Imperial Valley Press

POLICE ASSERT "KRAMER" TO BE NON-EXISTENT

By United Press Leased Wire

PENDLETON, Ore., Dec. 23.—Any rumors to the effect that William Edward Hickman has been spirited away from the Pendleton city jail by airplane are unfounded.

Hickman has spent a quiet night, making up some very much needed sleep. He seems to have relaxed somewhat from his trying moments of the last few days and the strain of attempting to elude the officers of the law of the entire country.

The prisoner has shown but very little emotion since he was taken into custody.

In fact the one and only time that he seemed very much perturbed by the deed was when the girl's father, Perry M. Parker, was mentioned.

"I want to meet him face to face and tell him I did not kill her," he stated. "If the girl only were alive, I'd be willing to die."

He carried a fluent conversation during the entire early part of the night with L. R. Connor, Pendleton city water employee, one of several local men who had been pressed into service in the emergency to supplement the small local force of Pendleton policemen.

Interested In Papers

He laughed numerous times and joked with Connor, meanwhile giving full details of his flight from Los Angeles. He was highly interested in the amount of publicity being given his story by the daily press throughout the country. "Are they putting out extras in this town?" he asked. And, again, "do you think they have extras out in Los Angeles by this time?"

Despite numerous conversations with local officers during the earlier part of the evening before dropping off to sleep he steadfastly sticks to his story of an Andrew Cramer, who was his accomplice and actually murdered and butchered Marion Parker. However, in the opinion of Tom Gurdane chief of police this is a fictitious character manufactured by Hickman in order to protect himself.

Hickman was awakened at 4 a. m. today and his belt and tie taken from him. His hair was also washed and thoroughly combed. These precautions were taken in order that there would be no possibility of the prisoner harming himself or committing suicide.

Pendleton Quiet

Pendleton was quiet throughout the night, there being no unusual crowds on the streets, nor did there seem to be anything but the amount of interest that such a story might be expected to create in any normal city.

Reporters and newspapermen from many points have already arrived on the scene and hourly more are reported on the way. Every modern means of travel seems to be in vogue in order that the public may know the facts at the earliest possible moment.

Two leased wire services are installed in the city jail corridor and operators have been at their instruments throughout the entire night.

A late report that Asa Keyes, district attorney of Los Angeles and Detective Cline left Los Angeles at 6 p. m. yesterday and will arrive here Saturday evening to take the prisoner into custody has been verified by Tom Gurdane.