The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-12-19
Colorado Springs
Murderer Paroled

aroused in Colorado. Springs by the
announcement that the State Board of
Pardons had granted parole to
Charles Essick, sentenced to a life
term in the penitentiary here 13 years
ago for the murder of Frank l.. Scott.
Essick has been paroled to Thomas
Mott Osborne. former warden of the
Sing Sing prison, New York. who for
several years has taken an active in
terest in the Essick boy.
Leslie Francisco. who was also given
a life term in the penitentiary here
paroled several years ago. and since
then has achieved considerable fame
as an architect. The Colorado Springs
Telegraph. in commenting ON these
men and their crime, says:
.'Essick and Francisco shot and
killed Frank L. Scott December 20,
1865, in an attempted holdup at the
corner of Pixies Peak avenue and Wah-
satch street. Scott. a travelling sales
man living here, was en- route to the
Santa Fe station at the time of the
holdup. Essick and Francisco always
claimed that they did not intend TO
shoot, but that due to the nervousness
of Essick, the trigger of his gun was
accidentally pulled. Scott died with
out being able to tell who had shot
him.
For four days the hunt for the muir
derers was unsuccessful. Then Tom
Hazlett "a rancher living east of Coo
RADIO Springs, and by whom the two
men had been employed. became sus-
picious and informed the police de-
partment here.
Francisco was arrested later by
Detectives John Rowan and E. c.
Shultz The following day Essick
was arrested at his home, 313 South
Wahsatch avenue. Later the pair
confessed to the killing.
'.Essick and Francisco pleaded
guilty in the district court to murder
| ing Scott. Francisco. it is said, be-
came nervous and Essick took the gun
/ from him and shot the man they in
tended to rob. Both were sentenced
I to life imprisonment. Some time ago
parale was secured for Francisco.
who had proved himself an excellent
prisoners and who had become very
proficient as an architect. Relatives
and friends of the murdered man did
not oppose the parole.
Previous to the murder of Scott,
young Essick was convicted ard SEN
fenced on. August 9, 1899, to the state
industrial school for stealing $120 from
his father. Charles P. Essick.
Several years ago the father was
mysteriously murdered as he lay in his
bed in his home on South Wahsatch
avenue. When the body was discov-
cred the next morning it was thought
that Essick had committed suicide. as
i there was a bullet wound in hlAZfOre-
head and a revolver with one empty
sheu lay on the bed by his right hand.
When the body was removed to the
morgue. several stab wounds were dis
covered in the left side and an autop-
sy showed that he was dead before
the bullet was fired into his brain The
condition of the blood in his clothing
showed that he had not been in sit
| ting position or on his feet after he
was stabbed. After it was found that
he had been stabbed thorough search
was made of the house for the knife.
but it could not be found. About a
week after the murder. members of
the family notified the coroner that the
blood-stained knife had been, found in
the pocket of some clothing hanging in
closet. The blood bad dried on the
blade of the knife. but had not stained
the inside OF the knife. indicating that
the blood had dried on the blade be-
fore the weapon Was closed. Members
of the family, although the house was
small and the doors did not fit closely,
insisted that they heard no shot. An
investigation showed that the accounts
of Essick, who was clerk of of local
Woodmen camp, were short. A son.
Paul and a son-in-law. Arthur Davis,
were charged by the coroner's jury
with the crime and Mrs. Essick. the
widow, was charged with a guilty
knowledge OF the crime. Owing to
insufficient testimony the cases were
never tried and the mystery of who
murdered Charles p. Essick still re-
mains unsolved-'