The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-02-13
A Hooking County Parri-
eide.

der Bickel had been to Logan the
day before and returned home
about 10 o'clock at night, and was
very much intoxicated, quarrel
some with his family and bolster
Gus, and kept up his drinking and
riotous conduct all night and the
forenoon. After dinner he de-
clared he was going to kill ull the
family and then himself, and then
drew a knife and came at the son,
who lodged behind his father and
shot three or four times, one ball
striking him in the middle and
lower part of the back of the head
and killing him. The other three
shots missed him, and persons who
have been looking about the house
say there are three bullet holes in
line of the direction of the firing.
Coroner Heft was notified and at
once went to the place and held an
inquest, assisted by DR.. Mansfield,
who made post mortem eXamin-
alton of the remains.
Mr.. Bickel was q man weighing
240 pounds, and was an unusually
well developed and powerful man.
He was 55 years old and was high
ly esteemed by all his neighbors.
He had II farm of 800 acres and
was in good circumstances His
wife is so years old. They have
been married 32 years, and have
had IS children, 13 of them still
living.
The Coroner found that he came
to his death by the firing of the re-
volver, as above stated. The young
man was taken in custody by the
Sheriff and held for examination.
AT the time of the occurrence no
one was in the room, but the faith
er, mother and son. We here give
the testimony of the witnesses at
the Inquest.
John Bickel heing duly sworn
testified as follows: I am a son of
the deceased. / will be % years
old the 9th of next May. l live at
home with my parents. There are
twelve children; | 'am tl& oldest
one at home. There are seven at
home. Father was half drunk or
more so. He came at me with a
pocket knife, and swore he would
kill all of us, the whole family and
would get out of the way then
himself, and said to me, "I will
take you first" and came at me
with the knife drawn. / then just
lodged behind him and shot him
two or three times, I cannot tell ex-
actly which, I was so excited. 1t
was a s i& shooter Smith & Wesson
32 calibre. He was in Logan yes
terday and came home so drunk
that he conld scarcely walk and
we were up with him trying to
keep him quiet, till midnight.
Mother stayed up with him all
night, and my brother James got
up in the after part Of the night
and stayed with him. He was
quarrelsome and inclined to fight
with all of us. When he came at
me with the knife, I thought it was
my only chance. Mother and ]
were trying to quiet him, but he
would not pay any attention to our
talk. | got the revolver from the
mantle in the same room, where /
generally kept it. Have had trou-
bic before with him, once or twice
every year.
Sarah j. Bickel age 80 years,
being duly sworn testified as fol-
lows: The deceased is my hus-
band, is 90 years old, was born in
Germany. We have been married
80 years last August. We have lG
children living and five dead. He
went to Logan yesterday morning
and cane back near 10 O'clock last
night / asked him if he wanted
anything to eat and he said he did
not. | fixed him some supper, but
he did not eat anything, only
drank a little coffee. He was very
much intoxicated, and staggered
from one side of the house to the
other, and wanted to get the guns
and said he had to kill some body
re kept on that way till ten min
utes past one. He then laid down
till ten minutes past two, when he
jumped up and wanted to get the
guns again, and still saying he
had to kill somebody. He went in
the room several times hunting
the revolver and told me to lie
still, but 1 kept watching him and
trying to quiet him. He kept this
up till about five o'clock in the
morning. He then slept till be-
tween seven and eight o'clock. He