The daily tribune., 1908-03-25
Was KICKHAM
MURDERED BY
TWO HOLDUPS

WAS lOuHu uIsmoHeicu VI bno Rio
Grande track about three and one half
miles east Of here Monday night,
victim Of murderous assault?
Was he killed by an accident by the
tIainy Was he dissatistified with the
outcome of life and lay on the rail-
road and committed suicide with the
know ledge that the train would soon
pass and dash out his life, or was he
drunk and lay there and fell asleep?
These are some of the questions that
are running through the mind of
Chief of Police Furniss and others
who were called down TO pick up the
parts of the body which was strewn
over distance of more than hun.
dred yards,
The death of the man is yet m un-
solved mystery, although it appeared
Yesterday that Hickman had been
killed by train while walking on
the track or else that he fell from the
trucks while stealing ride to this
city and that theory was generally
accepted. But it would hardly
seem probable that C man dressed
AS we'll as Hickman WAS would
hardly be walking the track at such
an hour and the night as dark as 1t
was, and it would also hardly seem
probable that he would be riding
the trucks of the cars with such a
good suit of clothing on.
Kick ham wore fine gray suit Of
clothes, had on white shirt and col
lar, wore fine pair of shoes which
cost about 81 new, had several clean
collars and number OF pairs of
clean socks in bundle wrapped in
newspaper. In folding case we're
two fine hair brushes, tooth brush,
a good razor and other things which
a man of refinement would carry
while travelling. He wore dark
derby hat of the quality which road
tramp usually could not afford. And
his hands were not caloused, indi-
eating that he had not performed
manual labor for months. if for years.
The three negroes who found the
body while returning from their fish
ing trip now report that they remem-
Der seeing two men pass them on the
track while coming from the @. +.
and l. dam to the point where the
body was found. aud that the men
were walking hurriedly. Are these
men responsible for the death of
Kickham? Did they Kill him for
what money he might have had and
then throw the body onto the track
for a passing train to hide their das-
tardly work? This theory is more or
less borne out from the finding of
Kickham's pocketbook ON the track.
The pocketbook WAS closed, but scat
tered along for some distance were
found some nickels and dimes amount
ing to less than dollar. Did these
men after killing Kickham take the
pocketbook from his pocket aud after
extracting the money therefrom, close
the pocketbook and while placing the
money in their own pockets, drop
some of the small change? These
are some of the theories that officer
Furniss is working on but the next
question,is who are the murderers and
where are they? The two men as
described were both tall aud we'll
built One was moro than six feet
tall and weighed over 200 pounds
The other WAS about five feet and nine
inches in height aud weighed about
lG5 pounds If they did not murder
this man, why were they in such n
hurry to reach Portland and why did
they refuse to answer the negroes
when spoken to?
Another point which bears out
possible murder IL the fact that tho
case containing the hair brushes. etc,
mentioned above, and the package OF
clothing and other things wrapped In
n newspaper. were laid between tho
ties ON tho outer edge Of the track.