The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-17
Little Doubt Now That Rickels
Shot Self.
TWO SHELLS ARE FOUND
Evident That Both Were Killed
by Stepfather's Gun.
The COrOner's Inquest Begins
This Afternoon.

suicide pact in the Rickels murder
case are destroyed In the finding yes
terday of two empty shells. the con-
tents of which brought death to John
J. Rickels and Clara Belle Stickney,
his IA year old stepdaughter. These
shells are the connecting links that
disprove all theories other than that
Rickels. in a fit of insane rage, killed
the defenseless young girl and turned
the gun on himself.
For nearly an hour, Rickels is pre-
sumed to have kept the girl prisoner
at the bottom of the lonely gulch in
the Fairview school district Not un-
til after she had evaded his every ap-
proach, did Rickels place the barrel
Of the gun near the head of the de-
fenseless young woman and execute
the threat made months before.
TelI-tale conditions at the foot OF
the deep ravine tell in almost minute
detail of the double tragedy lmbeo-
ded deep in the damp, half frozen clay,
Is the print of Rickels' heavy boot BY
its side is the lighter print from the
shoes If his victim. These prints mark
the spot where Rickels and cara
Belle Stickney stood but minute De
fore their death.
After meeting the girl on the high
way Thursday morning. RlckeIs elth-
er forced or induced the SRI 10 the
deep ravine, 100 yards to the east OF
the road Protected somewhat by the
early morning fog, the steptather IS
presumed to have-k kept the girl ne na1
persistently pursued prisoner UNI UNI
time for opening of the little SchOol
on the hill half a mile away he
doubtless talked to her for many min
Ites renewed his old pleadlngs ana
threats and remained safely hlddeh
from the view of chance travellers on
the lonely road.
Sitting at the bottom of the ravine.
Clara Belle placed her tin dinner pail
on a ledge of dirt above her BY thelI
side she laid her stocking cap ana
folded coat. On these she placed her
nnittens When the bodies were found
ten hours later, these things lay just
as the school girl had placed them
when she entered the ravine- Had |
Clara Belle Stickney been murdered |
as she entered the gulch, it is argued
that she would have still worn her cap
and rnittens or they would have been
scattered with some degree OF con
fusion Yet this condition is not TAX
en- by many people as an evidence tnal
the girls trip to the ravlne was one
Of her own choosing. Her contempt /
for the man who killed her was too
widely known to have suggested this
,neth0d It only remained that she /
was forced to the rav1ne at the point
of the ugly barrels of q shotgun. or /
was Iured there under some pretext OF
the stepfather.
Alone with the man she most hated. |
the girl dared not scream or run. by /
Tfcl<eis' side was the shotgun with its I
cboTt strbbv barrels that brought to /
the girls memory threats OF other
davs. Through the long, tedious nerve
racking minutes, Rickels sat alohe
+I,en six feet deep. It's banks are steep
anS the couple was securely hidden
from view The Rickels home. quar-
fer Of a mile to the north. was partly /
and Rickels was able to survey the
roadway without himself being seen. |
rr,f,is vantage point was probably Well
considered when Rickels planned 1he
execution Of his crime
Garter Is Found.
.5oninp against hope that some op-
v,or+unitv would present a chance for |
iibartv. the girl staid with the man |
until it was nearly time Tor school 10 |
convene. Evidence showed that in /
those minutes Riekels pressed his man |
ffestations of affections only to be re
nulsed by the girl at his side. Then /
carna the time when the girl must /
hasten to school. AS she clambered to /
her feet Rickels seized her and forced |
her TO the ground again. In that brief !
encounter. the girls skirt was torn A I
narrow strip of white cloth from the |
hem of an underskirt was found beside /
tre pool of blood. that told Of this at
tack Beside the bit of white cloth lay /
8 fo,,r-inch strip of elastic from her |
garter and on one end of this was a |
metal clasp.
It was the only evidence of a strue- |
gle In the brief encounter. the girl |
arose to her feet second time. Crazed /
bcarse of the failure of his efforts to I
keen the girl under cover RickelS half /
raisec to his feet and seized the gun
that had lain by his side His prey was /
about TO escape. All the old threats |
were repeated in that brief moment |
If Clara Belle Stickney uttered an OUT /
crv no one heard it, because there was /
no one near. In another second the /
barrel of the gun was within six inches /
of her head A finger pressed the trig- /
ger and the girl fell backward in 4 /
pool of her own blood.
In the. Ricke1s home to tn north. /
the girls sick brother lay at the south /
window overlooking the scene of the
tragedy. In an adjoining room, Mrs
Cfckels was busy with the morning
household duties n. P Wolpert who
once before averted a tragedy on the
farm had nilked the COWS in the Rick
els barn yard and raturned to his own
home. a mile to the east. Children at
the little school half mile to the south
had entered the building and no one
heard the shot that ended the girls
life.
For a minute, perhaps. Rickels calm
" viewed his work of destruction Then
fear took possession of his perverted
mind and he recalled another threat he
had made-to kill himself From the
moved the wasted shell. He dropped
If to the ground near where he stood
In his pocket were two good shells One
oPf fhaSe he era mined into the ry11r