The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-23


Coroner's Jury, After . Thorough In.
vestigation Of the Case-The Dead Mar
Was Clearly In tho Wrong all the Way
Through II There has Been no Jugg'ins
| With the Facts-Ths Trouble Started
With an Unreasonable Demand From
! Pickerell-DetatIso of the Case.
The county attorney and coroner Of
Butler county have held j. E. Giiberl
to have been justtifiable in killing hi:
| partner and relative. ". L. Pickerell
and have ordered his discharge from the
custody of the officers. The full detail:
Of the killing as taken from an Augusta
paper are as follows:
! Last March ]. E. Gilbert ard W. l.
Fletcher came from Galena. Kansas
where they had been working in the
mines, ard in partnership rented farm
Of G. W. Kenoyer, situated about ten
| mics southeast Of Leon, in Logan town
| ship. ilbert was single man, 81 years
Of age, and Pickerei: married, and 25
years of age. His wife was his cousin
and the daughter Of L. c. Pickerell, a
we'll respected citizen Of Logan. Gill
| bert's sister is the wife Of Mrs. Picker
els brother.
Gilbert and Pickerell, as stated, had
formed copartnership ard had put in
about 12c acres Of corn, tn former max
ing mis- home with the latter. No serious
difficulty had occurred between the ewo
until Tuesday Of last week. when they
had words and PickercI seized an ak
and chased Gilbert, the latter keeping
on: Of :he way until the formers anger
mad cooled. wher they became as good
friends as ever.
The best Information leads one TO the
conclusion that Pickerell had a violent
and at times uncomfortable temper. The
two partners were in town Monday trans
acting business, apparently on the best
CT terms with each other.
Tuesday morning Pickerell arose and
vert 10 the barn 20 do the chores. He
returned and without any reason ordered
Gilbert 10 take his sister-in-law, Miss Ida
Pickerel,. TO her fathers home, seven
miles distant. iGlhert refused until the
young lady had had breakfast. Pickerel
declared they should not have breakfas:
in his house. went to the stove and TAX
ing the bread from the oven threw il
out doors. He then went to the wood
pile, got ar ak and entered the house
threatening 10 kill both his wife and
Gilbert. The latter was in a back room
and having no means of escape, secured
46-calibre Winchester and ordered Pick
erell TO halt. The latter continued to adj
vance. when Gilbert, aiming at his an
tagonist's hands, fired. The bal struck
Inc ak handle. glanced and passed
through Pickerell's hand and wrist and
on through the lower part Of the abdo-
men.
Pickerell went out Of the house and
lay down, got up and entered the house
again. lay or the floor awhile and then
got up and lay on the bed, where he died
few hours later. Before his death he
he intended to kill iGlbert and then his
wife
When iGlbert had fired the shot he
went to a neighbours. told what he had
done, went TO Mr.. L. c. Pickere.rs, the
uncle Of the wounded man, related the
circumstances Of the shooting and then
went to Leon. surrerdering himself TO
Deputy Sheriff Brakeman.
The authorities were notified and the
preliminary hearing set for Wednesday
afternoon at 3 o'clock, before Squire
Wandall. Trustee Mccullough took
charge Of the remains and laid them to
res. in the Leor cemetery Wednesday
morning.
Mr.. Gilbert appears to be quiet, inof-
fensive, even-tempered young man. He
has lived in southeastern Kansas and
southwestern Missouri during the past
years. He preferred TO say 5rothing
about the sad affair in which he was one
of the principal actors, but willingly gave
other information. His reputation is
good among those with whom he is ac-
quainted. 1t is said that he told others
that he did not shoot TO xiii, but only TO
cripple his adversary. ard it is probable
tnat but for the bullet striking the ak
handle and glancing, Mr.. Pickereli
would be alive today.
The general opinion seems TO be that
the shooting was in self-deferse and JUS
tifable.
The deceased is described as having
had high temper and liable al any time
TO fly into passion upon the slightest
provocation His uncle relates that al
one time his father said that when angry
deceased had no serse. and the only way
10 do was to knock him on the head.
The father several years ago worked in
Middleton's stone quarry. and was in
the same company in the civil war as