More Sensational Statements (continued) 

R. H. Stillwell Again on the  Stand 

Mr. Stillwell, have you been in Chicago since you were examined the other day?  
I have.

Did you see Mrs. Susie Hayward while there?  
I accidentally met Mrs. Hayward on the street; did not intend to meet her; didn’t go there for that purpose, but am rather glad I did meet her.

Did you have any conversation with her about this case?  
I had some talk.

Did you know that Mr. A. L. Clarke went to Chicago at that same time?  
He did not.

Did you see him in Chicago while you were there?  
I did not.

Do you know whether he was there during that time?  
Not that I know of.

At the time Dr. Hearne was married to Mrs. A. J. Stillwell, didn’t you give the bride away?
I don’t remember; I was there at the wedding.

Well, can’t you refresh your memory on that subject?  
I cannot; I haven’t the faintest idea whether I did or not.

Do you know whether any Pinkerton detectives were employed to search for the murderer or murderers of your father?  
They were.

Who employed them?  
I did.

How long?  
I employed two Pinkerton detectives from Chicago and they persuaded me to employ one Abbey.

How long were these Pinkerton detectives employed?  
I don’t remember exactly, but will say three months - two or three months.

Why were they discharged?  
They were discharged because they indicated to me that they had done about all they could in the case, and thought it was useless for them to stay any longer.

Did they tell you they thought it was impossible to find the murderer?  
They told me they had worked at about every clue they know of; I inferred from what they said that they considered it impossible.

Did either of them tell you that they thought it was probable that it was some negro burglar?  
I think from their conversation and work while they were here that they were rather inclined to that belief.

Mr. Abbey, who you spoke of having employed, was he that colored policeman here?  
Yes, sir.

Did he ever make any report to you about his investigation?  
He did not.  Mr. Abbey was employed by me at the request possibly of the two detectives from Chicago and Mr. John Stillwell, possibly Mr. Mahan; they had made an arrangement with him; I paid for his services; my father’s house was searched within a few days after his death.  It was searched at a time when, so far as I knew, there was not any suspicion against either Dr. Hearne or his wife.  If there was I had not heard of it.  I have a written report from the Pinkerton detectives from Chicago as to what was found there.  Since Mr. Abbey’s testimony I have looked it up and it directly states that there was nothing found in the vault that would throw any light on the murder; there were a good many bloody rags and bloody water that looked as though they were used in wiping up the blood around the room and on the bed.

In giving your testimony, the other day, among other things you said that you knew that Susie Hayward, after she discovered the intimacy between your father’s wife and Dr. Hearne, quit the friendship and companionship of Mrs. Stillwell.  How do you know that?  
While I lived at my father’s house, before he was murdered, I knew that my father’s wife and Mrs. Susie Hayward were very intimate friends; I knew that they confided to each other many and possibly all of their secrets.  I cannot say exactly how I know that the friendship was gradually severed.  After I left my father’s house it was probably two years before the murder; but in many ways indirectly I knew that they were not as warm friends as they had been.

Had their friendship ceased before the murder of your father?  
No, sir; not entirely.  I don’t think it had afterwards entirely, that is, it was not entirely severed after the murder.  I think Mrs. Hayward felt it her duty as a friend of my father’s wife to advise with her and try and direct her towards the proper course of action to pursue.

I think you testified that you had an inference that Mrs. Susie Hayward knew something about the circumstances of your father’s murder from the beginning, or at least from some years prior to this time.  How can you have that inference?  
I never intended to create that impression in my testimony.  I stated or intended to state that Mrs. Hayward knew that my father and his wife were not friendly; that she was trying in every way possible to either separate herself from him or to get a divorce from him, or try and have him commit some overt act that would entitle her to a divorce with alimony.  On one occasion before my father’s murder, he, in some way, knew or felt in his own mind, that there was an improper relation existing between his wife and Dr. Hearne, and in a conversation one morning at the breakfast table my father said to his wife that he would not again permit Dr. Hearne to put his foot inside of his house, and with that remark his wife threw a coffee-cup across the table at him.

Were you there?  
No, sir; I was not there, but I got that from sources that are unquestionable, and I can substantiate those facts.  My father confided that fact to one Dr. Z. P. Glass.  She told Mrs. Hayward of that fact in Chicago.

