The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-05
SHERIFF
TO HIS DEATH
-%@
Bandits Kill Peace Officer in
Cold Blood.
POSSE WILL LYNCH THEM
IF TAKEN ALIVE OUTLAWS WILL
BE HANGED,
POSSE WILL LYNCH THEM
fspecial to The Herald.O

n HEYENNE, Wyo., Jan. --latest
advices from Casper show the
~ killing of Sheriff Kicker was one
OF the most dastardly and cold-blooded
murders ever perpetrated on this from
tier
The peace officer was not killed in a
battle with the outlaws, as reports
from Casper yesterday declared him to
be Instead Of that he was decoyed
into the stable at the Woodward ranch,
where, after being tortured in the most
brutal manner possible, he was killed
by inches. One of his posse who went
with him into the barn went off with
the outlaws afterward. and among
people who know the missing deputy
it is matter of speculation whether
he went of his own accord or whether
the outlaws compelled him to go with
them.
Prayers of the dying sheriff for
mercy were greeted with jeers by the
outlaws
In the first posse that went out with
Sheriff Kicker there were only four
men besides the sheriff.
Outlaws Get Reinforcements.
The outlaws consisted at first of the
two Woodward brothers and two other
prisoners, who went with them. 1t
is believed, however, that upon arriv-
ing at the Woodward ranch they were
Joined by some desperadoes from the
HOle-in- the-Wall country at the ranch
When the sheriff's posse reached the
ranch they found all the doors of the
cabins closed and the window curtains
drawn. While they were making their
examinations, however, a man stepped
out of the barn and acted as though
he was surprised TO see the intruders
Later developments. however, made it
patent the posse was expected.
Upon seeing the sheriff's posse the
fellow made off in the foothills behind
the stable. Two of the posse followed
him and were soon out of sight in the
hills. As soon as the fugitive and his
pursuers had disappeared one other
man came out of the stable and hailed
the sheriff and his one remaining dep
uty, who happened to be the one who is
now missing. Suspecting nothing and
believing they were two against one.
the sheriff and the quondam deputy
went to the stable. What happened to
the sheriff there before death released
him from his torture can only be sur
missed from the mutilated appearance
of his body, for when the two mem
bers of the posse who had chased the
first bandit were making their way
back TO the premises they were sud
denly halted by a rife bullet which
whistled close 10 their heads. II soon
became apparent to them that thew
would both be killed if they advanced
upon the outlaws stronghold, and they
returned to Casper for. reinforcements.
VIII Be Killed or Lynched.
When the people heard Of the fate
Of the sheriff a determined posse. con-
sisting OF 80 men, obtained horses and
went to the Woodward ranch.
Sheriff Ricker's body had been taken
out Of the barn by the outlaws and
leaned up against a fence. His fingers
were chopped off and his teeth knocked
in. His face was almost unrecogLiz-
able from the many bruises on it. In
addition TO this all the clothing that
had been left on him had been torn
ID shreds.
The position Of the body and the
manner in which it had been disfig-
ured created the impression that the
outlaws intended it as a warning to
the other pursuers.
Whep they saw the barbarous treat
ment that had been administered to the