Bridgeton pioneer., 1895-10-31
ORAzED WITH RUM.
Said He Was Attacked by Highwaymen and
That he Killed One of Them. Then
Said he Was a Liar.

That he Killed One of Them. Then
Said he Was a Liar.
I've cut mans throat and he's lying
upon the Deerfield pike dead" cried
John Sickler Saturday night, about half
past six O'Clock, as he stumbled into the
Mayors office.
Officers Woodruff and Garrison were
just getting ready to go out on the night
patrol when Sickler came in. They has
tened the fellow into the back office and
asked him for his story. Sickler declared
that he was driving along the Deerfield
pike toward Bridgeton, when along by
the Lily pond, four men came out upon
him. Two sprang at his horses head,
and the other two leaped on the front of
the wagon. One of them commanded
Sickler to throw up his hands, which he
did. Then one of the fellows took from
an inside coat pocket brown wallet con-
tanning $27 in notes. AS Sickler held up
his hands he came in contact with a case
knife which he used to clean fish, that
was sticking in the top Of the wagon. He
grabbed the knife, he said, and drew it
like flash across the robbers throat,
and the fellow dropped like a log between
the feet of the horse and the wagon. He
further said that two women who
were driving just ahead of him, witnessed
the murder, and cried out, "My God,
you have killed him."
Sickler said as soon as the dead victim
fell beneath the wagon he hurried his
horse home, telling everybody whom he
met of the awful deed, and finally came
to the Mayors office and gave himself up
as murderer.
The officers locked the fellow up in the
city prison, and Officer Garrison took
Sickler's horse and wagon to his home.
Before doing so, the murderous knife
and wicked looking hatchet were taken
from the wagon.
Mayor Applegate was notified, and
Immediately came to the office and Sick
Ter told him the same story as depicted
above. The Mayor was first impressed
with the fact that Sickler was somewhat
under the influence of liquor, the fumes
from his breath being very much in evil
dence. Then the Mayor examined the
deadly knife. 1t was an ordinary case
knife and was as dry as a bone and there
was not upon it a single stain. Fish
scales were still all over the blade, not
one of them being swept away when the
knife was drawn across the throat of the
highwayman.
The Mayor was impressed with the
theory that Sickler was lying, but in ac-
cordance with his official duty, notified
Prosecutor Logue. That official did not
believe much of the tale, but thought it
best that the officers should take Sickler
out to the spot, and see something about
the matter.
Accordingly team was secured, and
the Mayor, officers Woodruff and Lore,
Jail Warden Watkins, Sickler, and a
PIONEER reporter drove out the Pike,
When the toll gate was reached, it was
learned that Sickler had told the story
there, and pretty much everybody along
the road was somewhat frightened.
When the Lilly pond was reached, Sick
Ter said that it was not the place. Then
the party journeyed on for mile or more
to Loper's run, and there the spot was
picked out by Sickler. In fact he picked
out several spots, and yet there were no
dead men lying around, and no evidence
OF fearful struggle could be found. The
officers and detectives hunted for clues,
while the reporter amused himself tell
ing Slckler that he was lying and that no
attack had ever been made upon him.
Finally the party returned home, Sick
Ter still protesting that his first story
was true.
Then Mayor Appelgate told Sickler
that upon his story of killing man he
would be obliged to lock him up, until
the matter was thoroughly Investigated.
Slckler wanted to give bail, but the
Mayor informed him that murder was
not bailable offense. But Sickler pro-
tested that there was no evidence against
him OF murder. The Mayor quietly re-
piled that Sickler had already pleaded
guilty. From that time Sickler was de-
pressed. When the lookup was reached
the Mayor ordered Sickler locked up,
but John wanted to talk to the Mayor.
The Mayor went with him to one side of
the building, and Sickler declared the
story was ''fake'' and that he had been
drinking, and simply made up the whole
story. The Mayor then had Sickler
locked up on charge of drunk and dis
orderly conduct
The story of the awful hold up and
murder in self defense soon swept over
the city, and great crowd of people
gathered about the lookup and the
Mayors office. Thrilling descriptions
We're freely circulated, and everybody
was telling different stories. The crowd
about the Mayors office for
several hours. The report was freely cir
culated that the murdered man had been
found. For time the widest excite
ment prevailed
After spending Sunday in the lookup,
Sickler came before the Mayor Mouday