Atchison County Kansas Newsarticles

Atchison County, Kansas

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

George Garrison Pickett, descendent of Hiram Wright Pickett.... Transcribed & submitted by Sue & Verlin Wichman

This is a news story from the Effingham New Leaf, published in Effingham, KS, dated June 17, 1932. (Effingham is located in Atchison County, KS.)

Grim Tragedy in Effingham

Geo G. Pickett Murders His Wife, Then Commits Suicide

Effingham people are shocked by the terrible tragedy that occurred Wednesday, when Geo Pickett murdered his wife about 5 a. m., and nearly noon committed suicide.

Mr. Pickett used a hatchet to hit his wife two blows in the forehead, one of which cut a gash and broke her nose, but the blows did not kill her, as H.S. Youngberg, undertaker, says evidence showed she had fought him. With a knife he had severed the jugular veins and arteries in her throat. In fact he had made slashes almost around to her spine. She had been stabbed in the chest and her hands cut, which leads Mr. Youngberg to believe there had been a struggle.

The bloody finger prints of his hands were left on the foot of the bed, so the murderer had evidently stood there and watched his victim die.

Mr. Pickett was 67 years old, his wife 53.

After murdering his wife Pickett wrote a letter to his daughter Mrs. Lena Ablett, of Des Moines, Iowa, the Pickett’s former home, where they had been married in April. He also wrote a note to his sister.

This was Mr. Pickett’s seventh marriage, and it is believed Mrs. Pickett had been married twice before. Pickett had obtained four divorces, one wife committed suicide, and one died a natural death.

Pickett and his wife had had troubles, according to remarks each had made to outsiders. Two suitcases, a trunk, and suitbox were neatly packed with her clothing, and a number of pieces of linen and bedding were laid out ready to be packed, which leads people to believe she was preparing to leave him. One suitcase was locked. The lock was broken by Mr. Youngberg, upon orders of Wm Stanton, Sr. who was acting coroner for his son Wm. Jr.

The final link leading to the tragedy seems to have been a $50 bill that Pickett gave his wife several days ago but which she would not return when he asked for it.

Wednesday morning after the tragedy Pickett had evidently made a thorough search of the rooms to find the money, but failed in the search. Around $8 in small change was found in purses and small banks. A bag containing old coins property of Mrs. Pickett was also found.

About 8 a.m. Pickett went to the depot and telegraphed two tickets to the daughter mentioned above and her husband saying “Come at once you are badly needed.

He gave Mr. Panzeram a $20 gold piece. Mr. Panzeram didn’t have the change, so Pickett went up town and got change, then returned and paid for the tickets.

Geo Regan, a nearby neighbor, had been told to come over that afternoon and get some steel and iron, that Pickett had been collecting. Mr. Regan went but found the screens hooked and the doors locked from the inside.

That evening, Mr. Regan met Mr. Panzeram on the street, told him there had been no signs of life around the Pickett home all day and asked if they had bought tickets out of town. Mr. Panzeram recalling the telegram decided some investigating should be done at once, so he, Mr. Regan, Rob’t Flemming, undersheriff; John Trompeter, Henry Potts, Ralph Snyder, Lee Beard and LeRoy Bishop broke in a door and entered the house.

Mrs. Pickett was covered in the bed. The sheet was smeared with blood. Mr. Pickett had gone into an adjoining small room, laid down on the floor pushed the trigger of the shot gun with a cane. The body could have been seen from an outside window.

The day before the tragedy, Pickett took the gun to Mr. Regan and told him to fix it, saying he wanted to kill some sparrows. A rifle was found in the house.

Mr. Pickett had washed the blood from the knife and hatchet, but had left some on the latter. The knife had been replaced in a table drawer. It was a long handled knife with a short blade.

Prior to his last marriage the deceased man had purchased a home from the late John Wardlow, for $500, from a newspaper advertisement without seeing the property. According to one of his daughters Mr. Pickett at this time had $800.

Pickett had no employment since coming to Effingham. He did some gardening and had been looking for a real estate trade to secure a larger garden plot. That he might have had some experience in wood carving is evidenced by the fact that a large number of clubs of the police type had been cut by him in recent months and a wooden chain with moveable links, about 103 feet in length, had been carved from pieces of lumber and draped around the room.

Cancelled papers in the home showed that at some time Mrs. Pickett had been drawing a pension of $14 per month. Both carried insurance and recent payments had been made. Mrs. Pickett had also recently deposited $900 in a local bank.

Henry Potts, a neighbor, and E. C. Donahoo, who happened to be at the Potts home, heard a shot around 10 a.m. and they believe it was at that time he concluded his terrible deed.

