The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-16
Father Of John Collins Says
Boy Is Innocent.
VIII Account for Movements of
Alleged Blackhander.
ACCUSE BONE OF POLITICS
Attorney Asks Commissioner
of Trip to Omaha.
Collins Bound Over to the Dis.
trict Court.

my son will be able to account Tor
ana explain satisfactorily all his move
ments on the night Of Sept. q, the time
he IL alleged to have been in waiting
with a flash-light for Theodore Ham
matt to give him $1s.00o." said ]. E..
Collins. III Madison street. father Of
John Collins, who had just been bound
over for trial in the district court. fol-
lowing his preliminary hearing in the
court of Topeka before Judge Robert
Carver.
II do not blame Judge Carver for
deciding that he should be held for
trial. Under the same circumstances
would have done the same thing, but
at the proper time everything will be
explained" .ss
According to the hearing. one OF the
strongest bits Of evidence against Col
Inns. Is a chunk Of dry mud. Roy l.
Bone. city commissioner Of finance.
testified that at place in front Of the
Bradbury farm a spot had been found
where the weeds and mud indicated
. motorcycle had been. and had been
permitted to- fall over on its left side.
The machine had been pushed into
q steep bank in such way that an Inn
preston of the front wheel was left
In the bank and there was also dis
tinct track OF the rear wheel. The
machine had also been run over some
hedge thorns. The front tire was cor
rugated and the rear tire was smooth.
Sections Of the mud were removed
without disturbing the impressions and
were found to fit exactly the tires Of
q machine which Collins had secured
from the c. C. Haring company.
w. e. Tucker had previously testi-
ned that Collins had taken a machine
from the Harding company for trial.
explaining he intended to buy it. If 1t
suited his father. Evidence also
showed that this same machine had
been left at the Baughman ice cream
factory, near Twenty-third and Lin
coin streets on the night of the at
tempted hold-up and that Collins had
said he left 1t t'-ere on account of a
puncture Tucker. who went after
the machine. testified that the rear
wheel was punctured and that he re-
moved hedge-thorns from these pune
lures.
He also said the machine was mud
dy on the left side as would have been
the case had it been permitted to fall
on its left side. While testimony was
being given by Mr.. Rome concerning
the chunks Of mud and how they fit
ted the machine used by Collins, Col
Inns displayed considerable nervous
ness.
Go After Bone.
The testimony Of Mr. Bone was not
before being turned over for cross
examination by Judge ]. 8. Ensmin-
ger, representing Collins, he had said
no had no interest whatever in the
case. Questions from Ensminger and
answers from Bone established the
fact that Bone was the person who
telephoned to Kansas City engaging
Detectives; that Mr.. Bone with Com
missioner w. G. Tandy, had gone in
Tandys automobile along the Topeka
avenue road on an Independent scout
ing trip the night of the attempted
hold-up and that the two had seen a
man resembling Collins standing near
the culvert shortly before the flash
light appeared there; that Mr.. Bone
had made 4. trip to Omaha at the ex-
pense Of the city and had secured the
services Of a detective in Omaha and
had searched Collins room there and
had also visited the place where Col
Inns worked in Omaha.
"You have been unremitting in your
efforts to send Collins to the peniten-
tiary. haven't your shouted sEnsmin-
ger. This Bone denied, explaining
that he first became interested in the
case on account Of the absence of
Mayor Cofran.
Haven't you gone into this case to
make capital for yourself in running
Tor mayor" was Ensminger's next
question, which was also denied.