Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-05
THE EASTERN SHORE.

Full Particulars OF the Fatal FiI.Fieh'
Between Thomas A. Duncan aud Judson
Hickman.
Correspondence of Richmond the Dispatch
0NANCoCK, January /, 1886.
Fuller particulars have been re-
ceived about the killing of Thomas A.
Duncan by Judson Hickman at Mate
nekin last Thursday afternoon. 1t APP
pears that in the crowd that had assem-
bled there were Robert Hickman, his
son Judson. and Thomas Duncan, be-
tween whom there had long been a
family feud. In passing into the store
Duncan met the younger Hickman and
rudely hustled him to one side, throwing
him up against hot stove. Hickman
protested, whereupon Duncan called
him a dog. Here Hickman's father
interfered, and the two men were about
to engage in fight in the store, but the
owner OF the store told them to go out,
and they at once repaired to the public
road and were about to begin the bat
tie, when young Judson Hickman came
up and insisted on taking the fight of
his fathers hands. The two men then
threw off their coats and went to work,
slugging each other in brutal manner.
The crowd stood around enjoying the
fun and urging on the CONTESTANTS.
The fight lasted for fifteen minutes,
and Duncan, being feshy man,
began to get short Of wind. Young Hick-
man, seeing this, piled his blows thick
and fast upon his antagonists face and
head. Finally Duncan was knocked
down three times in succession, and
some persons in the crowd called on
Hickman to jump on him and stamp
him. When Duncan rose the third
time be made rush for old man Illck-
man, who was standing among the spec
tators, and seized him by the beard.
The two men clinched, bat were soon
separated, and Duncan, after washing
bis bruised and battered face, started
to walk home, about three quarters ola
mile distant. This was short while
before sunset. Just before dark he
was found lying by the roadside
and carried home in an insensible con-
dition. He never spoke a word after
be was found and died about o'clock
that night. Yesterday Or. George T..
Scarburgh, acting coroner, assisted by
Drs. Burleigh Kellam and Fletcher
Drummond, examined the body and
found the face and head frightfully
bruised and the skull-bone fractured
and crushed in over the left ear. In
the mean time Judson Hickman had
been arrested by Sheriff Wise and
lodged in the county Jail. All the wit
nesses before the coroner's jury testi-
fed to the fact that Hickman and Dun
can used nothing but their fists in the
fight, but as Duncan was very large
man and Hickman only Of medium
size and Just twenty-five years OF age,
it was considered almost impossible
that blow Of such power could have
been dealt by Hickman, and yet, as
both men had off their coats and a
crowd was standing close around them,
it seems hardly possible that any dan
gerous weapon could have been used
unobserved. The corOner's jury rem
dered decision that Duncan came to
bis death from blows inflicted by judi
son Hickman. Both men were indus
trious and respectable farmers and
have hitherto enjoyed the reputation OF
being peaceable and useful citizens.
Public sentiment here is stron er
against the crowd Of men who stood by
and not only permitted, but even en-
couraged, the fight than against the
SLAYER Of Duncan. That the fight
could have been prevented every
body admits, but the spectators
appear to have been delighted at the
spectacle, for some Of them in speaking
to some persons who arrived just after
the encounter, referred to it as the most
beautiful fight they had ever seen.
Young Hickman, who is now in Jail,
will have a preliminary hearing this
evening. lie is very penitent, and AYERS
that he never dreamed that the blows
be struck Duncan would prove fatal.
lie says that he was willing to stop at
any time, and was anxious for the crowd
to interfere and stop the fight, but that
Duncan kept rushing upon him and the
crowd encouraged them to keep on
| fighting. kALLIAs.