The furnishings of Pickett home are meager, but everything is neat and clean.

Both evidently had been collectors of trinkets. Among the effects were four ladies watches, two of them were small gold watches, the other were wrist watches; and there were several rings.

Among Mr. Pickett’s collections were also found a large packet of newspaper clippings of nefarious and atrocious crimes, which he had collected and evidently studied.

Mr. Pickett mentioned “another man” in one of his notes. A letter written by someone signed “Charles” was found and read by Effingham people. In the letter she had been addressed in endearing terms and the letter closed in an affectionate manner.

A half-brother of Mrs. Pickett’s came from Kansas City, Friday. He gave Mr. Youngberg the addresses of two of her sisters in Des Moines, Iowa, who were telegraphed and they asked that her body be sent there by Stutz & Shifflett for burial, and their local undertaker came for the body.

Mr. Pickett requested that he be buried in Effingham and that Mrs. Pickett people decide as to her burial place.

Mr. Pickett had laid a suit, in which he was to be buried, on the bed.

Effingham people who had visited the scene of the tragedy say both of the deceased people had an abundant supply of good clothing, more than is usually found in most homes.

Four daughters of Mr. Pickett and the husband of one arrived in Effingham, Friday morning. For eighteen years he had not spoken to any of the daughters, except the one to whom he sent the telegram.

W. H. Sells was appointed administrator of the estate by Judge DeDual, Friday, so that arrangements could be made for the burial, and the disposition of the personal property.

The four daughters who came to Effingham had never seen their step-mother and knew nothing whatever about her or her family. Letters found in the home, mentioned something about her daughter.

Mr. Pickett’s daughters who came to Effingham, knew very little of his activities after he and their own mother, his first wife, separated. They lived together eighteen years, and upon their separation in 1912, she was given the custody of the minor children.

In looking over the old family album, many happy memories were recalled when the mother, father and eight children lived on a ranch in Iowa, and they asked for the pictures. Accompanying the Pickett children to Effingham, were some of their friends. All, with the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Ablett, returned home Friday evening. The two mentioned remained until the remains were interred in the Evergreen cemetery, Saturday morning.

According to records found in the home, the deceased was of the Seventh Day Adventist faith.

He was a man of the non committal type, who talked very little. His son-in-law who had been in the family eighteen years, declared he didn’t know him any better at the end of that time than the day he entered the family.

At the grave, Rev. Bartlett Hess held a short service.

Pallbearers were W. H. Sells, Lee Beard, Fred Stutz, Geo. Regan, Henry Potts and Rob’t Flemming.

Note: I attempted to type this story as it was printed in the Effingham New Leaf with no corrections in sentence structure, spelling, or punctuation. Sue Wichman, November 2007

This is part of the news story that was published in the Effingham New Leaf June 17, 1932.

A half-brother of Mrs. Pickett’s came from Kansas City, Friday. He gave Youngberg the addresses of two of her sisters in Des Moines, Iowa, who were telegraphed and they asked that her body be sent there by Stutz & Shifflett for burial, and their local undertaker came for the body.

Mr. Pickett requested that he be buried in Effingham and that Mrs. Pickett’s people decide as to her burial place.
Mr. Pickett had laid a suit, in which he was to be buried, on the bed.

Note: (From Verlin Wichman) - The news story that was published in the Effingham New Leaf June 17, 1932. Effingham is in Atchison County Kansas. Effingham is located about 15 miles east of Holton where Sue and I live. We went to Atchison Thursday Nov. 1, 07. We visited some of the historical places there. While at the old railroad station I visited with a volunteer there. I told him of my search for family history and also my search for the burial place of George G. Pickett. He said that the local library there in Atchison had a nice Genealogy Section. Sue my willing wife said O.K. As we knew about the time of George’s death that helped. The first thing Sue came up with was some books that had been compiled by the Atchison County Historical Society. Sue found one for the Evergreen Cemetery in Effingham. George G. Pickett is listed in that book as “George C. Pickett” ,( C.),Death as 6-8-1932 68yrs. (6-8-1932--June 8, 1932 ) Sue and I have walked that cemetery in Effingham but found no stone. That doesn’t mean there is one. We didn’t try to locate the Cemetery Sexton . The Evergreen Cemetery is one of two in Effingham. I’ll at some point try to get the whole story typed up. We found the news story on microfilm. The library had several rolls of film, some were for the Effingham New Leaf for the weekly newspaper stories Jan , 1931 thru 1935. My wife also found these.