Who did?  
Mrs. Stillwell, my father’s wife.  My father did nothing - simply got up from the breakfast table and walked out of the house.  Again in this connection I would state that on the day my  father was killed, Mrs. Stillwell wrote a letter to Mrs. Susie Hayward; that letter seems to have been written during the day and my father was killed that night.  In the letter she said to Mrs. Hayward that she and my father were getting along better together; they had several times played cards together and that she really believed he was in love with her again or something to that effect.  That letter was mailed the day my father was killed, or was killed that night, on Sunday.  And again in this connection, I would like to state that I was in the office with my father constantly for two months prior to his murder, and I never remember in the course of my life to have seen him as downcast and depressed as he was during that period of two months.  I have thought of it a thousand times since.  The cause of this depression I do not know; cannot say; he never said anything to me about it.

How long before your father’s death was it that his wife threw this cup at him across the table?  
I can’t say; was only a very short time.

When did you first learn of it, Mr. Stillwell?  
I learned the fact, as I remember, from Dr. Glass, a short time after my father was killed.  The statement was corroborated by Mrs. Hayward in Chicago.

Do you know who was at the table when that occurred?  
I don’t remember.

You stated in your evidence that you visited  Chicago a number of times to see Mrs. Hayward about this matter.  What reply did she make when you asked her for information?  
I stated that I had been to Chicago especially to see Mrs. Hayward either once or twice.  She seemed very confident, in fact, knew or had made up her mind, that either Dr. Hearne or his wife were accountable either directly or indirectly for my father’s death; but I suppose the fact that I was so closely related to the family caused her to not be very communicative with me.  She would tell me comparatively nothing.

She did tell you, however, that she was confident that either Dr. Hearne or Mrs. Stillwell was accountable for that death?  
She felt that way in her own mind, and so expressed herself to me.

Do you recollect writing a letter to Mrs. Dr. Hearne’s daughter Mollie, Mrs. Murray Gray, of Los Angeles, some five or six weeks ago?  
I do.

In that letter you stated that Dr. Hearne ought to come here, that the Chronicle man was spending lots of money here?  
I made no such statement, sir.

What did you state?  
My recollection is that Mollie wrote to me that Dr. Hearne was in Los Angeles, and had spent a good part of the day with her husband trying to borrow $3,000, and that he did not get it.  That she would not let him have it and that her husband would not let him have it.  In reply to that letter I stated that I thought she did right in not letting him have it.  I also stated that the excitement here was at a pretty high pitch and that my impression was if Dr. Hearne came here he possibly might stay.  I don’t know what she inferred from that statement.  She told me that this money which he wanted to borrow was for the purpose of coming to Hannibal.  That was what caused me to make that statement to her.  I knew she was not friendly with Dr. Hearne and that she would not tell him what I said.  I also felt in my mind very confident that she wouldn’t mention the matter to her mother, because these things were very worrying to her mother.

Were those parties who told you about your father’s wife throwing a cup across the table present at the time it  was thrown?  
They were not.  It was my father told him the circumstance.

Mr. Mahan:  Mr. Stillwell, there was no arrangement with Abbey, the colored policeman, by which he was to make any report to you, was  there?  
No, sir; there was not.

Isn’t it the fact that he was under the control and direction of Mr. Wood and was only required to make reports to him.  That is to say, Mr. Wood had charge of him?  
He was working under the direction of Mr. Wood and Mr. Johnson.  Possibly Wood was the head men.  I think he was.  But Mr. Wood and Mr. Johnson were not working in this case as a sham.  They were employed to work without reserve.  Pinkerton would not say they worked here in a reserved manner.  The  vault never would have been searched at my expense if it had not been with a view to ascertaining the murderer.  Some one might possibly have suggested to me the advisability of searching the vault.  I ordered it done and paid for having it done.

The mode or manner of the detectives reporting was not directly to you but to the home office at Chicago, and then the report was transcribed and sent to you from the home office?  
Yes, sir.  Only verbal reports from day to day as they progressed.

Did you observe in these reports anything in regard to obtaining a pair of drawers?  
I think not.

That search of the vault was made the day after Mrs. Amos J. Stillwell and Dr. Hearne left for Battle Creek, Mich.?  
The report itself says the search was made on the 7th day of January.

You never knew any reason why it was made in the absence of Mrs. Amos J. Stillwell and Dr. Hearne?  
The only reason I can ascribe for it having been made at that time was because the propriety of the search was not suggested to me before that time.

Well, now that you had placed the matter in the hands of the detectives, and of course you didn’t dictate or direct the time of the search or the manner of making it.  That was their affair, was it not?  
They were instructed by me to search the vault.  I don’t remember whether it was done the same day I directed it done or not.  I noticed by the reports sent me that they preferred to do it without the knowledge of any of the servants around the house and without the knowledge of the colored man who was working around the premises.

Isn’t it a fact that they wanted it done without the knowledge of Dr. Hearne and Mrs. Stillwell?  
I think not.

