The Seattle Post Intelligencer

SLAYER OF CLAYTON.
An Arkansas Murderer Found
in Butte, Mont.
Betrayed by a Confederate.
Frank Hickey, a Notorious Criminal, Is
Alleged Murderer -To Be
Taken to Little Rock:

Butte, Mont., March 25.-[Special.]-
Despite the denials of local officers, it
transpired through press dispatches today
that the person shadowed here as the assassin
of Col. John M. Clayton, of Arkansas,
is Frank Hickey. Hickey was arrested
in Denver by Officer Werner, of this city,
brought back and tried for the murder of
Policeman William E. Jordan last June.
Of this charge he was acquitted by a jury.
After being released he went on a spree,
was rearrested for threatening violence to
all who were interested in his prosecution,
and particularly one W. H. Burkhardt,
who was the principal witness against
him. Burkhardt is also the principal witness
in the present charge against Hickey.

Officer Werner claims that when he arrested
Hickey in Denver a man, whose
name he will not divulge, but who served
a term in jail with Hickey, stated that
Hickey made the admission to him that
he was one of the men who "fixed" Clayton.

Burkhardt, under promise that he would
not be molested by Arkansas officers, confessed
his share in the transaction. He
said that he, with Hickey and two others,
whose names are in the officers possession,
engaged a team at a town a short distance
from Plummerville, where Clayton lived,
and drove to Clayton's residence. Burkhardt
drove the team, while Hickey and
two other men were delegated to kill Clayton.
They accomplished their mission all
right, but whether for purposes of robbery
or whether they were hired to
commit murder, he would not state.

Burkhardt gave the names of the
men from whom the team was secured.
also all minute particulars of the affair.
He stated that the revolvers with which
the murder was accomplished were cached
in a certain place near a roadway several
miles from Clayton's residence. One of
the revolvers was retained by Hickey and
sold by him to a conductor. Officer Werner
attempted several times to confuse
Burkhardt's story, and the fact that
he reiterated it each time without any
change, leads the officer to believe that
there might be considerable truth in it.

When Hickey was acquitted of the
charge of murdering Officer Jordan, Werner
telegraphed to the sheriff of Little
Rock about the matter. Instead of replying
to the telegram the sheriff simply
turned it over to the newspapers. Werner
then sent a communication to a prominent
citizen of Little Rock, who made an
investigation of the circumstances surrounding
the murder of Clayton with the
result that the governor of Arkansas concluded
to issue requisition papers for
Hickey. Hickey is a cook but associates
with criminals entirely. He is about 35
years old, weight 165 pounds, light complexion
and blue eyes. Burkhardt is a
one-legged telegraph operator. Hickey is
being held on failure to furnish $1,500
bonds to keep the peace.

Little Rock, March 25.-Ever since the
telegram was received by the chief of
police from A. G. Werner, of Butte, Mont.,
stating that the murderer of John C. Clayton
was in Butte and could be arrested at
a moment's notice, the state authorities
and Sheriff White, of Conway county, have
been at work in an effort to ascertain what
truth, if any, there was in the dispatch.
At 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon the following
telegram was delivered to Attorney
General Clark:

Butte, Mont., March 24.-Send requisition
to A. G. Werner for Frank Hickey,
and include in the expense account witness'
transportation. Hickey is held here
on a flimsy charge, and you had better
act quickly to avoid habeas corpus proceedings
here.
Werner expects the standing
reward.
L. Weinks, County Attorney.

This evening Sheriff White made affidavit
charging Hickey with the murder of
Clayton, and upon this Gov. Fishback
issued a requisition upon the governor of
Montana for Hickey, and appointed White
as the state's agent. He will leave tomorrow
night for Butte and return with
the prisoner: