Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-17
MERRYMAN TELLS
ABOUT MURDERS
"a YEARS AGO

r. C. Merryman, forty-seven years
Old who recently was sentenced to
life imprisonment by Judge w. E.
II. Searcy. Jr., in the emergency di
vision of the Fulton county superior
, criminal court following his plea of
guilty to a statutory charge, made
a written confession before Sheriff
Wayne Walker of Hickman, Ky,
and Sheriff James l. Lowry, of Full
ton county, at the Fulton county
jail Sunday duplicating himself and
four other men in the murder of an
aged couple at Hickman thirty-four
years ago Claiming he was but a
boy of eleven years at the time, he
described the crime in detail. His
statement was taken by a stenogra-
pher and was witnessed by Sheriff
Lowry as a notary public.
Merryman recognized Sheriff
Walker as a member of the Walker
family as soon as he approached the
Ecell in which the former is confined.
During his conversation Merryman
named several persons in and about
Hickman who have since died and
described places well known to the
sheriff of that place. Although I'M
able to give the full names of some
of the parties involved in the crime,
Merryman cleared the mystery that
has prevailed in the town of Hick-
man for the past thirty-four years
and told Of other crimes that had
been committed in the Kentucky
town that had never been unraveled
by the authorities.
Merryman, in his sworn state
ment, reiterated his statement of a
few days ago to Jailer r. M. Hol-
land He told of meeting two men
by the names of Frank Gibson and
Larson and of accompanying them
at their request to the, home of the
aged King couple. He said he was
living on the Dyersburg road at the
time and met the men near the Irby
home.
From there he said they went
across the old Mari place and across
the John Andy Wilson place and by
the Widow Jones' farm to the King
property" Gibson and Larson as
sisted him to climb through a win
dow of the King home, he said, ana
after he had opened the doors they
entered the house. A noise at the
barn aroused Mr.. King, who, he says,
went out to investigate. Mrs. King
entered the kitchen, where he and
Gibson were, and before she could
make an cutlery Merryman declares
Gibson struck her in the head with
Ratchet, killing her. King was
killed in a like manner, MerrynAan
declared, as he started for the
house. This blow, Merryman says,
was struck by Larson. lobe Ken
bricks waited on the road and
watched while the party went to the
King home, and Will Mari secreted
himself in the barn, Merryman
claims. The object of the crime,
Merryman declares, was robbery.
He says he does not know how
much money was found by the as
sassins, but he told of the spot
where it was divided and told Sher-
if Walker where the two hatchets
were buried.
Sheriff Walker left Atlanta Sun
day night for Hickman, and as he
departed he told Sheriff Lowry he
would endeavor to find the buried
hatchets as a further proof of Mer-
ryman's statements: 1t is said that
no steps will be taken by the Ken
lucky authorities to have Merryman
transferred to that state for. trial.
Sheriff Walkers visit to Atlanta
was made at the request of relatives
of the King couple and : r the pur-
pose of clearing the mystery. Mer-
ryman told the Kentucky sheriff
that his, fathers name was Joseph
f. Merryman and he was a laborer.
Merryman will be transferred
from the county jail to the chain
gang this week to spend his remain
ing DAYS in building roads