Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-06
THE WINNETKA
MURDER CASE


HE elder generation of Chicago POI
Hcemen and Others probably will re-
call the Kean Higgins murder mys-
u terry of 1872 This was case in
which the evidence was purely cir
cumstantial. No human being saw or hearC
the crime, nor did the murderer reveal him
self in that sangunary role until after h,
was dragged to prison by an unbreakanl'
chain of circumstance. but the case Will re
main historical argument for the value o
circumstantial evidence.
Kean Higgins. a well-to-do Irish farmer
sixty-six years Old, lived with his family or
the north shore of Lake Michigan near the
town of Winnetka. on the morning oil
Sunday. August % 1872, he left his home
to attend J o clock ma 5 in the Roman Cath
Ollie Church at Crosse Point. three miles
from Winnetka About 0 clock that even
ing a farmer named William Mcfarland
following the same path, stumbled over the
body and thought Higgins had fallen drunk
He attempted to rouse him, only to find
him dead. He gave the alarm, tie Few
neignbors quickly gathered and the body
was removed. There was cut in the back
of higgins head and three bullet holes in
hi: neck.
The scene of the crime was seventeen
miles from Chicago. On the Tuesday night
following the murder l was ordered to re-
port to Chief WaShburn the next morning.
Tie chiefs purpose in sending for me was
to detail me on the Higgins case, of which
/ had read in the Chicago paperS.
There are two Chicago police detectives
working on this case now, said the oh. eff,
as / left the office. but you may go about
the thing in your own way without refer
:. ence TO them
Because there were Chicago detectives
already working on the case, and for other
purposes. | decided to go to Winnetka in
the assumed role of newspaper reporter.
These ubiquitous and unofficial detectives
of the daily press in many cases have adj
vantases in working out mysterious crimes
which are not possessed by even the Of
Eoers of the law, and the role, in this case,
suited perfectly Therefore. for the pul
Icses OF the preliminary work, at least, in
tie Higgins case, l was James Wilson of
toe Chicago Times
Near the Northwestern railroad station
and west of it was the store of Oliver S.
Gross. Travelling eastward from Gross
through the scrub oak timber one followe i
trail that was used as wagon road and
fuOtpdth. Less tHaH half a mile westward
over this road one came to a set of bars in
rail fence. and about one mile west of
Gross, standing on hill, was the home
OF William Swlsort and his family. Half a
mile south of Swigcrt's house was the home
of the murdered man. After a visit to the
Higgins home and other preliminary inves-
tigation | found the facts concerning the
murdered man and the crime to have been
substantially follows:
Higgins devout Catholic and made
1t a point OF pride never to miss early mass
on Sunday. He owned eighty acres of land
near his home and had lived in the region
for thirty-hve years. He was worn
out man physically. His family consisted
of his wife and eight children. but all the
children except two had grown up and left
the parental roof. Mrs. Higgins said her
husband did not have an enemy. He had
always led quiet life. minding his own
affairs strictly.
The county coroner, John Stephens, had
made some investigate 1t was found
that the money Higgins had with him had
not been disturbed by the murderer which
disposed of the theory that the motive of
the murderer had been robbery. Two of the
bullets fired into the victims neck had
penetrated through and were found i'm
bedded in the ground under the neck, indl-
eating that Higgins probably had been
felled with blow first and shot from above
as he lay PROSTATE with his face upward.
An examination of the bullets showed them
to be peculiar. in that the points of the bull
let's in the cartridges had been cut off Ii. an
uneven fashion.
1 had dropped into Gross store the day
of my arrival in Winnetka and inquired for
the Higgins house The proprietor had
carelessly indicated the course and. with
out waiting for explicit directions, | set
out. l had proceeded what seemed to me
about a mile when l sighted a house stand
ing on the hillside and steered my course
Tor 1t. A ten-year-old boy was standing in
the dooryard
is this kean Higgins homer" 1 in
quired
No" said the boy, 'he lives over there
beyond the timber"
give you dime If you will come
with me and show me the house." said.
The transaction was closed in an instant
and, with my guide, | set forth through
walked
He told me he WAS tho sor of whit, -,
Swigert.
DO you know Kean Higgins?' asked.
father say he had been killed.
l professed some surprise and asked the
boy who had told his father OF the death OF
Higgins.
Father said some hunters had told him y
was the answer.
When did your father tell you this?'
Last Sunday morning at breakfast
father said he had met some hunters in the
woods and they had told him somebody
had killed Kean Higgins
BY this time we had reached the Higgins
home. and, after paying the lad for his
services. sent him back home.
Mrs. Higgins" ! asked on entering the
house. "can you recall the persons who
called here after your husbands death and
who attended the funeral and the wake?"
The widow made as good an effort as
possible. but did not claim to be able to re-
count all the names. l then adopted an
other plan.
Was William swigert at the wake?"
asked
''He was not"
Did he call here at all after your hus-
bands body was found?'
mo; he never came near us"
Was he at the funeral?'
don't recOlleCt seeing him there and
believe he was not present"
Are the relations between the familie.
PLEASANT
Yes: there never was any trouble
Swigert lived on our land"
why did not Swigert attend the wake O,
come to the house?
Il don't know. AS l think of IL now II
was only natural that he should. but IN
didn't. He might have been too busy"
Did his wife show any interest in tbs
mat:er?'
Mrs. Swigert's mind is not strong and
II would not be strange for her to stay
away from She goes nowhere"
Up to this time the original 6iscovercr o.
Higgins mutiiatsd BODY scemsd to hav,