257. Edward Hickman

 

Edward Hickman
'Edward Hickman.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.

1 Oh, come all ye good people
And listen while I tell,

The fate of Edward Hickman,
A boy we all know well.

2 He kidnapped Marion Parker ;
He thought he'd gain a ransom,
But the law soon ran him down.

 

3 He took her to the movie
And gave her candy too,
And made her every promise
To every kind and true.

4 T only need some money
That your rich dad can give.
If you will pay the ransom,
Your little girl shall live.'

5 Then he took poor little Marion
And brought her to his room.

But little did she dream that night
She would meet her doom.

6 Then early in the morning
She found that he had lied.
Before the evening sun had set
The little girl had died.

7 Oh, how the news was flying,
Broadcast by the radio.
Throughout the entire country,
Stirring up the people so.

8 So way up in Oregon,

In a far ofif Western town,
The fox at last was captured —
The law had run him down.

9 The judge then found him guilty;
In black the bird is dressed.

The people pass the trial;
The judge then took his seat.

 

NATIVE AMERICAN HALLADS 607

10 The Story of that murder
Is too awful to repeat;

The jury passed the sentence,
'We will hang him 'til he's dead.'

11 There stood his anxious mother
With a tear drop in her eye.
'What a pity, oh, what a pity
My precious son must die.

12 'Edward, darling Edward,
Unto your fateful doom
You'll be carried to the chapel
To meet an awful doom.'