The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08


in st. Louis, where I had opened pri-
vate detective agency, I received a tel
egraphic dispatch from a number of in
fluential citizens of Topeka, Kan, ask
ing me me to proceed to that city imme-
diately for the purpose of investigating
sensational murder which had been
committed there, discovering the L-ur-
derer and bringing him to justice. COM
piled with this request at once. and arriv-
ing at Topeka on the third morning after
the crime had been committed, l found
the entire community discussing the af-
fair. which had greatly checked the city.
The slain man had been one of the
most influential citizens of Topeka. He
had been killed while sleeping beside
his wife, the weapon used being shot
gun, and one or two of the pellets had
struck his wife's shoulder, making
slight, though painful wounds.
Mr.. Collins had been a prominent in
surance and real estate man of the Kan
sas capital, where he had lived for many
years, He was well known throughout
the state. His death occurred in his
fifty-sixth year. and he left two children,
daughter and a son named John. He
occupied a comfortable house.
John Collins, the only son, was a stu
dent at the state university in Law
renee where he was being prepared for
the ministry. He had been there for
two or three years at the time of his
fathers murder, and his period of study
had therefore almost expired. He boarded
at the school, and occasionally paid a
visit to his fathers home in Topeka, us
ually on Sundays and holidays. He had
Just passed his twenty-first birthday, and
was about feet inches tall, with fair
complexion and light brown hair, we'll
built, pleasing in manner and altogether
very prepossessing fellow.
The daughter was also above the med
ium height. nice looking, intelligent and
well educated.
The Collins home which stood on a
fine residential thoroughfare, was dis
turbed early one morning by the dis
charge of a gun in the sleeping-room oc-
was situated on the ground floor. The son,
who was in the house, and the daughter,
as well as the hired girl. rushed into the
room in agation, to find that the father
his wife, as stated. mad been slightly
wounded by some of the shot. John
Collins dressed himself as quickly as
possible and aroused the nearest neigh
bors. 1t was then a little after daybreak.
Both John and his sister occupied rooms
on the second floor of the house.
All the windows were screened with wire,
and the doors of the house were all intact
and carefully locked. When the police ar
rived, however. their examination of the
premises disclosed the fact that win
: dow screen in the rear of the house and
on the second floor had been cut. leaving
q hole large enough for the passage of q
human body. This window was situated
Immediately above a one-story addition
to the main building in the rear
The conclusion at which police arrived
was that the murderer must have obtain
ed key to the house, by means of which
he gained admission to the premises, and
that. after having shot Mr.. Collins. he
escaped, going up the main stairs from the
lower hall to the second floor, then pro-
ceeding along the hall on this story to
the window at the end, cutting the wire
screen and springing out of the window
upon the roof of the one-story addition
and thence to the ground, distance of
10 or IL feet, thus effecting his escane.
On my arrival I proceeded to make a
thorough examination of the premises.
interviewed the widow and the son and
daughter. Mrs. Collins, who was the sec-
ond wife of the murdered man. was be-
tween thirty-six an dforty years of age.
of the brunette type, rather above the
medium height, and inclined to be slen-
der.
She was very attractive and was consid-
cred a good looking woman. intelligent
and refined In fact, the atmosphere Of
the entire household was that met with
among the best class or prosperous cit
izens.
After having spent four days in my in
vestigation. came to the conclusion that
the murder had been committed by some
member of the household and that the
murderer had not entered from without.
Various reasons combined to bring me
to this descision. The chief among them
was the fact that Mr.. Collins had been
killed with his own shotgun, and that the
murderer had shown familiarity with the
manner in which this weapon was kept,
and with it's place of disposition.
he was. fiinging his money around, and
we didn't see why some of it shouldn't
come to us as well as to anyone else."
They added that a certain date had