It wasn’t done until after their departure?  
I think it was not, but their departure from the city had nothing to do with it, or the time of searching the vault.

Do you know whether the house also was searched at the same time or not?  
I think not.  Know it was not.

Isn’t it a fact that the house of Mr. Stillwell was searched very shortly after the death or murder?  
I think the detectives went frequently to the house to see the location of the rooms, the position of the furniture, etc.

Do you know whether the detectives followed the couple from here to Chicago and Battle Creek, Mich.?  Do you know anything about that?  
They didn’t that I know of.  I never paid for any such service.

Now, directing your attention to Mrs. Susie Hayward.  How long had this friendship existed between her and Mrs. Amos J. Stillwell, prior to the death or murder of  Amos J. Stillwell? For many years.

Isn’t it a fact that they were intimate personal friends, visiting each other’s houses frequently?  
I should say very intimate friends.

And that continued for a great length of time, didn’t it?  
Yes, sir.

Did you find Mrs. Susie Hayward at the bedside of Mrs. Amos J. Stillwell shortly after the murder of your father?  
On one occasion Mrs. Hayward was living away from Hannibal.

Judge Hendrick:  Is this something you know of your own knowledge, Mr. Stillwell?  
No, sir.  While Mrs. Hayward was living away from Hannibal on one occasion, she visited my father’s wife, went to call on her; and during the visit and the only time when they were alone in the room, my father’s wife said to her or cautioned her to be very secret about what she knew, saying also that her life was in her hands and that she trusted in her as she did in her God, or words to that effect or meaning.

Was that said here in Hannibal?  
Yes, sir.

What was the amount of your father’s estate at the time of his death?  
I don’t now remember.

About how much?  
My recollection is that the inventory or appraisement of the estate was about two hundred thousand dollars.

What part of that estate did the widow receive?  
One fifth - $40,000.  The estate was wound up and distributed probably at the end of two years.

Were you one of the administrators?  
I was the only administrator.

During the year 1889, did you have much to do with your mother in settling up the affairs of the estate?  
I had something to do with her.

Do you know who, if any one, advised her in a friendly way?  
Dr. Hearne and Mr. Anderson were her sole advisers.  She probably asked my advice.

How early after your father’s death and in what manner did you find out that Dr. Hearne was one of her advisers?  
From observations and conversation with Mrs. Stillwell.

Did that continue down to the marriage of Dr. Hearne and your mother?  
Yes, sir.

Could you give the exact date of their marriage, Mr. S.?  
It was in December, 1889, a little before the expiration of one year after my father’s murder.  Mrs. Stillwell advised me something about the wedding with Dr. Hearne.

Did you observe that it created any excitement in the city of Hannibal?  
It seemed to create some excitement and discussion.

Was there any crowd in the street in front of the house and at the station?  
I think there was.

After the marriage of Dr. Hearne to your father’s wife, who took entire charge of her affairs?  
She and Dr. Hearne jointly managed their own affairs, so far as I know.  She had some stock in the company in which I am now.

When was this forty thousand dollars paid over to them?  
It was paid over to them at the final settlement of my father’s estate, about two years after the murder.

Do you know what has become of the larger part of this money, whether they have it or not?  
(Objected to as leading and pumping.)  
I can’t say positively, but from what I have heard from different sources, I should say that it is all gone.

Don’t you know that it has been gradually purchased at your hands.  That is, you purchased the stock in the Stillwell Meat Company?  
I purchased, from time to time, the interest they had here and paid them cash at the time of the purchase.

And the property was sold for the purpose of raising money; wasn’t that your understanding from Mrs. and Dr. Hearne?  
I don’t know that I could state that.

What share of the estate did your brothers Harold and Earl get?  
The same amount as Mrs. Hearne, $40,000 each; about that amount.  Their estate and curator are in this county and state.

Did anybody make application to take the money out of this state?  
An application was made several years ago to have the curator of these minor children moved to California.

Who was that application made by?  Isn’t it a fact that it was made by Dr. Hearne and his wife?  
I think it was made by Dr. Hearne and his wife at the special demand and persuasion of Dr. Hearne.  I think a curator was appointed and a suit was brought.  The curator gave bond and as I remember, in a short time, both curator and bondsman failed after the effort was made to remove the funds.

Judge Hendrick:  Mr. Mahan, let it be a stipulation that I interpose objections to all your questions as leading.

Mr. Mahan:  I admit they are leading.  I have a right to make them leading.  You took an interest in defending that application.  
I seriously opposed every step taken to remove their funds from Hannibal.

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