Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1904-07-13

The trial of Fred Hicklin, who shot
Jud Mullino off his horse, killing him
Instantly at Iron King recently, which
was commenced last Thursday at
tracted a great man spectators TO the
court house. A jury was impaneled
with but very little trouble, consist
ing of the following persons NJ. ii.
Thomas, r. W. Meador, q. W.
French, Rudolph Baehr, 6. W. Ford,
F.E. Howe, W. T. Lomax, Amos
Swigert, John Simmons, c. A.
French, Claiborne Conger and a. j.
Kent.
Although the taking of testimony
was not commenced until 2 O'Clock on
Thursday afternoon, before court ad-
journed for the day the prosecution
had all of its testimony in and Fred
Hicklin, the defendant, had given his
testimony for the defense. The prin-
cipal witnesses for the prosecution
we're Mullino's two horseback com
panIons, who were the principal wit
nesses to the killing. The first one
put on the stand was Frank Armour,
who told the story of the killing and
substantially as follows:
az was riding from McCabe on the
day of the killing, which was the oath
of June, in company with Jud Null
limo and Frank Rail. When we
were within a short distance OF the
HIcklin house 1 noticed Florence
uickIin and another girl come out of
the house and 60 back in again. They
repeated the performance twice before
we got opposite to the door. When
we passed the house l saw Fred Hick-
lin step out from behind the house
carrying a rifle on his shoulder. and
walk off a little to our left, and a
trifie ahead OF us. He walked thus
for a distance of probably fifty or
sixty steps, bearing a little from us
all the time. When about thirty steps
from us he suddenly wheeled, and
raised the rife to his shoulder. The
gun went off almost simultaneously
with it's being raised, and Jud MuIlino
reeled in his saddle, and plunged from
his horse into the road. l was riding
a colt which took fright at the sound
of the gun, and whirled around. |
looked back over my shoulder and
saw Mullino lying stretched on the
ground on his back, with his arms ex-
tended. He was apparently dead.
When my horse was plunging towards
the HicklIn house 1 saw Florence
Hicklin in the road ahead of me. She
had a double barreled shot gun in her
hands. She told me not to go to the
body or she would kill me. She was
holding the gun in her hands; the
muZzle was pointed at the ground.
looked back and saw Fred Hicklir
with the rife in his hands in position
for shooting. ! then rode Oh to the
boarding house, and to the telephone
office. l sent word of the shooting tC
Prescott. :"
Cross examination of Armour failed
to shake the testimony given in hi:
direct examination and in fact evil
ence was brought out of more damag
ing nature, as it was in direct contra
dictiou of the story told later by the
defendant himself Among Other
things told by Armour on cross exam
.ination, after identifying Hicklin a:
the man who fired the fatal shot, was
that at the time the shot was fired
Mullino was sitting twisted around il
the saddle, bearing bis weight on one
stirrup, talking to witness and that
Mullino was laughing when the shot
was fred. In the position described
by the witness the breast of MullinC
would have been facing HickIin. He
said that Mullino was unarmed and
and was in his shirt sleeves whe1
shot He stated that the ground neaI
the house was covered rather thickl!
with short brush, and that Hicklil
when he first saw him, was walking
through the brush. He testified tina
he went after rifle, and came bacl
to the body of Mullino at one tim
shortly after the killing. Franz
Rahl, Mullino's other companion OIL
his fatal ride, and who was also an ey
witness to the killing was the mex
witness and he told the story prac
ticalIy as Armour did. He said t Ia
as they approached the Hickiin hous