Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-07
BR|CK[RS NOT GUILTY
Jury In the Murder Trial at Fort
Dodge Finds Verdict
Quickly.
-------
Defendants Awarded a Verdict
Of Not Guilty..Surprise
Is Expressed.
We're Accused OF Killing D. c.
Guild and His Son Clarence
Last June.
pecial to Times-Republican.


Fort Dodge, Nov. THE jury in the
Bricker murder trial has just brought
in a verdict of acquittal, after being out
less than an hour. and without taking a
ballot The result of the trial is great
surprise and there is great deal of in
dignation expressed. There Is some fear
where the crime occurred. 1t was a
double murder and occurred on the 2Sth
of June last The victims of the Brick
ers were d. C. Guild and his son Clar-
ence.
The parties to the affair We're farm
ers living three miles west of Stratford,
| in Webster county. The weapon with
which Bricker did the killing was II
gauge double barreled shotgun, which
was loaded with No. shot.
Stories differ as to how the shooting
occurred and as to who was the aggres-
sor Brickers story is that he met Guild
and son. Guild pulled a revolver and
commenced firing, and Bricker was hit
three times, on the lip, on the forehead
and in the arm. All the wounds were
slight. The last shot, Bricker claims,
was fired by the boy, Bricker having
knocked the revolver from Guilds
hands when he got thru firing, says
that his brother George met him with
shotgun. He fired one barrel at the
boy, who held a revolver. The boy fell
and as the father sprang to pick up the
pistol Bricker shot and killed him.
Charles Guild, the younger son of the
dead man, told different story. He
said that in the morning when his ia TIL
err arose he found his fence cut and
about forty head of cattle in his corn.
He met Ollie Bricker. FTe accused him
of having cut the fence and in scrap
which followed Ollie got the worst of 1t
and left for his home. In the after
noon about half-past / Mr.. Guild and
his sons Clarence and Charles started
out to look for their cattle. When close
to Bricker's Mr.. Guild told his son
Charles to go back home and pillow corn,
which the boy did. He had only adj
vanced a few steps when he heard the
report Of a gun. Looking back he saw
Ollie Bricker advancing towards his
father, firing revolver at him as he
went George Bricker followed him
closely with a double barreled shotgun.
When about forty feet from Clarence
Guild, George fired the gun. killing him
instantly. He then handed the gun to
his brother. Ollie. who at once fired the
remaining barrel at the father, c. A.
Guild, who, was also instantly killed and
fell across the body OF his son Clarence.
This is the. story of the boy.
The scene OF the ARRAY was only q
few hundred yards from Guilds home.
Mrs. Guild heard the shooting and
rushed to the spot, only to come upon
the dead bodies of her son and husband.
She carefully took off her apron. which
she wore, and wrapped 1t about her
dead husbands head.
Guild was a well-to-do farmer, 60
years of age. lie leaves a wife and
eight children, the Oldest II, and the
youngest baby in its mothers arms.
No attempt is made by the Brickars to
deny the shooting. The murder is the
result of long neighborhood feud over
a land deal. LAST fall Guild was shot
at from bush while driving along a
heavily wooded road. and his heavy fur
coat and wagon box were riddled with
bullets. Guild accused Oliver Bricker
of the shooting and caused HE arrest
but the grand jury failed to return an
indictment al the last session.
The revolver used by Guild was a 49,
caliber Smith e. Wesson. Four Of the
five chambers are empty.
The trial has lasted little more than
a week and has been attended by prac-
tically the entire population In the
neighborhood of the crime. There isI
general indignation that the Brickers
should escape all punishment for their
dead