The Washington times., 1928-01-03
tcontlnued tron Flrst Page.)

tCOnunueu IE0m flrSb EdBe.l
HIS plea has been entered, Judge
Hardy promises to make quick
ehrift of HicIknau,s case.
Whatever Hickman's plea viii be.
his attorney. Jerome Walsh, who
came here from Kansas City to
defend him, has not divulged q
single defense plan.
The possibility that Joseph w.
Ryan, who figured IN the tnvestiga-
ton OF the Aimee Semple McPher.
son kidnapping case, would join the
defense was precluded by the
former, prosecutors statement that
he had decided against the step.
II have made q close study Of the
facts. 1t Mr.. WaIsh,s request, and
after . thorough review Of all the
issues have decided not to become
connected with Hicknaan's defense,
said Ryan, recently resigned from
the District Attorneys staff.
'sUnder any other circumstances I
would have considered it an honor
TO be associated with man OF the
type Of Mr.. Walsh. "
Detective His Kin
It remained for Hickman, himself.
20 hint possible reason for Ryan's
decision.
isn't Ryan a son.in.law Of
cline?'' he asked his jailer.
Detective Chief Herman Cline,
who conducted the police investiga;
ton OF the Parker murder and
directed the nation wide hunt for
Hickman, is RyaIlss father-in-law.
Hickman will appear today Tor the
third time before Judge Hardy.
Twice before the case was con-
tinued to allow counsel for the &C
cused youth to prepare defense.
Guilty Plea Doubtful
At the time he made his comics.
sion, Hickman, according to Off
Gals, declared he would plead guilty
and take the consequences. It is
now doubtful If he will plead guilty
land IL he does there will be a des-
perate defense fight to save MIN
from the death penalty.
It is expected that the fight over
Eicknan's life win be long and Dit"
terly contested. Walsh, 1t Is De-
lfeved, will play for delay. in hope
that public feeling, now white no''
eventually viii cool.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles
county grand jury convened to
investigate the murder OF 2. Ivy
Thons. Los Angeles druggist, who
was shot down in a frustrated
InoIdun Of his Rose Hill Pharmacy
on Christmas Eve, 1926.
Two Have Confessed
Hickman and Welby Hunt, 16-
year-old Kansas City youth, have
confessed they planned and executed
the fatal holdup. Although Hunt
denied firing q shot during the
robbery, he was accused OF having
killed the druggist when an autopsy
showed that Thoms had been hit
with q .38-caliber bullet. Hickman,
in his confession, said Hunt was
carrying 2 .SS-caliber automatlc
pistol, while he used . .S2.caliber
gun. /.
tury also would investigate the
purported suicide" Of Abner
was Indicated when the district
attorneys office announced his
42.year.old widow. Carrie M.
Driskeli, would be called as q
witness.
Mrs. DriskelI is a step-grandmother
Of young Hunt and entered the inyes-
hgation OF the Parker kidnapping and
murder when she admitted she and
her step-grandson once sought to
rent double apartment in the
BelIevue Arms, where Hickman
confessed he put the girl to death.
Mother love will cause Mrs. Eva
Hickman, mother of Hickman, to
offer in open court the story Of her
own mental trouble, suffered sew
eRal years ago, in the effort to save
her son from the gallows.
Mrs. Hickman, who Is still in
Kansas City, her home, is said ia
be ready to endure all the suffer
ing q public recital OF her former
disorder would entail in order to
explain the strange conduct Of he,
sen and convince ths court and