The  Examination  of  John  Pickens

 

                          Arraigned Before Commissioner Robinett Yesterday and Was Acquitted.

 

 Last Saturday at the town of Hennepin John Pickens had a difficulty with W.J. Fox and as a result fox received wounds with a knife in the hands of Pickens that resulted in his death.  Pickens was brought to the city and lodged in the federal jail to await an examination of the affair by the authorities.

 

 Yesterday he was arraigned before Commissioner Robinett and discharged from custody.

 

 The trouble started between Fox and his wife, who is a sister of Pickens and Saturday while at the blacksmith shop of the former where witness said he had gone to see if there could not be a settlement effected, that Fox cursd him and assaulted him with a pair of red hot tongs.

 

 The evidence in the case showed that it was purely a case of self defense and after examining the witnesses Judge Butler discharged the prisoner.  Attorneys McGuire and Robinett appeared for the defense.

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... In 1885 the following men were accused of murdering their neighbor, ERNEST KOENICKER: "Old Man" Casey, Wick Casey, John Casey and Sherman Casey and also two men named Pickens. They killed Mr. Koenicker and left his body in the Arbuckle Mountains, and then they stale all his possessions and claimed to have bought them from him. His bones were found a few years later. A request for a warrant for their arrest was made to U. S. Marshal, COLONEL JOHN CARROLLS. Later another request for a warrant for their arrest was made to HECK THOMAS, deputy marshal, in 1887

 

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Written across the upper left hand edge is: too old not issued

Woodford, I.T. Dec. 3^rd 1885

Col. John Carroll (Carrolls) U.S. Marshal

Dear Sir"

Please have warrants issued for the following named men - and send to me, Mat Johnson, negro for theft of two three year old steers, stolen from Gus Cawley about May 1^st, 1884. Negro sold the steers about May 1^st, 1884 to James Roff who is now dead. Witnesses are Gus Cowley, Lavon Brawley. Charles Roff and John Roff, all good men. No doubt of a good case and said negro is of bad character, was a side partner of Jim and Pink Lee, and if we can get holt of him we will no doubt get good cases against him for various crimes and also warrants for Wick and Sherman Casey if you think the following is sufficient – to issue warrants on. Ernist Keonnicker <a German> lived near here with a young man by the name of John Holmes. They were farmers and kept batch.

The German had been accused of stealing some meat from Chas Roff and it had been reported but he wasn’t aware of the charges against him, About the 1^st of October, the above named Caseys came to the house of Holmes and Kennicker and proposed trading a pair of mules to Kennicker for a pair of horses he had, This was about noon and Kennicker got one of his horses to go see the mules and he told Holmes he would be at home again before night and went off with the two Caseys to where they lived in an out-of-the-way place in the Arbuckle Mountains and has never got home yet nor cannot be found atoll. And his friends have hunted the country over for him and the next day after the Casys and the German left the Caseys came with their wagon team and all and told Holmes that they had bought Kennicker out and had come to take possession of Kennicker’s effects. And did so. Have got everything Kennicker had and cannot give account of him. And say they never saw the German after five o’clock of the same day he left with them.

They have horses, wagon, corn, tools, shot G.G. worth about $550.00 or $600.00 which belongs to the German and claim to have a bill of sale for same but – Holmes, saw bill of sale, they have and says it is not the German’s handwriting and Caseys say they paid Kennicker about $100.00 for all which is no part of the right value and all who know Caseys say they had no money to pay for these things they were hard up. Had been working by the day for provisions and had hardly enough to live on and had said at different times they had no money atol. Parties were at their house and only found bread and milk to eat and on the heels of this claim to have paid $100.00 cash for the German’s affects. They have not had any money since they have been in possession of the things.

They are hard looking men and have acted in such away that every person in the settlement is suspicious of them. And all believe they have murdered the German to get his outfit and there is considerable excitement over it now. Stokely and myself went to their house this morning under pretext of buying corn form them and they were out back of the house talking with Holmes when we rode up. Holmes came up to us and Caseys would not come but Wick(the oldest one) went to the window and had his wife hand his shotgun to him and Sherman. The other climbed in at the window and got his shotgun and came out at the door. The only door in the house and they went off to the creek bottom. And we talked awhile to Holmes and told him to meet us at Charles Roff’s and we left and after we left they came back and asked Holmes who we were and what we wanted but he told them he did not know that we wanted to buy corn and were cattlemen. They told him they believed we were marshals. Holmes believed them guilty of murder and will do all he can to find out about the matter. He is going tomorrow to hunt out the part of the mountains they lived in to see if he can find any traces of the German’s body or anything. They have hunted for him once but Holmes is not satisfied with the hunt.

Caseys have all of Kennicker’s papers, his naturalization papers. Now these are the facts as near as I can state them. I would arrest and hold them but I believe they would fight and I prefer a warrant for self-pertection so if you think these circumstances sufficient to issue warrant on please send warrant to me at once. The witnesses are as follows: John Holmes, George Poe, Joseph Pickens and one Shelton whos given name I don’t know. And there are a number of others that can be had but these are the most important. Now if you think this a case please send papers to me at once at Mill Creek, Chickasaw Nation, I.T. I believe we can easily make a case of cold blooded murder out of the above. Please let me hear from you as soon as possible. Pardon my long letter for I wanted to set the thing right before you. I will send for more papers soon. We are all getting along fine. Regards to all the boys.

Yours respectfully,

C.E. Garretson

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