The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
A FAMILY OF M%URDERERS.
ONE OF TIE sTAFFLEBLCKs IN
KANSAS C0NFESsES FULLR.

4 ~ "@A
KANSAS CONFESsES FULLY.
-
she IL Cora, win OF One or the sons. ana she
Tells or Piys Murders In six Years That she
Knows Or-BodIcs OF victims Thrown
Into Abandoned Mines Near Their Home.
GALENA Kan. Sept. 1s.-Cora Stafilobackh has
made n confession OF tho murders that she
knows were committed by that family In this
town. She has been n member of tho family
only six years. having married George Statiie-
back in 1891. The Staficbacks murdered
and robbed their victims and cast the bodies
into abandoned mining shafts. No better place
on earth for their business could be found than
this place, where old mining shafts arc almost
as numerous as gopher holes used to be when
the State was n desert.
The full extent OF the crimes committed by
this murdorous family will never be known. but
several of them were brought 10 light during
the trials Of the Statilebacks this week at Colum.
bus, Kan, for ho murder of Frank Galbraith at
Galena about the middle OF last June.
For three years the Statlleback family, con-
sisting Of Mrs. Staiilcback, who is 90 years old;
her three sons, Ed. Mike and George, Georges
wife. Cora, and Charles Wilson, who passed
as the husband OF Mrs. Statlleback, lived in
q small four-room frame and log house In
the western part of Galena, in tho toughest
part OF town, among q multitude of mining
shafts, hills. and hollows. Their house was Of
the lowest character, and the women were
used to lure men there to be robbed and muir
dered.
Cora StafIlcback. whose testimony weighed SO
heavily against the rest OF the family and
brought about their conviction, talks freely.
now that she Is in no danger of being killed and
thrown into an old shaft BY the Stafllsback boys.
To-day she told the whole story, as far as sho
pretonds TO know 1t, of the crimes since she be-
came a member of the family, six years ago.
On the night of the murder OF Frank Galbraith
he called at the Statli eback House and asked for
Emma Chapman, who was Mrs. Statleb backs
daughter. The mother told Galbraith to call
later. He called again, but the mother ordered
him to leave. He refused to so. Thereupon
Mrs. stafleback seized q large corn knife and
threatened to cut his head off.
Charles Wilson rushed out with a pistol in his
hand, followed BY George and Ed Stafileback.
Galbraith started 10 run. Ed shot, hitting Gal
braith in the side, causing him to fall. but he
quickly arose and ran toward town. Ed fol-
lowed him and fired again. Galbraith fcn
and Ed drew q knife and slashed him across
the throat. Galbraith's juSular vein was sew
cred. e. Stattlcback ordered the two girls
back to the house and said he would kill tnemif
they did not so. They went back a short dis
lance and hid in the weeds and saw the three
murderers rifle Galbraith's pockets and throw
the body into an old shaft. -
Nothing was known OF the Galbraith murder
outside Of the Staflebacks and the three
women who lived at the Stafieback house
until about q month after its occurrence.
One morning q stranger in Galena took a
walk out among the many old, abandoned
mining shafts, and. out OF curiosity. looked
into the one where Galbraith's body
ed to the police. The body was identified as
that OF Frank Galbraith by papers found in the
pockets. and q Coroner's inquest was held for
clue to the murderers.
Some negro living in that neighborhood told
about hearing shouts near the Stafleback house,
and Mrs. Startieback, and her sons were called
upon to tell what they knew about II. They
disclaimed all knowledge of the affair, but their
stories showed such discrepancies as TO excite
mother were arrested, Mike stafieback was
AT the trial George Stattieback turned State 3
evidence and told how the murder was commit
tried to prove an alibi. but the evidence OF their
guilt was conclusive. and speedy convictions
followed. In hopes of immunity George Stafie-
back told of the murder Of Galbraith. just as it
had been detailed by Cora and the other States
Cora Stafieback. without knowing what
others had testified, became frightened, broke
down on the witness stand, and told of the Gal
braith murder, but said nothing Of the other
crimes which have since come TO light.
u After s9I the Rfc sssft rooa <, boys 9 and their mother
said that 2 peddler and two girls had been muir
dered by Ed and Mike Stafleback two years
ego. and had been thrown into one of the old
house.
This caused intense excitement, and a number
OF Gatena business men raised a fund and began
q search in the old shaft for the remains OF the
murdered girls and peddler. From one Of the
oh Tt we're tshed out clothing aud bones.
The Italian peddIer, according to Cora Staf1e-
back. was murdered for his money. While sell
Ing some OF bis wares at the Staffieback house
he displayed a Tsllet When he was supposed
money. but the peddler jumped out OF bed and
him with a pistol and club. He ran out Of the
murderers came sack into the house a
ler,s money and goods among themselves
and the rest Of the family. No one saw them
throw the peddler's body into the shaft, but as
thrown into one OF the three shafts near the
two strange girls living at the Stafieback house.
Cora StafiiebacS thinks they were about her age,
which was then ls years A week or ten days
found a visitor at the house one evening. He
cursed the stranger and started to assault him,
then choked the girls and killed them.
a nth crime that is now charged to tho
sssfiebaek gang was nmitt in Joplin Ave
back. who had not then begnn living with
Wilson, had succeeded In winning the affec-
who was drawing a big pension. and she
had promised to marry him as soon as
he got his next pension money. When Roden,
ried he was murdered by the stafiebacks, just
how Cora does not know. but she heard
thrown Rodebaugh's body into an old mining
SHAFT and saw them divide the money which
they secured from him.