A COLD BLOODED MURDER

After a lapse of several years another tragedy darkens Clarke County history. It appears that John E. Davis, an old resident of Knox Township in Clarke County, went to the cabin of John L. Lykens, a quarter of a mile south from his home, about a half mile south of Leslie, to hire him to work and that a quarrel ensued over politics, which was incensed by former wrongs that Lykens imagined

Davis had inflicted upon him. Lykens ordered Davis out of his cabin and while he was leaving Lykens grabbed an old stub barreled shotgun, discharging its contents into Davis’ breast with fatal effect.

There were no witnesses to the murder, the scene being at Lyken’s cabin which is off in a field from the mainly traveled road which runs from Granville Coffey’s home south to Mr. Eddy’s. Lykens immediately went to the Davis’ home and told Mrs. Davis that he had killed her husband but she would not believe it, then Lykens went on to Mr. Crews and told them and they rode over and found Davis’ body in the yard lifeless, lying in a pool of blood. Lykens has been considered weak minded and has evidently been insane for some years, but was never known to be violent heretofore, beyond fighting with his brothers. He was looked upon by his neighbors as silly, and has been the butt of many jokes played by the boys of the community. He tells a rambling story of the affair which is substantially as follows:

He said he got into trouble with Davis last fall while working for him and told him he would never work for him again. He told some jokes which Davis played upon him, which maybe mere freaks of his imagination. Lykens got the idea that Davis was trying to poison him. It is said that a year or so Lykens quit trading at the Leslie store because he imagined that Mr. Davis and Seay, the store keeper, were plotting to poison him. He said Davis came to his house to get him to work and while he was there they got to talking politics. Davis said the Republicans had caused low prices. That made Lykens angry and he ordered him out of the house. Hot words ensued, but Davis started out, Lykens grabbed his shotgun and followed him. While going through the yard Davis turned, then Lykens fired the full charge into his left breast. Lykens said he was so mad he hardly knew what he was doing. On being asked if he regretted the deed Lykens hesitated and finally said yes, but that God’s justice was done. Then he went on telling that back in 1863 Davis had killed his father, which is one of his hallucinations of mind, and probably partly accounts for the crime. His neighbor say that his father left his wife and three Lykens boys many years ago, deserting them, and was going to California. He has not been heard from since.

John L. Lykens, the murderer, is a medium statured man, thirty-six years old and a bachelor. He wears full whiskers, sandy in color, has shallow complexion, retreating forehead, blue eyes, and a dull, unintelligent cast of features. His two brothers are bachelors, also, one of whom lives hear him in a hut upon five acres of ground which he gardens. He is demented and has ben pronounced incurable at the asylum where he was placed for treatment. A second brother, Sam, lives near Van Wert in the same way and on the same amount of ground. They are all about the same order of intelligence. They formerly lived together with their mother in a one-room log hut, but after fighting and quarreling some years, they separated. Their mother died five or six years ago. John L. was living in this one-room log hut by himself, and was there that he committed the deed.

Lykens displays no emotion of the act and does not seem to realize the awfulness of it. He owned twenty acres of land and worked for the neighbors about. His house was off the road a half mile south of Leslie. Lykens and Davis have been acquainted with each other for many years, both families being old settlers of Clarke County.

Mr. Davis was sixty-five years of age and leaves a wife and several children to mourn his untimely end. He was a prosperous, industrious farmer and well respected by his neighbors.

Sheriff Jolley being out of town, W. W. Williams and W. E. Harper went out and brought Lykens to town. On preliminary hearing he was committed to jail until he would be tried by Justice Morrow. The murderer is held on the charge of murder in the first degree, and the offense not being bail able, he will be a prisoner in jail until the September term.

The gun is in W. W. Williams’ hands and will be on exhibition at Parrish & Stacy’s hardware store a short while. Mr. Wm. Emary identified it as one his father brought over from England. The barrel is partly sawed off. Mr. Tom Johnson recalls the story that this John Lykens fired this same gun at Jim Rothwell fourteen years ago, while a quarrel over a load of wood was in progress. This happened within a mile or two from the scene of the present tragedy. He also says that old man Lykens left the country to avoid paying debts.

Dr. Carver did not hold an official inquest not deeming it necessary. The funeral of Mr. Davis was held in the presence of a large crowd of sympathizing friends after which remains were entered in the Lacelle cemetery. – July 1888