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

| in moist clay. I determined to find the
former resting place of this stone
l started over the path leading from the
scene of the murder to Swigert's house,
examining the ground carefully on either
side for cavity in the clay from which
the stone found on the scene of the crime
might have been taken. This search was
! tedious. but was at last rewarded. A few
feet from the path and about half way be-
| tween Swfgert's house and the rail fence
found a semi-spherical hole in the ground
into which the stone fitted perfectly.
After the establishment OF the circum-
stances set forth, l was firmly convinced
that the old farmer had met his death at
the hands of his neighbor although no mo-
in my possession justified the arrest OF
Swigert / returned to Chicago to secure the
necessary papers.
X X
Up to this time had no trace of the re-
volver belonging to Gross. 1 had no doubt,
however, that would find it somewhere on
the Swigert premises. but had no search
warrant under which to proceed 1 there
fore secured a search warrant and one for
the arrest of Swigert. Responding to the
Lake street station, Chief Washburn being
out of the city, l secured the services of
Officer Coburn and returned with him to
Ninnetka. l wanted witness when l
searched the house for the revolver and
decided that / would first arrest Swigert,
place him in the custody of Coburn. and
then take Gross with me when the search
was made This plan was carried out. SWi-
CERT was found at work on the premises of
a man named Pollard. | told him he was
under arrest for the murder of Kean Hg-
gins, and a more suilenly unconcerned Gus
toner l never have had under my charge.
He said nothing. In his pocket we found a
razor We handcuffed him and took him
m CT yUIn bp y,lo in, q
private office with Coburn on guard over
him. Gross and l then went to Swigert' s
house.
The bureau drawer and a shelf on which
SwiSert had told Gross the revolver was
were examined without finding the weapon.
We went over the house carefully as
possible, and still found no revolver Then
repaired to the woodshed This was a
clapboard building, lined on the inside of
the studding with plain boards. After a
long and careful scrutiny l found ham
mer marks that appeared to be freshly
made on two boards. The boards were re-
moved. In the cavity a quantity of
hay, and under the hay a bundle of rags.
In the rags l found the revolver, which
Gross promptly identified as the one he had
loaned Swigert There remained In it one
charge the bullet being trimmed on the end
like the ones found in the ground at the
scene of the murder.
Swigert was brought to Chicago Friday
night and locked up He was a heavy
forty-hVe years of age.
With Swigert in custody I proceeded 20
fill in the remaining small gaps in the Cir
cumstantial chain without attempting, for
the time, to secure a confession from him
The day after he was brought to Chicago
however, a newspaper reporter, well known
at that time specialist in criminal mat
oil to liz ,.,i+, Cuyiu Ia
had thoroughly acquainted himself with all
the links in the chain of evidence and was
as well fitted for the task of interviewing Il
man of Swigerts type and position as any
officer of the law.
why did you kill Kean Higgins?' was
the first question shot a the prisoner by
his visitor.
Swigert's gaze met that of his inquisi.or
boldly.
Il didn't kill him." he answered sullenly
II don't know who killed him"
when you We're told Sunday forenoon
that he had been killed why did you not in
form others and go to the scene of the
crime?
MY baby was sick and I couldn't leave
the house.
"Why didn't you go to the wake CT fu-
neral?''
For the same reason
after picking up the stone on the MILL
side and knocking Higgins down with it
from behind and then shooting him, why
Il didn't fire any shot-1 didn't XIII him
when you told your family at breakfast
the morning of the murder that Higgins
had been killed, why did you not send
your boy to fell Higgins wife,"
II was excited by the news and besides it
none of my business.
Wouldn't it have been wiser in you TO
have destroyed the overalls over which Hig-
gins blood had spurted?"
To this point Swigert had preserved
surly calm of manner. The question touch
ing the blood-stained garment seemed to
bring before his vision a vivid picture of his
deed as it had not before appeared to him.
Arising excitedly from his cell bunk he ex-
claimed:
stop, 1 killed him."
He stopped suddenly. checking his emo
tion and then, with CLEAN OF cunning IN
his eye, added:
I'VE quarreled and then he struck me.
had to kill him to save my life.
~
But he had gone too far. His inquisitor
followed up his advantage with rapid vol
ley of other questions based on my discov-
cries The prisoner listened, wild-eyed with
out responding for several minutes and then
confessed. His story was substantially as
follows
II had known Kean Higgins for several
years and had worked for him great deal.
TWO years ago we quarTeleu over settle
ment of wages and he refused to pay me
SO he owed me. / asked him for 1t fire.
quently and he would only laugh at me.
This made me very angry, but / had no
thought of killing him until last June, when
my daughter told me he had come to my
house in my absence and insulted my wife.
Even then ! did not really intend to kill
him. l thought there might be some mis-
take. My wife is not right in her mind His
visit to my house and his insult to my wife
was repeated This worked on me so much
that 1 scarcely knew what to do. 1 am a
poor man and Higgins had plenty Of money,
SO l knew he had the advantage of me if L
went to law with him. l knew he went to
mass early every Sunday morning and de-
termined to have 1t out with him. / put the
revolver in my pocket and started down the
hill to the bars that / knew he would go
through. On the way down I picked up a
stone. When I reached the bars hid my
self in a corner of the fence in the grass.
AS soon as he passed through the bars i
followed him and asked him for the $25 he
owed me. He laughed at me.
Why did you insult my wife?' I then
asked him.
Again he laughed in my face, and 1t
made me furious I struck him Maddened