( As to George's age.. the cemetery transcription has him 68 yrs. old. The newspaper 67 yrs. old. )

The Evergreen Cemetery is located in Effingham , Atchison County, Kansas. Benton TWP

Transcribed & Submittted by Verilin and Sue Wichman

George G. Pickett as it appeared in the Atchison Daily Globe June 12, 1932. ATCHISON DAILY GLOBE
June 12(?), 1932

EFFINGHAM MAN KILLS WIFE WITH HATCHET; SHOOTS SELF

George G. Pickett Sends Telegram and Ticket to Daughter at Des Moines After Slaying Wife

NEIGHBORS BREAK INTO HOUSE TO INVESTIGATE

Shot Heard About 11:00 O’Clock Yesterday

Mrs. Pickett's Throat Cut to the Bone With Picket Knife

Pickett Shoots Self in Neck With Shotgun Pushing Trigger With Cane

For the second time in as many days, Atchison County figured in a double tragedy. It was revealed last night when alarmed neighbors broke down the door of the George G. Pickett residence in Effingham to find the bodies of Pickett and his wife—Mrs. Pickett the victim of an attack with a hatchet and pocket knife and her husband a suicide. They had both died before noon. The discovery was made after 8 o-clock.

Petty bickering had prompted Pickett, about 70 years of age, to kill his wife as she lay asleep, and to commit suicide, according to a letter that he left for daughter, Mrs. Lena Ablett of Des Moines, the Pickett’s former home. Mrs. Pickett was several years her husband’s junior.

Pickett started the letter at 5:30 o’clock yesterday morning, in which he told of trouble that he and his wife had had and of his desire to make a settlement with her and to mortgage their property in Effingham and give her half of the money realized. Bags were packed in the house at the time of the tragedy, indicating that either one or both of the Picketts were preparing to leave.

The final link leading up to the tragedy seems to have been a $50 bill that Pickett gave his wife several days ago but which she would not return, according to the contents of the letter. Pickett stated in the letter that he asked for it again “this morning” (yesterday). Effingham people who discovered the tragedy, however, are of the opinion that Mrs. Pickett was attached without being awakened from her night’s sleep.

“This morning I asked it again,” Pickett wrote, “and she refused so I went in on her with the hatchet then cut her throat.”

Pickett then wrote that he would go to the depot to telegraph Mrs. Ablett and to send her railroad transportation to Effingham. Here is an apparent break in the letter.

Pickett filed the following telegram to Mrs. Ablett at 7:30 o’clock yesterday morning with H. C. Panzeram, Missouri Pacific agent at Effingham. “You are needed. Come at once.”

He presented a $20 gold piece in payment for tickets for Mr. and Mrs. Ablett from Des Moines to Effingham, and when the station agent couldn’t make change Pickett went to the D. Richter store, where he had a $10 bill changed.

In the transaction, Mr. Richter asked Pickett if he had made an intended real estate trade by which he expected to get more garden space. Pickett, who appeared unusually white and shaken, replied that he was “done with everything.”

The letter is again taken up apparently after Pickett returned from the depot and the dispute over the $50 bill is mentioned as well as another minor disagreement.

“It is nearly 9:00 o’clock,” Pickett concluded. “Must go and use the shot gun.” An erasure occurs on the last word in the letter and what appears to be the word “noon” is written in a heavier hand.

Another letter addressed to Mrs. A. S. Gish, Chehalis, Wash. Contained the following message, “Sister Amanda, I have started something I will soon finish. I wrote you a card just after I came here and got no answer. Hoping all well. G. G. P.”

Harry Potts and other neighbors said that they heard a shot from within the Pickett house around 11 o’clock yesterday morning. When no evidences of life were seen all day around the house and none last evening, a group of Effingham men including Bob Flemming, deputy sheriff, John Trompeter, H Panzeram, Henry Potts, Ralph Snyder, Lee Beard, George Regan and LeRoy Bishop, broke down the back door of the fully-locked five room house.

Mrs. Pickett was in her night clothing in a bed in the northwest room. She had apparently been struck over the left temple near the eye with the blunt edge of the hatchet, and again down the middle of the forehead with the sharp edge. Her throat had been cut clear to the spinal column with a pocket knife, and in the opinion of Harry Youngberg, Effingham undertaker, this resulted in death from loss of blood rather than the blows on the head. Indications were that Mrs. Pickett did not die immediately.

The body of Pickett was found in an adjoining southeast room where he had made a pallet for himself on the floor. He had tripped the trigger of a .12 gauge shot gun with a cane, the charge entering his neck at the left side, severing the jugular vein.

