Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1904-07-13
ASSASSIN HICKL|N CONVICTED
OF MURDER IN SECOND DEGREE
Plea of Insanity InterpOsed on His Behalf.
The Story Of the HiCklin Girl Was
Refuted by Other Witnesses.

| he saw two girls in the door. Pretty
soon Fred Hicklin walked out from
| behind the house and walked off to
the left, but in the same direction
they we're going. When about fifty
steps from the house and about thity
from the horsemen, HIcklin suddenly
whirled around and shot Mullino from
his horse. When the gun was raised
both Mullino and Rail raised their
/ hands in the air in a joking way.
/ When the shot was fired witness
thought that the shooter had fired, at
bird or something, until he saw
MulIino fall from his horse to the
ground. His horse then turned around
and he was met by Florence Hicklin,
who had a shotgun in her hands. She
told the witness that if he did not
get out of that vicinity she would kill
hin, and also said that her brother
had killed the man lying in the road.
Witness saw deceased lying on his
back, with his arms outstretched. He
was apparently dead. He did not
move after he was shot.
NJ. P. Rogers testified as to Florence
Hicklin being present beside the dead
body of Mullino after the shooting.
Other witnesses testified to the same
general facts as to the happenings
after the shot was fired, and the body
of Mullino had fallen to the ground
but none of whom had seen the shoot
ing.
Fred Hicklin's story as told on
the witness stand, substantially, was
that a. the dinner table on the day Of
the shooting his sister had told him
of improper proposals made to Der by
Mullino followed by his grabbing her
and only desisting when two parties
came in sight. She had said that she
told Mullino that she would tell her
brother, when Mullino replied that
he could pack as big gun as any of
the Hicklin family. He said that her
story had greatly enraged him and he
was in an excited condition all after
noon and that when about o'clock
his sister told him that Mullino was
approaching he took his rife and
walked down the road. He asked
Mullino why he had insulted his sis
ter, and received no reply. Then
Mullino made a sudden motion as if
to draw a gun, and he shot him.
On Friday morning Florence Hick-
lin was again placed on the stand and
repeated the story she had told her
brother, in substance as follows:
az went out of the Marksbury
, house where | was on the Wednesday
} evening previous to the shooting, in
. company with Jud Mullino. We
started out to find one of the Marks
bury girls who had left the house.
! When about 2OO or 300 yards from the
} house, Jud Mullino asked me to marry
, him. | told him l could not do that
} l then said l would go back to the
house. He then made an improper
proposal to me and grabbed hold OF
! me. He threw me down on the ground
and in the struggle got my clothes up
to my waist. l screamed several
times. Then, as he did not deslst,
: told him that my brother, Jim, and
r Miss Marksbury, we're approaching.
At that he jumped to his feet and Sc
; did l. then told him that he would
; see the day that he would be sorry for
what be had done. | told him that ]
, would tell my brothers all about it.
, He told me to tell them that he car
ried as big a gun as they could pack.
On cross examination she admitted
that she expected to meet one of the
, Marksbury girls near where she claims
q to have been assaulted. She also ad.
mitted that she and Mullino were
! going where she thought the girl
r would be found which negatived very
? largely her entire story unless it is as
D sumed that Mullino was mentally IN.
. balanced.
Other members of the family sub
K stantiated the fact that Florence haC
e told the above story to her brother.
K At this point in the proceeding
q the defense, seeing the apparent hope
e lessness of the case, asked to be al
t lowed to introduce evidence shown.
: that Hicklin was insane when he com
t mitted the deed. On being asked by
e the court if they intended to raise