conclusion of slevel-headed man
upon this case than all the fine theories
advanced. do not believe that upon