Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-02-27
AN IOWA DRAMA.
In Love with a Schoolmaster
and Then Shooting Him.

Cedar City, Iowa, has usually
been noted for peacefulness and qui-
ct, but the even tenor of its history
has recently been broken by an act
so startling, and at first sight, so
inexplicable, that we cannot wonder
at the excitement it has caused.
The plain facts, as first disclosed,
are as follows: A young man named
Byron Wright, came to Cedar City
three months ago to teach school.
Before he began his work, young
girl of sventeen came to see him.
Her name was Almira Stickley. The
object of her visit was to request
that the teacher should engage
board at her mothers house, lit
tie way from the town and near the
school. After some hesitation, Mr..
Wright assented, and in the sequel,
went to live at Mrs. Stickley's. He,
however, soon regretted having
done so, and gave notice that he
should leave, ihtimating at the same
time that he had arranged to go to
one Mrs. Kingsley's. The Stickleys,
mother and daughter, were very
angry about this, and urged many
reasons against the change. Before
making it, Wright rose late one
morning and went to school with
out his breakfast.
At the recess, between Il and II,
he felt faint, and returned to the
house to get something to eat.
While he was seated at the table,
Miss Almira came up behind, and
calmly shot him in the head. The
young man leaped up, and then fell
on the floor. Then he staggered to
his feet, and so to the door, crying
for aid. Here he was met by anoth-
er young man, named Richard
George, who refused to let him pass.
The wounded man thereupon got
to the window, where there was
broken pane of glass. As he stood
there, gasping and clinging to the
sash, George came up aud shot HIM
again, in the left side of the head.
Wright fell once more, and then
George and Almira fled together.
They rushed out to the barn, where
a pair of horses stood attached to
wagon. Leaping in, they dashed off
at lightning speed for the town.
They arrived there in break neck
fashion, it would seem, for, in front
of a grocer's shop in the main street
they upset. Almira jumped up and
ran into this store, when, as report
ed by the Cedar Falls Gazette, the
following scene occurred. As the
girl entered, she cried:
"Mr. Taggart, I've killed our
school teacher in Cedar City.
shot him while he was eating his
breakfast" "You don't say so," says
Taggart, and another gentleman in
she store said to her, "Woman, you
ire crazy" '.No, 1 am not crazy. 1
borrowed the revolver several days
lgo, with the intention of killing
him. 1 was fighting in self defence
What can they do with mer MIR.
Taggart said, "You will have to suf-
Ter the penalty of the law" Almi
"a and George were then taken into
custody by the officers; also the
mother of the girl.
Various conjectures might be
ormed respecting the explanation
If this extraordinary tragedy; but
he confession of Mrs. Stickney, AL
Mira, and Richard George, as made
~ each separately, and as confirm
d by Wright, render such specula-
ion needless. 1t appears that the
murder was deliberately planned by
be three former persons two weeks
'efore it was attempted. Almlra
Tas in love with Wright, and wish
d him to marry her. He deelin-
d, whereupon, in the delicate mai
ems breast, love grew "sour and
lackened into hate" The mother
Tas furious at the rejection of her
hid, and went into the plot out of
evenge. The young man George
Tas wildly enamored of Almira,
nd hoped, by getting rid of Wright,
o gain her favor. Nothing but
had ever passed be-
ween Wright and the girl-by his
olemn declaration and her own ad
that the unfortunate
ian was as innocent a victim as can
ell be imagined.
Not the least astonishing part of
ne matter is that poor Wright was
OF only Instantly killed, but that,
y the last accounts, he still sur
ives. Both bullets are said to have
enetrated the skull, but, whether
ON light charges or the direction
+ the balls, neither went far into
he brain. The injured man was able
, make full deposition as regards
he history of the sad affair, and
zen to respond in long and min
te examination. 1t is to be hoped
lat, should his life be spared, those
no plotted against it may not es-
lpe without punishment, for a
ore cold -blooded and abominable
tempt to kill has hardly ever stain
the records of crime.