The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1879-06-20
CIRCUMSTANTIAL.
A TALE OF MONTICELLO THIRTY
... YEARS AGO.
By Pap, in the Comet.

Dy rap, III tue CoHnet.
Sometime in the spring of 1S49
. mule team attached to a common
farm wagon might have been seer
on the road leading from the ba,
of Biloxi, nOrthward, toward thu
then tiOurshing town of Columbis
in Marion county, in this State
said team was driven and OwneC
by a young man named William f
Allen, "A native of Connecticut
who had, until a short time previ
Gus to the period of which l write
been engaged in teaching school
near or at Pass Christian, but hav,
ing recently purchased the team
was following the avocatiOn OF
hauling. He was accompanied by
the family of Samuel Hicks, con.
sisting of five persons, viz: Hicks
and wife and three children, with
a small load of household effects ;
or in other words, Hicks was NOV
ing to Lawrence county, where his
wife's family resided, and had EN-
ployedyoung Allen to transport him
thlther.
On the evening of the fourth day
of their journey, they stopped in
front of Il farm house some forty
miles of Columbia, where Allen
purchased ii quantity OF corn and
fodder for his team. Some mile
and half above this place, and
near some unoccupied buildings
the little party encamped for the
night. This was the last time AL
len was ever seen alive.
Two days afterwards an officer
overlook Hicks-who was then
driving the team-with a warrant
for his arrest, OH the charge of horse
stealing. Hicks employed "a man
to continue on with his wife, and
children while he returned with the
officer; but not being found guilty,
and armed with a certificate to that
effect from the Justice before whom
he was tried, he rejoined his family
some miles below Monticello, when
he changed his course, and instead
of going to Crooked Greek, his for
mel destination, he crossed Pearl
river at Monticello, and started
for Louisiana, where he arrived in
due course of time renting land
in the parish of st. Helena, near
the town OF Greensburg, be pitched
his crop; and here We will leave
him for the time.
Some three weeks had elapsed
after Allen and Hicks had camped
the last time together, when the
attention of some passerby, was
attracted BY numerous buzzards
over a spot not far distant
rom the old camp, and upon going
here to ascertain the cause, Iound |
Allen lying upon the ground in
he state of decomposition. The
coroner was notified, a jury was
summoned, the verdict of which
vas: .'Came to his death by
,unshot wound; the ball having
the back of his head, pass
ng through and out of his left eve;
he deed committed by some party,
II parties, unknown to the jnry."
After which they caused his body
o be put in a coffin and buried near
he spot where it was discovered.
Not long after this when it was
scertained he was moving Hicks,
ihose whereabouts was, now. un-
.nown, he having failed to go 10
lis original destination, suspicion
t once rested OH him aud the
overnor issued proclamation
ffering a reward tor the arrest of
samuel Hicks the supposed mur-
erer of Wm.E. Allen.
Some six months elapsed when
gentlemen living in st. Helena
arish, happening to see the proc
,mation, arrested Hicks and plac-
d him in Jail at Greensburgh. His
life begged permission to spend
he night which was granted. This {
Tas the last time he ever saw her.
Iext morning, hand-cuffed and {
lounte,l upon a horse, accompanied q
v his captor, he was OH the way to
olumbia. Arriving in due time g
e was incareerated i'll Marion Z
,unty jail, while his escort, claim c
Ig his reward, returned to Louisi- {
Ia.