The Osceola times., 1882-12-02
ANOTHER MURDER.
The Work Of Whisky.

ed Ed. DELPHI, had had difficulty
with another negro, named John
Hickman, on Dempsy Taylor's farm,
three miles above town, and that
both Hickman and DELPHI had been
mortally wounded. Later the report
was verified as to Hickman, who died
in about Two hours after receiving
his wounds. DELPHI, however, was
only slightly injured, and was
brought to town, and lodged in Jail
by Sheriff Haskins and his chief de,
putty, Mr.. Robert Dean.
On Monday morning, we, in com
pany with Mr.. Jas. NJ. Lawrence, the
County Coroner, proceeded to the
scene o! the tragedy, where an in
quest was at once held by the Coro-
ner and his jury. The facts elected
as to the affair are about as follows;
The deceased, John Hickman, Ed,
DELPHI, his slayer, and several others
were engaged in gambling, in small
out house, (which the witnesses famil
iarly called the Dice House, J when
some dispute arising in the course of
the game, John Hickman, the decd,
mounted the table on which the
game was being played and charged
that he was being cheated; he was
ordered to get down by some one,
when he refused, the prisoner, Ed.
DELPHI then ordered him to get down,
and Hickman still refusing, DELPHI
knocked him of the table, at the
same instant calling Hickman a dam
WALLER son of b-h. Hickman got
up and called DELPHI d m black
bastard son Of -; whereupon
DELPHI drove his knife into the throat
of his victim, Hickman, who imme-
diately walked out of the room, and
sat down on log near the door, the
blood squirting in stream from his
neck; in few moments DELPHI came
up to deceased and said, "Oh God
d-m you, I've got you" whereupon
Hickman arose and said, "You have
killed me, and | will kill you;" DELPHI
ran few yards at very slow pace,
and when Hickman came up to him,
he wheeled suddenly and plunged
his knife into the stomach of the de-
ceased, who then staggered on to-
Ward his home, about mile distant.
When about one hundred yards on
his way, he sat down on the roadside
and remarked, "They always said !
would die with my boots on, but |
WON'T" and then attempted to pull
them off, but being too weak from
loss of blood to do so. he deliberate.
" took his knife and cut them from
his feet, where, all covered and filled
with blood as it gushed from his
wounds, they were shown to the
Coroner and jury next day. After
removing his boots, he staggered on
about one hundred yards further in
the direction of his home, where he
fell, in front of cabin, into which
he was carried, and in short time
died. Upon the evidence DELPHI was
committed to jail, and Dempsy Tay-
ior was also arrested as an accessory.
Such, in brief, is the case, as shown
before the Coroner's Jury; we have
no disposition to color it, to make
out case for or against the parties; !;
we have stated the facts, it is not
our province to judge. We cannot
help however, and feel it our duty
to call attention to the fact that this
awful tragedy occurred in a room de
voted TO gambling; that it occurred
over game Of chance; that nearly
all the parties in the room were in
toxicated; made so with whiskey
bought, sold and drank on or about
Taylor's premises; and we are also
informed that the prisoner, DELPHI,
was drunk at the time that he took
from fellow being his life, made a
wife widow, and her children or.
phans. We are not "preaching "
now, but simply stating cold naked
facts, our readers can draw such de-
ductions from these facts, as may
unto them seem meet and proper.
The PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION.
On Monday, Tuesday and We'd
nesday a preliminary examination
into the above case was had before
Squire Liston. The State was rep
resented by Mr.. w. b. Edrington,