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Tom Horn was called to the stand on Friday, August 9, 1901.
STOLL. State
your name, occupation and residence.
HORN. My name is Tom Horn; I suppose my occupation
is that of a detective, as near as I can get at it.
When I am at home I reside at Mr. Coble’s ranch
in Albany County; that has been my home for a number
of years.
STOLL. Mr. Horn, we understand that you have been
up around this section of the country a good deal
and have laid around the hills a good deal of the
time and have had an opportunity to observe people,
things etc. We would like know if there is anything
you can tell us about the killing of Willie Nickell.
If you saw anything or recollect around there at
that time?
HORN: I was in the country just prior to the killing
of that kid a day or two.
STOLL. Do you know what day he was killed?
HORN: No, I do not.
STOLL. It was Thursday the eighteenth of July?
HORN. Now, I will tell you I don’t know about
the dates, but I know on Monday of the week on which
he was killed, on Monday morning, whatever date that
was, I left Billy Clay’s.... |
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Billy
Clay’s place, where Tom Horn
frequently stopped (author’s
photos)
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I went over to Miller’s ranch....
I went to the head of a hay valley this Monday and went to Miller’s
ranch Monday night.
“...my business
was ended...”
I was there all day Tuesday, and on
Tuesday I went up [i.e., to the west] to the head of the
creek that Miller lives on.
Passed down to where Nickell [might have] had his sheep in
Johnny Coble’s pasture. I went up there and found they
hadn’t [the sheep had not gone into Coble’s pasture]
and my business was ended. I went back to the Miller’s
ranch and stayed there again that night. That was Tuesday night;
I left there Wednesday morning.
STOLL. The kid was killed
Thursday, did you say?
HORN. Yes, sir. I left there Wednesday morning; it was
along before the middle of the forenoon after I got breakfast.
STOLL. Up to this time did you see any stranger in that
locality, anybody riding along?
HORN. No, sir.
STOLL. Did you know Willie Nickell yourself?
HORN. I don’t believe I ever saw him. I know Nick
[Kels] very well himself but I don’t think I ever
saw any member of his family, only at a distance.
STOLL. Are you acquainted with the Miller family?
HORN. The family I do not know at all, only as I met them
that night. I met Jim Miller before over on the [Laramie]
Plains. I met him one evening, he and Whitman. Coble and
myself got there in the springtime ?? the river was up
pretty well ?? and went over to the Bosler Station to get
a barrel of beer. We got it and came back. That was the
first time I ever see him. He invited me to visit if I
ever come through that part of the country. I happened
to have a little business in there and I called.... |
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Left, interior
of an old saloon in Bosler. Right, Bosler Station depot
(author’s photos).
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STOLL. When you went away
Wednesday, which way did you go?
HORN. I went down the river [toward the southeast] and
up to what we call Colcord Place [a pasture owned by the
Two Bar, one?half mile east of Nickell’s land]. I
thought maybe the sheep might be in there. I pulled across
through the hills over on the head of the Sybille. This
is the time [of year] you shift the cows outside.... I
have been doing that except six or seven days. I was [going]
in[to] Laramie to see Colonel Bill [sic]…. |
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