The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-12
Taken to Scene Of the Alleged
Motorcycle Accident.
he WILL TRY FOR An ALB
Defendant win Try to Prove
He Was ct Home.
Dick Cooley Gives Important
Testimony for Defense.

In order that they might personally
examine the places, members of the
jury in the Theodore Hammatt-John
Collins alleged black hand case. which
is being heard in the second division
of the district court before Judge
Whitcomb, were loaded into automo-
biles this afternoon and shown the
scenes OF the attempt of~cfty ana
county officials to capture the man
who tried to obtain $4,000 from The
odore Hammatt with the use of black
hand letters on the night OF Septem-
Der %.
The jury was placed under guard
and taken southson Topeka avenue to
Twenty-third street and west on Twen-
ty-third street to Baughman's ice
cream factory. From the ice cream
factory they were taken back to the
Topeka avenue road and south to the
culvert Just south of the Allenhurst
farm.
An examination of the soil where
John Collins claims that his motorcy-s
Gle accident occurred and the place
on the road where tracks of a motor
cycle, claimed by attorneys for the
state, to have been made by the ma
chine ridden by the man who rode on
the runninSboard of the Campbell car
on the night of September %. was
made by the jury.
Following the jury's trip court pro-
ceedings were resumed this afternoon
at $3.50 o'clock.S No proceedings will
be held tomorrow. The case was con-
tinued this evening until Monday
morning, when it is expected that
John Collins will, take the stand to
testify in his own behalf.
Testimony for Defense.
Several witnesses for the defense
were placed on the stand today.i Tes-
timony to the effect that black hand
letters were numerous in the city last
September, that the letters were SIM
liar to the ones received by Hammatt
and that John Collins could in no way
be connected with them was intro
duced today by. the defense. Wit
! nesses who testified that they have
known Collins for a number of years
and that his record has always been
clean and unquestionable were also
placed on the stand.
An effort is also being made to
prove an alibi for Collins.
Mrs. Catherine Smith on the stand
ner som. Malcolm PASSED the scene e Of
the flashlight incident while the Off
GERS were on the reround. Immediately
| after West. the Kansas City sleuth.
'blew up the; fireworks" She said
| that the moon was just passing below
the horizon. Isl - si- lssf
According to testimony of. Sunny
Flora, the local weather observer, the
| moon set about $3.50 o'clock on the
night OF september I'd me Oe1enSe
will attempt to prove that Collins was
at the home of his father with men,
bers of his family at this time.
Dick Cooley Called.
Dick Cooley, former manager of the
Topeka baseball club, was placed on
the stand today and testified that he
had known Collins for fifteen years
and during that time his record has
been unquestionable.
Cooley testified that Collins was at
his residence, tbs West Thirteenth
street, between Z and 1880 o'clock on
according to Cooley, was clean shaven,
wore a gray pair of trousers and also
! wore a collar and necktie that evening.
Those who were in the Campbell
car, on the running board of which at
tOrneys for the state introduced testi-
mony in attempt to prove that the
man connected with the attempted
black hand case rode within two miles
of the scene of the flashlight incident
testified that the man who hailed
them and rode on the side of the auto
was dressed in q dark suit, was un-
shaver and did not wear a collar or
necktie.
Mrs. Dick Cooley also testified on
the stand and corroborated her hus-
bands statementsa
In an effort to- prove that Collins
trip to Emporia was not the result of
any questionable act on his part G. E.
Herring, Collins brother-in-law was
placed on the stand and testified that
Mrs. Collins gave him a card to mail
several days before they left, to people
in Emporia notifying those in Emporia
Of their intentions of making the trip.
Herring stated that he read the card.
When the case. lis againzstaken up
Monday attorneys for the defense will
make an attempt to completely turn
the tide of evidence that the state has
attempted to wage against Collins dur
| inc he In of