STARN, William A. 1875-1927

STARN, WALTON

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/18/2022 at 06:04:24

"Lon" Starn Ends Life by Hanging Himself in Garage

Apparently not wanting to stand trial on charges of conspiracy and breaking and entering, for which he was indicted recently in connection with the Willard fur robbery, William A. (Lon) Starn, 52, former member of the police force, and serving as a merchant police when the Willard store was robbed on the night of Nov. 13, 1926, ended his life this afternoon by hanging himself in the garage at his home, 110 North Fourth street.

Starn's body was found by his wife not long after he had committed the act, probably about 2:30. Starn had tied one end of the rope about his neck and swung from a rafter. Dr. A. R. Lynn was called, but pronounced the man dead.

In addition to his service on the police force, Starn has been a deputy sheriff. His first service on the police force was by appointment during the spring of 1912 by Mayor I. S. Millard. He served until 1919, when he was appointed a deputy by Sheriff Charles Henry. He continued as a deputy under Sheriff S. N. Meekins. After Mayor Conaway took office in his present term he made Starn a member of the police force, only to call for his resignation when his alleged connection with the fur robbery became known.

Starn had been a resident of this city since 1911, but had spent practically his entire life in Marshall and Grundy counties.

--Marshalltown Times-Republican (Marshalltown, Iowa), 21 September 1927, pg 1

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Ended Own Life; No Inquest Held

Investigation Into The Death Of William A. Starn Completed

Former Officer, Under Indictment, A Suicide

Speculation Rife in District Court Circles as to Effect of Hanging on Willard Fur Robbery Cases -- Body Discovered in Garage by Wife

The death at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon of William A. (Lon) Starn, former sergeant of police, who ended his life by hanging, today caused much speculation in district court circles as to its effect on the trial of Hardy Friend and Glenn McDonald, indicted with Starn in connection with the robbery of the fur store of H. Willard Son and Company, on the night of Nov. 13, 1926.

Starn, acting as merchants' police at the time of the robbery, was charge in indictments recently returned with conspiracy and breaking and entering.

The statement of Starn, in which the others were implicated, following a confession by Don Mooney, now serving a sentence in the state reformatory at Anamosa, was largely responsible for the arrest of Friend and McDonald.

No Inquest to be Held
Judge B. O. Tankersley, to whom Starn had made his statement when first confronted with the confession of Mooney, and who is acting as coroner in the absence from the city of Coroner H. H. Nichols, said this morning that no inquest would be held.

Starn had been despondent since his indictment, according to statements by Mrs. Starn and by close friends. He had talked with his closer acquaintances about the indictments and is said to have told one close friend that he "would not serve time."

He had maintained that he had no part in the robbery or its planning, but that he knew the store was to be robbed and that persons named by him in his statement had planned and executed the robbery. To friends he had confided that he did not tell the police of the proposed robbery, prior to its commission, because, at that time, he was not permitted to go to the police station, because of friction between the officers and himself.

Body Found by Wife
Starn had been around his home, 110 North Fourth street, much of the time Wednesday. He had removed his coat and donned a bath robe. Shortly after 2:30 he left the house and had been gone but five or ten minutes when Mrs. Starn went to look for him, according to the story of the latter.

Mrs. Starn found her husband hanging from a rafter in the garage at the rear of the house. The cord of the bath robe had been used for the act, being twisted but not tied, about the rafter. Starn had stood on a small box to reach the rafter but the cord was so arranged that when he had kicked the box away his feet touched the floor.

Body Is Released
Mrs. Starn pulled the cord, which was released from the rafter without much difficulty, and called to neighbors. The police were summoned and Chief Glassco and Special Officer C. R. Roupe went immediately to the house.

Dr. A. R. Lynn and Judge Tankersley also were called. Dr. Lynn said today that Starn had been dead by a short time when he arrived.

The circumstances, in the opinion of Judge Tankersley and Dr. Lynn, the latter having formerly acted as coroner, did not justify an inquest.

Native of Indiana
William A. Starn was born in Indiana, April 2, 1875. He came to Iowa when a small boy, with his parents, who settled on a farm near Whitten. He spent his younger days in Hardin county.

He was married to Miss Anna Walton, at Caldwell, Idaho, Oct. 17, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Starn lived in Idaho for a short time and then came to Hardin county. They moved to this city fourteen years ago.

Starn was appointed to the police force by Mayor I. S. Millard, in the spring of 1912. He served until 1919, when he was appointed a deputy by Sheriff Charles Henry. He continued as deputy under Sheriff J. R. Meekins. After serving as a merchant police, he was appointed by Mayor A. C. Conaway as a regular member of the police department, acting as desk sergeant. He was removed from the police service after he had made his statement to Judge Tankersley in connection with the Willard fur robbery.

He is survived by his wife, and a son, Monte A. Starn, a member of the federal fire department in the Panama canal zone. His aged mother, Mrs. Mary Starn, of Eldora; two brothers, Curtis Starn, of Eldora, and E. H. Starn, of Boise, Idaho, and two sisters, Mrs. Lizzie Nordquist, of Whitten, and Mrs. F. O. Dunham, of this city, also survive.

Funeral Services Saturday
He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge of this city.

Funeral services will be held at 1 o'clock Saturday afternoon from the Estel parlors. Burial will be in the Benson cemetery, two miles southeast of Whitten.

--Marshalltown Times-Republican (Marshalltown, Iowa), 22 September 1927, pg 12