The Monticellonian., 1916-06-08

INIol
in bed at the time when he was
aroused by the shot that killed his ia
Their. had been making my own in
yestigations concerning him before
sending Manning to Lawrence. and
had learned that he had formed the
acquaintance of very estimable and
wealthy young lady of that city. with
whom he had become infatuated. He
had paid a good deal of attention to
her for several months previously
She had informed him that her mother
intended to purchase or lease a cot
tage at Long Branch, n. j.. in which
to spend the summer months.
John Collins, who was thoroughly
infatuated with her. heard this news
with dismay. He surmised that she
would be sure to encounter some of
the many fortune-hunters who frequent
that resort in summer time, and that
she might readily fall a prey to one
of them, thus endangering his own
chances of winning her Accordingly
he had made up his mind to spend the
season at Long Branch also. so that
he might guard the affections of his
beautiful young friend.
The Investigations of Manning con-
firmed the theory | had formed about
Collins. In order to advance his suit,
he had been posing as wealthy man
in his own right. and had been at
tempting to keep up with the pace at
which the young ladys family and
other friends lived. He had been in
the habit of spending considerable
sums in buying her flowers. in car
riage hire and entertainments of all
sorts, and had become deeply involved
in debt. AS his father had only al
lowed him the sum of twenty-five dol
lars a month for social purposes, and
this amount was not 1.-THE of what
he required, he had been driven to
desperation and at his wits end to Sc
cure the necessary funds
There were couple of colored hack
drivers in Lawrence who. Mr. Man
lied by young Collins. AS soon as l
received this information from Man
ming | sent an urgent telegram to D.
F. Harbaugh, man in my employ
ment. directing him to proceed to Law
renee at once and find out all that the
hack drivers knew about John Col
Inns. Mr. Harbaugh had lived in Law
renee for number of years before he
entered my service. He had been a
hack driver in that city, and had after
ward entered into the livery business
in Lawrence. Many of the hack driy-
ers were, therefore, known to him. and
some of them had been in his own
service. On this account he did not
find it at all difficult to discover every
thing that was known about the young
man.
The men told Harbaugh that Collins
had approached them and entered into
verbal contract with both of them
to have his father killed in return for
a certain sum of money. Part of this
amount he had paid at the time the
agreement was made. and he had
promised to pay the remainder after
the murder was committed.
They told Harbaugh that they had
never had any intention of attempting
to murder Mr.. Collins, but had prom
ised John that they would do so in or
der to work him for what money they
could get out of him
You see. boss" they explained. 1T
looked like easy money for us, and we
knew he wouldn't dare expose us when
we failed to do what he told us. There
he was, flinging his money around, and
we didn't see why some of it shouldn't
come to us as we'll as to anyone else"
They added that a certain date had
been named, on or before which the
murder was to be committed. When
that day had passed and Mr.. Collins
was still very much alive, John be-
came angry and expostulated with the
men.
You haven't given us enough
money. boss" the hack drivers told
him. Murders a pretty big business.
you see, and with all them police and
detectives about it's risky one. How
much more will you pay If we bring
off the job?"
John Collins haggled in business
like manner for some time and finally
promised to give them hundred dol
lars more. which he did. They also
succeeded in extracting from him a
gold watch which his father had pre-
scented to him on his twenty-first birth
day. This money John Collins Sc
cured by borrowing from his friends,
and also by drafts drawn on his IA
Their, as | afterward discovered.
The second date made for the muir
der arrived and passed, and the father
was still alive John Collins grew
furious and upbraided the hack driv
ers bitterly for not having carried out
their agreement
Well, boss. it's this way" they told
him We've been thinking over this
here proposition and we've come to
the cCslclusion that if your fathers
got to be killed you had better kill
him yourself We won't kill him, and
that's all there is to it,"
But I've paid you to do it. twice
over" stormed the young man.
Observation-Disclosures Observation-Disclosures
Observation-Disclosures Observation-Disclosures