Ricking - Tom
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 29 June 1900
At Rockville Thursday, June 21, Marshal Alf Boyd shot and almost instantly killed Tom Ricking, a notorious Negro of that place, while the latter was trying to escape arrest. Ricking, with another Negro named Roberts, of Greencastle, stole two bicycles at Greencastle early in the week and came direct to Rockville, where they told conflicting stories as to how they came into possession of the wheels. Thursday word came direct to Rockville to arrest them for the theft. The Negroes were handcuffed together, but the handcuffs were not securely locked and when Boyd arrived at the jail with the prisoners they broke from him and ran in opposite directions. Boyd immediately sent two bullets after Ricking, the last taking effect in the small of his back. Ricking ran about fifty feet and fell. He lived only three minutes. Roberts was captured near the ball park after a short chase. -s