The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-19
THE PICKENs aURDER CASE.

| or many weary months tnere mas .Deen
confined in the Jail in this city saddle
| colored man, about so years of age, named
Edward Pickens. Piekens' cell was in the
basement OF the Jail. aud his denleanor
was such and his way SO quiet that few of
the people of this citv-eyen the members
of the bar, who often visit the jaiI-knew
of his confinement. Edward Pickens is a
| full-blooded Chickasaw Indian. and has a
white wife and one child in Myrtle, Tex
He has no air OF romance around him. He
never was e big brave" lays no claim to
ever having been chief, has no royal
blood in his veins; but is plain, unas-
Stunning, ordinary, all-around Indian,
whose principal employment has been
upon the range.
A crisis came to the IudiRp, whose life
had been hiterto uneventful. Fl. left his
home in 1856. and went to work in the
Chicasaw country TO work for large
ranchman. In October of that year with
number of other men. Pickens drove a
large herd of cattle TO Hunnewell for ship
ment. While there the party had high
old time consuming considerable quanti-
ties of whiskey, of an extremely poor but
very fiery quality. Either at this time or
| just prior to the arrival at Caldwell, and
| Hunnewel, a feua had sprung up between
Pickens and Levi Green, who was one Of
| the party in charge of the cattle After
shipping the cattle from Hunnewell, on
| the occasion spoken Of, the party took
the trail to the southwark, both
| Green and Pickens riding bronchos
| They were accomp anied by colored man
| named Ellis johnson, and Jap Green, a
brother OF Eli Green. The party scattered
| out somewhat leaving Green and Pickens
| together. Soon after this Green was found
shot through the head, the ball entering
the left eye and ranging backward coming
out of the back of his head. Pickens dis
! appeared going southwark. while the others
took the body to Hunuewell, where il was
buried. Lset year Pickens was arrested
near Paris, Texas, was afterwards brought
to this city, was last September indicted
for murder in the first degree by tn. Unit
ed States grand jury. and at the present
term of the court was tried for murder
and was convicted. Pickens was without
money or friends. and appealed to the
court to appoint Hon. O. II. Bentley as his
counsel. This was done much against the
will of Mr.. Bentley VINO was unpre pared
to try the Case. The court however allow
ed every opportunity 10 get witnesses, who
were promptly summoned by wire at the
expense of the government. The
trial was had and the case
was carefully handled upon both sides. 1t
Is seldom that criminal case SO impor-
tant as a murder case is tried ip a single
afternoon. Tue colored man who wit
messed the killing is dead, but the facts
Were uarshalled in a mastery manner by
District Attorney Ady. For the defense
there was only one witness. This was
Pickens, the defendant. He went upon
the stand In his own behalf He was care
fully questioned by his counsel, and cross
examined by government counsel. The
case was argued. aud submitted to the
jury. The charge of the court was ex-
haustive and fair. 1t WAS just to the pris-
oner. 1t WAS thought by those who had
heard the Case that the jury would either
find the prisoner guilty Of manslaughter,
or acqult him. After being out about two
hours the jury came in and announced
verdict. It was read. It was
guilty. 1t destroyed the last hope of the
prisoner. As conviction under the United
states statrts means death. The errors
in the record can be placed upon the point
Of pin. The record is absolutely fault
less. Judge Williams was so careful to
the prisoner, that he allowed him a short
hand reporter at the expense OF the gov
erument. The jury said that they did not
credit the story OF the prisoner, whose de-
Tense was that he shot Green in self de-
tsuse. No sentence has yet been pro-
nounced. But the prisoner Will be called
for sentences on the 9Th of this month
when the court again convenes. Il will
take work to save the life Of this man. He
IS almost entirely frieudless. He is with
out means. His wife is in far off Texas
and poor. His relatives are dead. His
position is deplorable He must hang.
Another Indian will be hung in the
Wichita Jail. This Is not the first one.
The fate Of the Tobler boys will be remem-
bered. Eide Belden only escaped
by a scratch. The Communication came
to him at the solicitation OF Senator
Plumb, the day before his day for execu-
ton. After this he was hurried away 10
the Detroit peuitentiary, anu today is as
thoroughly buried as If he were sleeping
beneath the sod of Wichifa's cemetery.
Whaf will be the fate OF Pickeuss No
Senator Plumb. great in heart, with mar
velous business powers. and the ready ear
of the executive at his command stands
between Plckens and his doom. Alone,
peuniless, frieudless, uututored. inlet
tered, an Indian, who killed white man
in a W hite man's country surrounded by
prejudice, he must die miseraoly upon
the gallows. The way of the trans
rressor is hard he treads the wine press