St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-12-08
A KENTUCKY TRAGEDY.
An Aged Farmer and His Wife Fouljy Muir
dered and Their Home Robbed Near
Hickman, Kentucky IA Short Shrift
Aw aiting the Assassin il Found.

An Aged Farmer and His Wife Fouljy mur-
dered and Their Home Robbed Near
Hickman, Kentucky Short Shrift
Aw aiting the Assassin il Found.
HICKMAN, KY, Nov. %.
This community was Mortified this morn
ing by the most fearful tragedy horrible
double murder and robbery-ever chron.
icled in the history of the county. Old man
Hillsman King and wife, Amanda King,
two old respectable citizens Of this COUNTY,
aged respectively about eighty and sixty
years, living about three miles from Kick.
man, were discovered thissmorn.hg by their
son, Arthur King, butchered in a most ter
rible manner. Both were dead. King and
his wife resided alone on their farm and it
seems no one has seen him alive since last
Tuesday week. He had "a very large family
of children and grandchildren living around
Hickman, and this morning Arthur King
called at the house. No one answering his
call he went in, and in the center OF the
family room was Mortified to see his mother
stretched out dead in pool of clothed
blood, with chairs and everything strewn
around the room and gun with broken
breech on the floor. All gave evidence OF a
terrific struggle between Mrs. King and the
murderous fiend. King then looked for his
father and was unable to find him. He inn
mediately alarmed the neighbors and citi-
zens of the town. Mrs. Kings throat was
cut from ear to ear, showing frightful
gaping wound, and her head showed three
heavy strokes. The floor was all clothed
with blood.
Mr.. King was subsequently found out at
| the stable under pile of shucks with a
| frightful cash above his right eye and his
left temple badly beaten in. Rats had eat
en- his entire left eye out, and great por.
| ton OF his face was also eaten by rats,
presenting most sickening and revolving
sight.
There was nothing in the house to indi-
cate stranger as the perpetrator. The
trunk in which King kept his money was
chopped open with Ratchet, but no draw.
I ers were touched It is known that King
| had about 81 800 in currency and from S5Oo
| to 500 in gold at his home, which ne usual
| " kept in this trunk, and none OF which can
| be found. The murderer left about $500 be-
| hind.
No one knows when the foul deed was
committed, and many theories are adj
vanced. Some think they have been muir
dered since last Thursday week, while 9th
ers think the murder was done Yesterday
| morning. The spare bed had been occu-
pied by one person, and there were three
knives and forks on the table, showing
there had been visitors there just prior to
! the killing.
No clew to the fend can be- had yet,
| though circumstances point very strongly
| to a peddler or clock mender that has been
| in the neighborhood for ten days or more.
He was last seen near Kings late Msdnes-
| day night last, and the general public be-
| lieve him the guilty party. He Is Prus-
sian, and gave his name as Frank Miller.
| Intense excitement prevails here over the
crime, and it is reported that III 600 re-
ward is to be offered by the heirs OF King
| for the apprehension of the criminal, and
his conviction will certainly follow by
Judge Lynch.