Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-08-26
Confessed Murderer of
Woman Must Come of
His Own Free Will.
OIL MAN GIVES UP
TO BUFFALO POLICE
Makes Clean Breast of Kill
ing Belle Hopkins Here
Four Years Ago.
THE same persistent cravings OF

THE same persistent cravings Of
l. conscience which led Arthur j.
Cclligan to confess to Buffalo. y. Y,
police that he killed Belle Hopkins
and then Slashed his throat and
leapcd from the window OF the old
Arlington hotel four years ago will
have to lead him back to Tulsa and
INTO The hands of officials IL he is
determined to cXpiate for the offensc
Tulsa officials last night washed their
legal hands clean of the whole matter
When they declared that no steps
would be taken at this end of the line.
They asserted that no information
had ever been filed charging Colligan
with murder and the whole case is
based on the mans slender confession
which he might easily repudiate once
in Tulsa.
Final decision in the matter was
made last night by County Attorney
j. II. EVers after he had carefully
gone over the alleged confession by
Colligan.
According to the story from Buf-
falo, Co.l.gan walked into the Frank
I'm street police station and declared
that peace behind the bars would be
better than to continue roaming
about the country from place to
place in vain effort to forget the
past that blightcd his carer and ate
into his brain
He confessed his alleged crime to
Captain Ward on Wednesday night
81 was working as an inspector for
the oklahoma Natural Gas company
ut Tulsa" he said 81 Travelled to diff
ferent prts of the state and then I
met Belle Hopkins at the Arlington
\ fs.t
and freduented the Arlington often
after that.
Was Jealous.
Then | heard rumors about Belle
and the green-eycd monster took me
IN his grasp. | went to the Arlington
and while we were alone in the room
| cut at her madly with knife. Il
don't remember where | cut her, but
] know she screamed and then | cut
my throat
THE next thing | knew was when
, woke up in the Tulsa hospital. +
was there three or four weeks and
neck ''''''S !" "S
81 don't know why | did il. had
good rearing and ought to have
known better, but | was jealous.
guess"
Colligan tore away his collar and
showed the police "A scar four inches
long on the left side of his neck.
When ! was well enough to leave
the hospital the doctor told me the
woman was dead and the police were
looking for me-" he continued
He told me to go away some place
and begin over and try to make a man
of myself. I have wandered about
ever since, and have been in many
cities, towns and hamlets between
here and Oklahoma. Now | am glad
have told my story and 1 am willing
TO go back out there 10 Tulsa and
take my medicine"
Wandered Overland.
Colligan told the police he had been
employed up to "A short time ago by
Montgomery Brothers & Co, "A lum-
ber concern, and that prior to his en-
ployment there he had worked in
various cafes and restaurants in the
city as dishwasher.
Belle Hopkins was proprietress OF
the Arlington hotel on North Boston
avenue, directly across from the triS-
co dcpot. four years ago when she
was slashed to ribbons by Colligau.
The Arlington was well known as a
red light resort and Belle Hopkins
was known throughout the tender
loin district.
After the tragedy it was learned
f3lligan had been the woman's |
Sweetheart and had been much in her
company.
One afternoon late in April. 1912. |
q scream emanated from the Hopkins |
Woman's room and when the door was
broken open she was found lying |
with her body horribly cut. Cclligan |
leaped from the window after slash |
ing his own throat and was captured |
He was taken to the Tulsa hospital |
wheer he remained for six weeks and |
was well on the road to recovery |
when he suddenly disappeared. The |
man dropped out of sight on the very |
day that arrangements we're being
made to transfer him to the county |
jcil