Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1851-01-30
LsoxL MunpEn.-A Victim I

LEaAL MuRDER.-A Victim %
Ciresmstaatiql 8 Eyidsnre.-A few
weeks since, a man. named Hicks
was hung IN Lawrence county,
Miss, for the murder Of q Iman
named Allen, land died protesting
his innocence. Subsequent develop
ments go far 70 show that Hicks
was innocent of the murder. The
Natchez Courier, Of the 3Ist ult.,
furnishes the following statement of
the facts in relation to this tragical
affair:
The evidence on which he was
convicted was entirely .circumstan-
tial, and went to prove that Allen
was shot in the back of the head,
the ball passing out under the eye.
Hicks was therefore hung for shoot
ing Allen. His last statement to the
two clergymen attending him the
night before the execution, was, that
he, his wife, and Allen, were travel
ling together with team, and cam
ping out by night; that while he was
away from the camp on the morn
ing Of Aliens death, he heard his
wife scream, and on running back,
found Allen apparently lifeless. He
had been drinking, and went up 10
Mrs. Hicks with the evident designs
Of hugging and insulting her., She
told him several times to go away,
and when he persisted, she struck
him upon the head with the wagon
hammer, which she had in her hand
pounding coffee, and from this blow
alone, without any further violence,
bis debth was occasiohed. -f
Notwithstanding his protestations
( OF entire Innocence, Hicks (as w5
have said) was hung for shooting
Allen in the head with a rifle, and
that too upon circumstantial testimo-
ny entirely valueless, unless that
mode Of death had been considered
proved. And now comes the strange
after development The denies Of
Hicks had made such an impression,
that it was thought necessary to ex-
anime the murdered body, in order
to do away with any idea OF Hicks
innocence, by showing that Allen
was indeed killed by rifle ball.
Accordingly, three days after the
execution, committee of respecta-
bic citizens disinterred Aliens re-
mains. The result OF their investi-
cations proves beyond reasonable
doubt that Allen was never shot,
His skull upon examination, appear
ed TO have been forced in by a blow
upon the back OF the head, immedi-
ateIy where it joined the neck
Pieces of the bone were hanging to
the orifice in the skull, which were
driven in from the effects OF the
blow. The bone running below the
left eye was slightly fractured, but
the sockets of the eyes, and the bone
in the face bore no marks Of bullet
having touched them.
In all probability the story that
Hicks told was true, and he is an
other victim TO circumstantial tes-
timony.
We pity the jury that tried him.
SHOOTING March ExrRAoRDINARY.
The Charleston Mercury has the
following account of a shooting
match in that vicinity:
"An extraordinary match of bot
tle-smashing took place at Mount
Pleasant on the 23d inst. Mr.. King
backing himself to break 95 wine bot.
ties (viz) the hard Sherry or Madeira
bottle, out of 100 thrown up, and TO
be fairly broken in the air. Consid-
cradle speculation took place, and
many heavy bets were pending on |
the affair; the odds were against
his doing it, and so to 10 against his
hitting all, aud rs to 10 against
breaking SO, which was taken by
himself. After smashing one as
a trial, the match commenced; the
first FIVE double shots were loaded
and fired by Mr.. King in 10 minutes,
and 10 bottles scattered into hun
ireds Of pieces. He broke all up to
he Goth bottle, which was hit but
lot broken: from the Goth to the
Tooth all were broken. Mr.. King
oaded himself, washed out his gun
hree times, and hit, including the
,y-shot, l0l bottles, broke 100 in c
.0l shots. Time-two hours and .
light minutes" :
SINGULAR PROPERTIES OF THE FIG- {
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