Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-09
Nebraska
Murderer of James
Davis at AinSwOrth
Makes Confession
Prosecuting Attorney Accepts Plea to
Murder in Second Degree Be-
cause Witnesses Have Moved.

BASSETT. Neb. April S-tSpecial) THE
murder Of Jacob Davis. which occurred at
Ainsworth in Brown county. on the night
Of December g. 1909, was uncovered and
explained in the district court Of that
county March 3, by the confession OF the
assassin. The murderer. Walter Rifeuberg
alias George Wilson. a cavalryman at Fort
Mead, s. D. deserted the army I'm No
vember. 1907, and about the same time de-
serted his wife and infant babe and came
to Ainsworth December u Of that year
and passed as a detective under the name
OF George Wilson.
At Ainsworth he met and engaged TO
marry a young woman who was a dining
room girl Ia the hotel where he was stop
ping. The marriage was announced to
take place the evening Of December q and
the departure Of the couple was arranged
for the following morning That night az
about 1:l5 Jacob Davis. the operator Of
a pool hall in the town was murdered
and robbed Of about 500 in an alley near
his home. two blocks distant from the
pool hall Wilson had spent considerable
OF his time In the pool hall. knew Davis
was in the habit OF carrying quite a sum
OF money. and he was seen to leave the
pool hall that night a few minutes before
7
grsnary opening into his barn and was
found by his wife about / O'Clock that
| night Wilson was suspected. and when
arrested the next morning S1s5 i'm currency
was found secreted in his shoes and ne
had about SIG in coin In his pockets. Blood
stains were found on some Of the money,
1 on his hat and on the door knob Of his
| bedroom. In the currency were four Ma
tional Bank OF Ainsworth notes He denied
I HIS guilt and accounted for the blood
/ stains by claiming he had cut his hand by
falling on the ice the night Of the 18th. ano
/ said he had put the money where II was
! found that he might carry It safely. while
| travelling
a charge Of murder committed while en-
! gagged in the preparation Of a robbery
was filed against him. His trial com
menced February A. 1910, with j A. Doug
las of Bassett. appointed by the court. de-
/ Tending. and A. w. Scattergood and w. NJ
/ Ely OF Ainsworth assisting the county at
torney in the prosecution. A verdict OF
guilty as charged. fixing the penalty at
! death, was returned February %, and on
February Is Judge Harrington sentenced
him to be hanged June q. An appeal was
| taken 10 the supreme court and in October
the judgment OF the lower court was re-
] fNAaNA anu lHN case sent. paGk. Last Mon
| day session of court was held to permit
| the filing OF new information and "a
consider an application for a change OF
venue. spd on that day a stipulation was
entered into by the prosecuting attorney
and the defendant and his attorney
whereby the defendant was to plead guilt)
/ TO murder IN the second degree, make q
statement OF the facts in the case and
take sentence Of twenty five years in the
penitentiary. This AGREEMENT was carried
out that night in court and Walter Rifen.
berg. alias George Wilson, confessed thai
he shot and killed Davis while trying tc
| rob him. Rifenberg never admitted to any
one until last Monday that he Commits I'd
the crime with which he was charged
The gun and two pocketbooks belonging tc
Davis we're hidden by RifenberE that nigh
in the bed mattress of his room, and they
| were not found until in May following.
Rifenberg is q years old and his father
lives in New Jersey.
The terms OF the defendant would prob
ably not have been accepted by the prose
cution but for the fact that several OF tn,
J states important witnesses were in re-
mote parts Of tho United States. and an.
other trial meant a great amount Of ex.
pense to the county.