The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-22
COrOner's Jury Finds Joe ].
RickeIs Killed Self.
Also That He Murdered Clara
Stiekney, His Stepdaughter
ONE MAN HEARD THE SHOTS
Testifies That There Vas Min
ute Interval Between Them.
No Mention OF 3'Third Person"
in the Case.

We the said jurors upon our oath do
say that the said John J. RicI1eIs came
TO his death by a gun shot wound in
flicted by himself.
T. w. Leach. Foreman
The above verdict in the Ricl1eIs
murder case was returned at 1870
Wednesday afternoon. The Jury also
found that CLARA Belle Stickney was
murdered by RickeIs.
At least one man heard the shots
which ended the lives of John J. Rickels
and his tep-daughter lie is L. r.
Stock. a, neighbor whose home is about
IS rods from where the bodies were
found.
Stock heard two shots. an interval of
about minute between them, he tes-
titled late at the Rickels inquest. be-
tween $50 and o'clock on the morn
ing Of the day of the killing, and was
puzzled about the occurrence He be
lived the interval was longer than
would have resulted had a man been
firing at some game and missed it He
was IN the barn yard at the time ne
heard the shots He recal-e tie incl
dent that night when the bodies were
found but said nothing about it
Ihls evidence is in line with the
theory of the officers that Rickels ana
the girl went to the slough where the
murder was committed about s o'clock
and We're there until the girl, alarmed
by the lateness of the hour arose "a
leave her tormentor- 1t was then. ac-
cording to this theory, that he killed
her and later, himself
stock testified that Rickels had Sc
cured both green and yellow shells for
ms shot gun from his son He did not
kho" when the last shells We're secured
out recalled that upon one occasion
several weeks ago, E'ckels got Ii or Il
shells. u
The shooting impressed him. Stock
said, because lately there has beer, 49,
little shooting near his place
Thought Mother Feared for life
That his mother feared for her life
ana not her daughters virtue was the
impression of Albert Sticknev when he
LETT the home of his uncle at Silver
Lake and went to the RickeIs home ~
dwell was the testimony of that vo1,ng
man at the second days inquest Az
Ter MS arrival he learned of RickeIs
attempt to force himself upon the
girl
Stickney told of the attempts Pick
els made along this line, describing
now he was compelled to enter the
room OF mis- stepfather to rescue his
sister one night in December After
he had freed the girl from the prasn
OF the frenzied man he and RickeIs
Fought After they tired of their
scrao the family dressed and Rick
els then made threats not against tbe
girl but the entire family. That was
on Sunday morning Later n. P
Wolpert was told of the trouble. al
though not in detail
On another occasion. after one If
R1ckeIs attempts. Rickels wanted the
girl to go to the spring, some 800
yards away. with him This she re-
fused to do, crying in fear of harm
from the man. Her mother directed
her to accompany her stepfather
This, It was explained was because
she wished to talk over what should
be done. with her son and wanted
both her daughter and her husband
out of hearing.
Two Kinds of Shells Kept.
Stickney says shells kept for the
shot gun by his father were of two
coiors- One was yellow and the 9TH
er green In one a large sized shot
was used and in the other small sized
shot was the filler This accounts
for the finding of a smaller sized shot
in the head of Rickels than was found
In the head of the girl. The two sizes
OF shot used were NO. 4 and No. Q.
The Sunday morning before the kill
ing Rickels and the girl quarreled
She asked him for sosme money with
which to buy stamps. He said he did
not have any money and that if he
did have he would not give it to her.
This IS in line with the theory that
Rickels was jealous of the young man
with whom the girl corresponded and