The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-16


brutal actions OF her second husband.
AT the scene of the killing nIt.e
groups of men discussed the murder
Did Not Suspect Murder.
Mrs. Riclels did not then suspect
ner child had met death at the ha 'lds
Of the man who had continually trled
to deile her. Instead she feared tnal
her child. a victim Of ner stePlatnsr .
desires was kept a prisoner somewhere
A searching party was quickly organ
lied and an hour later the BODIES We're
found. The discovery or the glrI luilSn
bucket came first htlle 4aler 1HS
bodies were seem
The gun with which the girl was
killed was the property OF her step
father. 1t contained one empty s!Sli'
the rnate for which was found in RICK
els pocket
left the boy Herbert, at d point near
where the bndies were found InurSuay
morning. He was hunting, ne told ms
son whom he accom- panied part OF LHe
xvay TO school The gil did not ieavs
for school until some time after tne
boy had left home She met MSS
Grace Nallace who teaches IN another
district anG talked to her ana was
never again seen alive
once Saved by a Neighbor.
.Tt was in December" said n. P
WolDert who owns the Rickels farm,
that I came to the place one morning
and found Clara and her brother cry
ing I asked what was the matter ana
+be Girl told me her step father wanted
her to do things she should not DO ana
had threatened to kill her When
came up. Rickels skunk away and we
never discussed the matter. l have
known something of the nature of
things since that time, but told no one
not even my wife
These facts were borne out largely
by the girls sick brother He recalled
the efforts of the step-father to bring j
shame to his sister and related an in
cident several months ago when he pre-
vented RIckels from accomplishing MS
Nearly 4 O'Clock in the morning, I
heard Clara scream" said the young
man, land I went TO the bed room to
see what was the matter. Fickels MAD !
forced her to his room and my sister !
was sobbing and crying for help L
struggled with Rickels for several min |
utes and he released his hold on Clara s I
clothing I told Rickels he couldn't |
stay here and do that way and we had |
pretty lively time for a few minutes !
Then my sister dressed and went to an /
other room. She did not return to bed !
that night
Stickney, IT told mother what had +
happened She threatend to notify the
officers If 1t happened again. For a
time Rickels seemed to be better Re
Gently he started IN again
In the neighborhood where he liv-
ed, Rickels was little known He was
a stalwart. hard working man and
had little to say. Among his neigh
bors he visited little. To relatives he
was known to be of melancholy ex-
elusive disposition
often he threatened suicide. To z.
w. Cowperth~ait, a brother of Mrs
RickeIs. the man once remarked,
Dynamite would be a mighty good
thing to kill ones self with" He
often kept quantities of dynamite, but
none was found on the premises today.
Before coming to Shawnee county,
Rickels lived in Abilene. He married
his wife there eight years ago More
than a year ago they came to this
county. For a time they conducted
-esta urant at 904 North Kansas ave
1ue. Then they moved to a farm
Rtcke1s attended an autom obile school
n Kansas City two years ago but new
sr worked at the trade.
On the farm and away from imme-
iiate neighbors Rickels pursued the
pretty young girl unfa1teringly. She
lespised him and often expressed a sin
,ere hatred for her step-father. At
very opportunity she avoided the man
md was seldom seen in his presence
Her trouble was never communicated
% her associates and she bore her sec
ct alone with memb ers of the house
loId Once she told Wolpert she ex-
oected to leave home and go to q
brother in Nebraska, but did not carry
tut this promise.
Then came the day of the tragedy.