South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-20
KISSED HIS WIFE
THEN KILLED HER
HIGGINS ADMITS
Man Says Love for Step-daugh-
ter Drove Him to Kill Her
Mother-GirI Tainted Him
Till He Had to Act.

GALESBURG. ILL.,, Jan. 2G.-@Y YhiIe
i was thinking Of the best way To kill
my wife / kissed heT-kissed her full
upon the lips"
Robert higgins. confessed slayer Of
his wife, who killed her because OF the
pleadingS OF his stepdaughter. IS
year-Old Julie Flake, made this state
ment Tuesday in starting the remark
able story of his crime.
IT was the first public statement
HiggiEs haG been permitted to make
since his arrest for the death Of Mrs
RObert Flake Higgins, mother OF the
girl who IL IS alleged desired her death
80 that she herself could wed her
stepfather.
AS Higgins related the story he
carelessly flecked the ash from a Gig
aret. He talked without any outward
evidence Of emotion. There was moth
ing in his manner to indicate regret
OF remOrse.
Il killed her because Julia asked
me to-" ne said and blew a cloud of
smoke into the air. II have no par
ticular interest in what they may do
10 me"
Pressed for the details Of the begin
ming OF the illicit love affair between
himself and his stepdaughter, the 15-
year-Old Julia Higgins said:
1T was last summer l believe that
love notes in my pockets. She would
write me a note two or three times a
week and smuggle them into my coat.
When we were left alone one day
she told me Of other love affairs she
had. ] didn't thing she was telling
the truth-but who would refuse a
girls love when offered to him
Higgins had already explained that
the improper relations between him
self and the girl We're part of what
he termed love.
who suggested the killing" Hig-
Girl Taunted Him.
Julia did. She met me on the
street on Jan. 4. When are you 60
ing TO kin mOther?' she asked me.
did not answer and she called me a
coward. She told me that if / was go
ing 20 DO it at all. L had better do it
My wife never suspected me of
loving anybody else. 1 went back to
The house. My wife kissed me. /
kissed her. j was thinking of julia $
taunts On the morning of the muir
der l went for the mail When l
came home / again kissed my wife
for the last time Then ] shot her. L
love Julia. i didn't at first but 1 came
10 have greater affection for her than
FOR my wife. 1t was because of her
treats that she would commit suicide
unless 1 killed my wife that L did as
she told me.
The police told me that she had
confessed everything. They said that
they could prove that killed my wife,
They sai0 that Julia would be pun
ished unless l confessed. That is why
/ told them ALTO save Julia"
Higgins stretched his legs on a
bench in his cell, closed his eyes and
went TO sleep.
Letters written by the girl 10 her
cousin, Marie Ernst, and TO her -ncle,
q. W. Ernst. of Galesburg. substan-
tiate the statements OF Higgins in part
once she wrote TO her cousin:
Does your father still have his in
tentions Of killing mother that he has
had If he has L wis he would come
at once"
In another letter she wrote to her
uncle:
If you viii kill mother [ Will pay
YOU and pay you we'll OF course, you
know 1 couldn't pay until / am IS"
VIII Inherit $1,000.
The girl inherited a $1,000 estate
from her father at his death. She
offered TO- divide this with her uncle
II he would commit the murder.
Mrs. Charles r. Franklin, the girls
aunt. is caring for Julia. and stood be-
tween the interviewers and the giri
Julia is a mere child" said Mrs.
Franklin. she was not in love with
Higgins He is a beast Julia was
afraid OF him. He had threatened
both Julia and her mother. How
can you believe that a child would be
responsible for such things"
Most OF the expressions heard on
the streets here and IN Gaesburg are
in line with what Mrs. Franklin says
Higgins IS believed to have been the
real offender. In North Henderson.
where Higgins father is a wealthy and
influential citizen, popular expressions
favor him and lay the blame upon the
girl