Robert Wadsworth Stubbs (1845-1882)

STUBBS, TERRELL

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 11/2/2015 at 21:30:22

From Nevada Representative February 21, 1883

The Stubbs Murder.

About three o'clock in the morning of the 15th of last April, Mayor R. W. Stubbs of Polk City was brutally shot and killed in his own house. So unprovoked was the deadly assault and so careful were the tracks of the murderers covered up, that it was not until December that any arrests of nay moment were made. At that time William Kline and John Weir were arrested. The trial of these parties though unearthing some ugly circumstances against them, failed to fix upon them the responsibility of the murder; and the public were beginning to fear that the real criminals would never be found. But last Sunday morning's Register, published the confession of one Charles Wilcox which clears up the dense mystery that has surrounded the case, and fixes the murder upon William Kline. Wilcox was arrested about a month ago in the eastern part of Kansas, to which locality he had fled with his family from Colfax, Jasper county in the early fall, and brought back to Des Moines. Wilcox's confession outines the work of the three desparadoes about as follows: They went from Des Moines to Polk City, the night of the murder in two buggies. They did not intend to kill Mr. Stubbs but to rob him of $5,000 which they believed to be in the possession. The horses were left in charge of Weir about three quarters of a mile from Mr. Stubbs' residence while Kline and Wilcox went to the house and entered it by a rear window. The two reached Stubbs' room and accidentally awoke Mrs. Stubbs by flashing the light of their dark lantern in her face. Mr. Stubbs was soon awake, out of bed and in hot pursuit of the burglars. Kline received him at the chamber door with the deadly shot, and then fled with Wilcox. Reaching their teams they hastily made their way back to Des Moines and thence to Altoona where they separated, Weir going to Colfax and Kline and Wilcox to Clyde. The unearthing of this diabolical crime is largely due to the sleepless thought and persistent efforts of Mr. Tirrell, father-in-law of the murdered Mayor, and the detective scheme of G. W. French, marshal of Colfax. Mr. French followed Mr. Wilcox to his home in Kansas, made his acquaintance and gained his entire confidence by passing himself off as a fugitive murderer and counterfeiter from Ohio. The confession as detailed above and subsequent arrest followed this successful ruse. The public will be glad to learn of the successful hunting down of these men, and if they are guilty, as it seems quite certain they are, will be still further gratified when they still have received the punishment their cruel and unprovoked murder deserves.