The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-15
Death Penalty May Be inflicted
ON Robert TelIies.
Killed His Sweetheart, Martha
Arterbridge, at Ft. Riley.
BOTH FROM TOPEKA.
jealousy the Sole Motive for
Cold BIOOded Murder.
Trial will Be. in Topeka During
Last " eek Of November.

VIII the hangman's moose be employ
ed to bring retribution upon the head
of Robert TeIlies, colored. who murder
ed his duslxy sweetheart, Martha After
bridge on the military reservation ut
FIT. Riley2
This question is agitating the officers
of the United States district court for
the trial of Tellies viii come up during
the last week Of November at the ses-
sion of the United States circuit court
The trial will be in Topeka.
Considera Bile speculation has been in
dulged in at the probable action of ths
jury with whom the fate OF Tellies VIII
lie following the trial. Kansas jury
demurs at the thought of hanging. The
fact that sentence for life Is the pun
ishment accorded to murderers In the
first degree under the state laws in
stead of hanging has educated the ay-
erage juror against that mode of pun
ishment.
t don't know where the hanging
would take place" said Harry Bone,
might take place here or at the United
States psnitentiary at FIT. LeavenWorlh-
1T would probably be up to one of
the deputy United States marshals to
spring the trap in the hanging. It's inn
possible to tell just how a jury may
view the situation and it is quite pOssi-
Bile in case of conviction that a hanging
would take place. Since my incufu-
bency of this ofice 1 have had three
murder cases come up, however, in none
of these has the sentence covered other
than imprisonment.
The Tel1ies case is the only one in
which murder figures in the November
session of the United States court I'm
Topeka. Both the principals in the
peka. Tellies had lately enlisted in the
United States army a FIT. Riley and
following his enlistment induced his
sweetheart, Martha Arterbridge, to
~ IL
ployment as a domestic in the home Of
Lieutenant Smith.
TelIies was intensely jealous of the
woman and objected to attentions
shown her by other soldiers. He rails
ed row on several occasions becRu use
of alleged attentions shown.
This disposition Was displayed to
such a. marked degree that Martha
Arterbrfdge sought 10 avoid 'Tellies.
On the evening Of July 18th both the
woman and Tellies had been to June
tiOn City. returning late in the even
ing Though they came home in the
same street car. they had not been to-
gether and as soon as the car arrived
protection of two soldiers who agreed
to escort her up to her quarters. Tel
lies had been muttering threats and
the Arterbridge woman was thorough
~ frightened.
Tellies disappeared for a few min
utes and the three, two men and
Martha Arterbridge, continued up the
street and were nearing the house
where the colored woman worked
when Tellies was seen coming down
the street carrying a gun. One of the
men ran forward to intercept him and
wrest the gun away. but before he
could act Tellies had fired five times.
most of the shots finding their target
In the woman, who was killed almost
instantly.
No attempt has been made by the
70 sh haf ic fnE1nQ
or was insane at the time of the shoot
ing and scarcely any claim has been
set up which would clear him. Jeal-
ousy seems to have been the sole mo
time Tellies has a past record of
shooting another woman and served a
short sentence for this