The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-02-19
STAY SICK MAN
FOR HIS MONEY
Hickman Youths Charged
With Murder.
GOT sllo FROM THEIR VICTIM
Which He Had Saved to Re.
cuperate His Health
Bold Confession.
MOB vID...NCE WAS FEARED

Hickman. Ky. Feb. l6.-Within
few hours after the body OF John
Richie was found to-day beneath a
bluff overlooking the Mississippi
river, here. with the skull crushed
into shapeless mass and the peck
cts of the mans clothing turned in
side out, Dick" Shelby. l9-year-
old boy, was arrested and an amaz-
ing story of well-laid plot to kill
and rob Richie was unfolded to the
police. Popular feeling against
Shelby becams so great after
the details of his confession be-
came known that officers took the
boy from jail this afternoon, drove
to Fulton and at that point took "a
train 10. Pa ducah-
Hickman has been in a state of
excitement throughout the day. for
hardly had the news of the brutal
murder spread than Shelby was ar
rested His confession. duplicating
Jesse Bunton. of Dukedom, Ky,
followed.
.Ritchie's body was found two
blocks above the business section of
the city. on the bank of the river.
His head showed twelve crushing
blows with fourteen-inch iron bar.
with a heavy bolt on one end. The
skull was bursted in four places. Al
ter the man had been killed, he was
robbed, and his body was then
thrown over a thirty-foOt BLUM. II
fell on the river bank, and beside it
was found the iron bar which the
slayers used.
Richie was an employee of the
Mengel Box Company. at this place.
He believed he was a victim of tu-
berculOsis and had been saving his
money. with which to go West.
Shelby said that $40 and gold
watch was taken from his body. A
crowd gathered at the point where
the body was found, and Shelby
was among the number who gazed
down at the slain man. When
purse was being made up to obtain
bloOdhOunds to trace the murder
er. Shelby was one of the first to
contribute. He gave fifty cents.
Later in the day, officers learned
that Richie was last seen with c.
o. Shelby. who is known as "Dick"
Shelby. They went to his room at
his clearinghouse and found bloody
clothes. He was still at the scene
of the murder when he was taken
into custody, He made no resist
ance and at once admitted that he
had killed Richie.
Hundreds of persons pressed
about and followed Shelby as he
was being taken to Jail. Behind
bars, he was calm and his nerve
was mistaken. He asserted at tirstl
that he had killed Richie In self
defense, and in response to ques-
lions, declared that no one else was
connected with the crime. Told
that he probably. would hang. he /
LET them hang me. don't /
care"
When officers showed Shelby that
they had got more facts. the pro-
prietress OF the clearinghouse at /
which Richie stayed telling the po-
lice that Richie had sli0 when He
paid his bill last night. the boy
weakened and gave the whole story.
Shelby said he and BuntOn. had
been planning for the past two
weeks to kill Richie. Bunton has
not been here. but he and Shelby
used the telephone and mail 10
frame their plot. he said. Bunton
arrived yesterday afternoon, and at
O'Clock last night the two lured
Richie up the railroad track. and
about two squares past the business
section of the city. murdered him.
The boy told the police that he
md his accomplish intended ~
brow the body into the river. but
he body lodged at-the waters edge.
lie said be had gotten. sj5 and
watch and Bunton. had, taken $50
"A gold He told the police that the
money he had obtained was, under
J plank In building at his board