The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-10-12
CRIES FOR HELP
Over Il.E:: WIRES,
Farmer Burke on Night OF Col
llns Tragedy Startled by
DAUGHTER HEARS VOICE
Shrieks of Woman i'm Distress Come
Over Phone, but Family Supposed
1T Was Prank-Detcctives
at Work.
Danger Call.
Parker, s. D., Oct. 1o.-"Help. Help

Parker. S. d., Oct 1O.-"Help. Help!
Come quick
This appeal uttered indistinctly by
@oman's voice over the telephone ac-
companied by tine crying OF children,
following ten short rings, known as the
"long rolf or the danger call, startled
Mr. and Mrs. j. o. Burke and their
16-year-old daughter about IL O'Clock
Sunday night. the night of the tragedy
lin the home of Harry e. Collins, when
his wife was murdered, presumably by
robbers.
1t was on the rural telephone line
running between Parker and Hurley,
used by seventeen farmers. The Burke
telephone is No. 2 on the line and Col
lins phone is No. 3.
AS the danger call sounded over the
wire in the household of Mr.. and Mrs.
Burke. who We're entertaining a house
full of company that evening, they and
their 16-year-old daughter jumped to
take down the receiver. The daughter
secured possession first. She heard the
faint call of voice over the telephone
and the voice uttered terrible cry
which the girl says sounded like the
above appeal for help. This was par
TALLY drowned by the crying of chill
ldren. Then there was silence.
Thought 1t Prank.
The family thought nothing of the
incident, they say, as during the day
some mlschieVous boys had been play
ing pranks over the telephone and they
believed that it was but a continuation
.of it.
When they awollc the next morning
and learned of the tragedy in the Col
lins home the incident of the night be-
fore was indelibly impressed upon their
minds, and they have told to States
attorney Jones the story in substance,
which is now being discussed every
where.
States Attorney Jones says he has
heard the story and has nothing to say.
Iie refuses to make public anything
that he may have of interest in the
case c. w. Leaning, a private de-
tective from Yankton, S. D.. is in the
city working up clues which he has
found since arriving here. He is work.
ing without pay CT expenses, with the
ho.se of uaearthing the crime. and the
guilty perpetrator of it. but complains
bitterly that States Attorney Jones re-
f'.Ses to cooperate With him in his
l.mt for evidence which might lead
to the arrest of the criminal or crirl-
inalS.
Collins Out Of Town.
Harry L. Collins, the murdered wonl-
ans husband, has gone TO his home
stead in Lyman county, near Draper,
S. D., and will not return until Wednes-
day the day of the roconvening of the
this week in order TO comply with the
requirements of the government.
The Burke lm is five miles south OF
the Collins form. lnasmuch as there
are seventeen telephones on this line
no effort was made TO communicate
the rural telephone system, and the
family and visiting friends resumed the
evenings enjoyment.
The night operator at Parker, who
would have known of or heard the
danger call, is in Sioux Falls, S. d.. and
he could not be interviewed by your
correspondent. This new and startling
information, coming from this reliable
conservative and apparently truthful
farmers home. has made n deep inn
preston upon this community, and has
only intensified interest in the case and
added a deeper mystery TO the tragedy
No Repor. of Chemist.
The demented Swede, VINO was ar
rested last week at Howard, S. d., and
who had been chased by o posse fol
two days over cornfieds, has beer
found to have escaped from the Yanls-
ton, S. d., insane asylum aud has beer
returned to that institution. 1t has
been learned that he stayed at farm
house on the night of the tragedy /;
mile or so south Of the Collins home
and that the farmer, fearing that he
might do his family harm, sat up unit
daylight and then drove him to Marion
S. d.. eighteen miles from here thai
morning, turning him adrift 1t has
thereby been established that he hat
mo complicity iii the murder of Mrs
Collins and anew nothing about it
Coroner Brown, Of Centeville, STATED
today that as yet he had received ne
report from the Brookings college
chemist, but that one was expected be.
fore Wednesday.
States ATTORNEY Jones still refuses tf
make known to the anxious public
through the local or other newspapers
what progress he has made on tho
case. II the inquest hearing on Wednes.
day is public a great crowd will be
present. Detective Callahan, of th,
'Pinkerton agency, is still in the vicin.
ity working on the case.