Pickett carefully washed the blood stains from both the hatchet and the knife.

LITTLE KNOWN OF COUPLE

The only information that can be gathered concerning the Pickett’s personal history comes from documents now in the hands of William Stanton, Sr. action coroner of Atchison County. Many Effingham persons did not know that a family of that name lived in the town: others had seen Pickett on the street making occasional staple purchases or going to the post office: while Mrs. Pickett seems to have been known only by a few neighbors.

According to the papers found in the house, Mrs. Ira May McDonough and George G. Pickett were married at Des Moines April 5, 1932. It was Pickett’s sixth matrimonial venture and at least his wife’s second.

She had been granted a divorce from George James in November 1929 by the Polk county district court at Des Moines. A memorial card bearing the name and date of “Arthur McDonough, October 28, 1926” might be that of either a brother or a previous husband.

BOUGHT HOUSE FROM AD

Prior to his final marriage, Pickett had purchased for $400 the house in Effingham, located on the north side of the railroad tracks, from Joseph Wardlow, and the deed was in the hands of Atchison county authorities for registration February 18, 1932. Mr. and Mrs. Pickett apparently moved to Effingham shortly after their marriage. He had bought the property from a newspaper advertisement without having seen it.

A divorce petition filed in Polk County, July 16, 1912, gives the record of Pickett’s first marriage at Pleasantville, IA, February 22, 1894. There were eight children born to this union, and Mrs. Eliza Pickett was given custody of the minor children in a decree granted in December, 1912 at Des Moines.

Another marriage license was made out for George Pickett and Mrs. Isabella C. Smith, on February 16, 1914 at Des Moines. Then on May 23, 1916, George G. Pickett and Ann L. Lassere, the groom of Des Moines and the bride of Leeds, IA, were married at Dakota City, Neb.\

A DIVORCE IN 1917

There is no record of any divorce proceeding on these marriages in the papers found, but Pickett hit a matrimonial snag in 1917. On January 27 of that year he married Harriet S. Hutchins at Des Moines after they had signed a pre-nuptial agreement in which she transferred some Des Moines city property to him in exchange for a promise that he was to keep her in “comfort” for the rest of his life.

The divorce petition stated that Pickett had left her March 26, 1917.

Picket was next married on March 12, 1925, this time to Lydia M. Miller, and the ceremony was performed at Des Moines. There is no further evidence of the termination of this relationship.

Among Pickett’s effects was found a letter written him on May 14, 1932 by John J. Halloran, judge of the Ninth judicial district of Iowa, in which the matter of a divorce is discussed. It could not be learned from the contents of the letter, however, whether it referred to a contemplated divorce action or another in which some items of settlement had not been cleared up.

RELATIVES EXPECTED

Pickett had had no employment since coming to Effingham. He did some gardening, and had been looking for a real estate trade to secure a larger garden plot. That he might have had some experience in wood carving is evidenced by the fact that a number of clubs of the police type had been cut out by him in recent months, and that a solid wooden chain with moveable links had been carved from a piece of lumber about 14 feet in length.

After viewing the bodies last night and taking under advisement the matter of an inquest, Mr. Stanton turned them over to Stutz and Shifflett. Relative of both Pickett and his wife are expected to start arriving in Effingham last this afternoon and early tomorrow. They are both survived by children.

MARRIED SEVEN TIMES

Pickett had been married seven times, according to information received late this afternoon by The Globe from the Des Moines Register News Bureau. A marriage contracted with Emma Kimball of Lovilla, IA when Pickett was 20 years old, was not recorded in his personal papers.

Pickett had obtained three divorces and one wife committed suicide. His sixth divorce was granted in 1926 at which time he said: “I have trusted six women six times and every time I have been fooled”

He is quoted as saying upon the occasion of his seventh marriage in April of this year: “No cloud will darken this marriage. We’re moving out to Kansas. We’ve got a home out there and we’re going to make a new start.”

Pickett, according to information from Iowa was 67 and his wife was 53. (Transcribed & Submitted by Sue & Verlin Wichman)

4th of July Celebration

The Atchison Daily Globe, Atchison, KS, Friday June 16, 1899 page 4

A funny situation exists at Whiting that may be found in almost every country town. The people of Whiting will hold a Fourth of July celebration, when all the people will assemble in the park and talk of Griggsville, Ill. Every one in Whiting came from Griggsville and they think that no one is of any consequence who is not formerly of Griggsville. Muscotah makes fun of it, but how came about the Muscotah people? They came originally from Wisconsin, and look with contempt upon those hailing from any other state. (Submitted by Christine Walters)