The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-04-18

JEFFERSONVILLE, April 1t.-Spe-
cial.-Simon Booker and Marion Picker
ing. both colored, We're arrested at l
O'Clock this morning charged with the
murder Of DairyTnan Stephen Geer. back
of JeffersOnville, March 6. Both confess
TO the part they took in the crime. Pick
ering admitting that he fired the fatal
shot.
Booker was arrested at the home of
his brother-in-law. and Pickering was ar
rested at his home, lis Ohio-ave., Jeffer-
sOnville. The latter is a preacher.
The stories of the men vary in one or
two particulars. Booker claims they
We're passing Geer's house when the
dairyman's dogs barked at them and
attracted the old man to his door, and
says without warning Pickering leveled
his gun and tired, the one shot killing
him. Pickering says. through, Booker
was stealing chickens and that he was
keeping watch, and when Geer came to
the door, fearing they would be recog-
nized. he fired.
Both men. at their request. have been
placed in the penitentary for safe-keep-
ing.
This morning a reporter went to the
prison south TO have an interview, il
possible with the murderers. At the
prison Chief Cisco. Sheriff Davis and
Prosecutor Howard were met with and
the reporter was informed by the Of
ficers that they had in their possession
the lap robe and pair of gloves found
at Pickering's house. stolen on the night
of the murder. These articles were
identified by Miss Julia Geer, daughter
of the murdered man, as the property of
her father.
DR.. Mcdonald. stewart Of the prison
hospital stated that one of the men told
him that he had robbed Geer's hen roost
before. After being admitted into the
cell house, Booker was seen by the officers
and the reporter. He was sound asleep
and when awakened, seemed utterly in
different He is a repulsiVe-lOOking fell
low apparently not much above the
brute and very black. He said that
Pickering had the gun and not himself.
Pickering had borrowed the gun from
Aunt Annie Cole 10 go hunting with.
He also said that he awOke Pickering be-
cause Pickering had asked him to do so.
In fact he throws the onus Of the en-
tire murder upon Pickering. He said his
right name was Sim Booker and that
Reed was the name of his wife and her
parents He came from ShelbyVille a
few months ago and was no relative TO
the Booker killed by train in this
city several months ago. He said that
he was a church member, but was not
deacon. he evinced no emotion what
ever and when asked why himself and
his partner killed the old man he said
that he did not kill him.
He also says that he was not in the
hen house, nor did he tell Pickering 10
shoot lie stated that he went on the
CITY of Oyvensboro TO Evansville and re-
raaarff hlrs VFrft as : "a
That he did not go 10 Cincinnati nor
any other point. simply passing back
and forth between this city and Evans
vile When asked whether he knew the
officers We're after him. he said that he
didn't know anything of the kind
Next Pickerings cell was visited. He
is a slender, tall negro, with sores on
his face and English side whiskers. He
contradicted Boxers statement and the
statement he had made heretofore. When
he told the officers this morning that he
saw old man tSeer before he shot. now he
takes that back and says he saw no one
and did not see the old man come out
to drive the dog in and did not rest his
gun on the spOkes.
After disposing Of the two murderers,
Sheriff Davis drove promptly to the
county jail and. throwing the door of
Peter Mahler's cell open. told him that
the murderers had been found and that
he was an innocent man.
The poor fellow. who had undoubtedly
suffered considerably through the sus-
piciOn which was cast upon him. broke
down in a transport of joy. He wept
and danced, threw his arms around the
sheriff's neck and said he was the hap
piest man in the world The sheriff then
took him out Of the jail and conveyed
him to the residence. where Mrs. Davis
had been aroused, and Mailer insisted
that he must see her and thank her for
her kindness to him while he was con-
fined IN the Jail.
JEFFERSONNILLE. April 12.-Spe-
cial--Read, alias Booker and Pickering,
the murderers of Stephan Geer. We're
arTalgned IN the police court this morn
ing, and subsequently held without bail.
TO answer at the next term of the circuit
court.
They were brought from the peniten-
tiary, securely handcuffed by q full ac-
compartment of police. and on reaching
the city courtroom, fully 500 hundred peO-
pie awaited them. While there is still
intense feeling against the negroes, no
outward demonstration manifested itself
but the prisoners We're in constant fear
lest they be taken from the officers and
mobbed. Pickering is forty years old
cunning and adept with his tongue He
confessed TO having fired the shot and
protested that il was done without pre-
meditation. He said that. as Read had
lied about him. he would tell the truth
Read was next called to make his
statement, in which he knew nothing
dDouL the gun Glckef1nS called MIN
down by saying that he (Read) had
handed him the gun He did not want it
particularly at such an hour in the
morning. as they had started out to
steal chickens. Read compelled him to
take the gun. On reaching the Geer
homestead. and when making prepara-
tons TO rob the hennery. the dog barked,
which attracted the attention Of Geer
No sooner had he reached the door than
Pickering took deliberate aim and fired
Read had a revolver on his person, but
did not use it. Both men are extremely
repulsive in appearance. Pickering is
satisfied that he himself will not only
hang. but that his partner will join him
on the gallows.
Severely burned.
LEAVENWORTH, April 13.-Mrs. Cor