ORGY OF CRIME

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 45, 21 January 1928, Page 13

ORGY OF CRIME

THREE SLAYINGS SUSPECTED. ACCOMPLICE OWNS UP. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 1. “Have you ever killed anyone besides Marion Parker?” a detective asked William Edward Hickman as that precocious murderer was led into court to-day. “Sure!” replied Hickman. “I killed Mr Ivy Thomas, the . Pasadena druggist, .while Webly Hunt, aged 16, and I were holding, up his place'on Christmas Eve last year.” The police immediately arrested Hunk who subsequently confessed, but claimed that Hickman fired the fatal shots. Meanwhile" the police hint that other murders would be sheeted home to Hickman. At first, Hunt strenuously denied the crime, but Hickman substantiated his confession by recalling details of the Thomas hold-up. He declared that when they were running away Hunt was wounded in the shoulder by a policeman.

This was checked up by a physician who found the scar of a bullet on Hunt’s shoulder. Hunt then told the complete story of his former association with Hickman. He said that they frequently talked over their crimes and the chances they ran during their “shooting scrapes,” and he asserted that Hickman often wanted to get hold of a woman and cut her up, and scatter the pieces of her body along the highway, in order to see what sort of a sensation it would make.

GHOULISH PROCLIVITIES. In tho middle of this story of tne ghoulisli proclivities of his associate, Hunt was identified by Mrs Thomas, wife of the chemist to whose murder Hickman confessed. She .arrived at tho gaol and identifed Hunt as the slayer of her husband. Both Hunt and Hickman have denied to the police that they were members of a gang which was supposed to be ruled over by a mysterious woman known as the Bandit Queen. Durin fe last summer this woman was alleged to be the ruling spirit in the Los Angeles underworld.

The Milwaukee police are also moving on the belief that Hickman was responsible for the strangling of a I girl named Lillian Graeg in that city on October 11 last. Police from Milwaukee have been sent to Los Angeles to endeavour to identify him. The Los Angeles police themselves are threatening to add still a few more stones to the pyramid of crime that may be sheeted home to Hicisman. They promise more sensations, involving still more people in other crimes which they now allege have been committed By this amazing youth.

POLICE BUNGLING. The Los Angeles police .are smarting under public criticism of their failure to capture Hickman. The public ana tlie newspapers are impatient of the bungling which allowed Hickman to take a girl for automobile rides the day after the crime. They have little but scorn now for the leading detectives that interviewed him in his Bellevue apartment and allowed him to go. These detectives have now been discharged from the force. The Los Angeles police are annoyed that it should have fallen to the lot of a simple country policeman to. collect the £3OOO reward offered for Hickman’s capture. Their immense efforts went for nothing,’ The country “copper” merely stepped in front of a car and told the driver to stop. MOTHER CRUSHED. A young attorney named "Walsh has .arrived to represent Hickman’s mother, whom he declares is indescribably broken and crushed. The woman is utterly unable to comprehend her son’s guilt. Nine years ago her husband instituted insanity proceedings against her. He then deserted her and her five children. She worked literally day and night to re-establish the family. All the others except Edward are turning out well and holding 1 good business positions.