The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1892-02-11
PhTRICIDE! F.!
A SON KILLS HIS
FATHER.
IL0UIS BICKEL SHOT BY HIS
SON JOHN
AND DROPS DEAD IN AN
INSTANT.
AN AWFUL TRAGEDY AT UNION FUR
MACE UNPARALLELED IN
ALL HISTORY.

streets were alive with busy, light
hearted, cheerful people. The
beautiful weather invited out
crowds of ladies, and peace and
good will seemed to smile on every
face.
A telegram was handed the
sheriff. "a boy has shot and kill
ed his father" The horrifying
words swept like the blast of a de-
stroying wind. An awful feeling
came upon men. The streets be-
came as silent as graveyard.
The people huddled in little groups
and spoke in bated breath. Al
though our county in recent times
has been the arena of high carni-
val in human blood, no such trage-
dy as this had ever fallen to their
attention.
In the long, long history of the
human race, with almost every page
smeared with blood, no instance is
mentioned of a son killing his
father.
Murder entered the world at the
gates of Eden, and history began
in blood. Abraham purposed the
sacrifice of his on;Jephta did with
his daughter, according to his
vow;" Absolem purposed the mur-
der of his father; Samuel hewed
down the captive king in the pres
ence of all Israel; Caliolinus and
Virginius drove the knife to the
hearts of loved, adored daughters;
the elder Brutus give signal for
the execution of his son; Caligula
of all the monsters of historic time
approached nearest in accomplish
ment of patricidal crime.
The horrors of our home sur
roundings have dark shadows of
Moloch, Yet upon our minds, but,
patricide ''never before yet" had
raised his horrid bloody hand.
The particulars of the killing,
the young mans statement and
testimony, and other particulars
follow below. John Bickel was
arrested on Saturday afternoon.
THE PRISONERS STATEMENT.
On Sunday morning in company
with Sheriff Wright, Milt Myers
and John Deishley, we visited the
Jail and had an interview with the
prisoner.
We first asked him if he had an
attorney. He said he had not.
We told HIM that an attorney
would most likely advise him to be
careful what he said.
The purpose of the editor in
asking him for statement was to
have given to the anxious public
what he had to say about the af-
fair. He said he was perfectly
willing to tell what he had done
and how he came to do it. The
statement given, the reader will
is not his continuous
remarks, but answers to questions.
Thus: ''How cd are vou?"
"What is your name," DC. The
answers only are given below.
THE STATEMENT.
My name is John Bickel; am
nearly % years old; home is on
farm near Union Furnace; have
lived there abont fourteen or ff-
teen years; don't know where was
born. Father went to town on
Friday, came home late at night.
He was very mad and threatened
to kill the whole family. He kept
it up till about midnight when l
went to bed. He kept scolding
and going all next morning l
was sitting in the room and he was
sitting about six feet from me. He
said he was going to kill the whole
family and get out of the road
himself. He said: 81 guess FL
take you first" He jumped up off
the chair and made at me with his
knife; dodged round behind him
and shot him, two or three times,
| don't know which; shot at his
head. He fell from me and fell in
a chair. The pistol had been lay
ing on the mantel; took it in my
hand about five minutes before |
shot; don't know when | cooked
it; don't mind how many times |
shot; right after shot | went out,
aid down on the road met Mr..
Baglcy and Tewd Clark, told them,
then went to my brothers a mile
Or so away, then I came back to
the house and staid there till the
sheriff came. He had been abus.
ing mother and me all morning,
took up chair two or three times
% hit mother; ] staid in the house
because mother asked me 10, and