The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-20
TO Be LENIENT
WITH GIRL IN
MURDER CASE
New Light Is Thrown on Conspir-
acy Resulting in Death of
illinois Woman
HUSBAND OF VICTIM JAILED
Confesses to the Crime Because
of Infatuation for His Step
Daughter
HUSBAND OF VICTIM JAILED
REASON OFFERED BY RELATIVES

Galcsburg, Ill.,, Jan, 20.--Robcrt Hig-
gins confessed Yesterday he murdered
his wife at New Henderson, H., Jan
uary ;, so he could be free to marry
his step daughter. Julia Flake, u
years old. He was arrested after the
girl told states Attorney John NJ
Wilson Of Mercer county of her nfat-
portuned him to dispose of her moth
CT, who. she said, was the only OBJ
stacle between her and happiness.
The prosecution of the girl for her
participation i'm the alleged conspiracy
will not be pushed too harshly because
of her age, States Attorney Wilson of
Mercer county said today.
AS for Higgins-well, that's differ
ent." he said.
The alleged conspiracy, terminating
with the murder of Mrs. Higgins on
January ;, the arrests Of Higgins and
his stepdaughter, and their confess
sions disclosing the infatuation and in
timaCy Of the two, were almost the
only topic OF conversation today i'm
Mercer and neighboring counties where
the Higgins family is well known.
6. w Ernst, of Galeshurg, a broth
or of Mrs. Higgins and not on good
terms with her, was offered pay TO kill
written by the girl last November In
october, knowing the differences be-
tween Ernst and his sister Julia, it is
alleged, wrote to Ernsts daughter.
Marie, saying;
Il wonder if your father is still Of
the same notion of killing mother. If
he is | wish he would hurry do it
as / am getting awful tired"
Ernst saw Julia and asked her If she
was crazy lie told her To go home
and behave herself, and after the sup
posed accidental killing of Mrs. Hig-
gins by Higgins he gave the letters TO
the authorities
Higgins and his stepdaughter are in
Aledo the former in Jail, and the girl f,
under the surveillance in the home of
her uncle, Gust Flake.
New Light on the Case.
New light on the part alleged to /
have been PLAYED by fifteen year-old /
Julia Flake in the killing of her mother /
was thrown on the case today by rela-
tivcs of the girl, who charged Robert |
Higgins, her stepfather, with grave
offensc against the girl. According To
relatives the girl was driven frantic by
the lapse of time which brought no
solution to her crushing problem, and
pointed inevitably to the day when the
public must. of necessity, know of her
plight. Higgins, likewise, was desper-
ntc for his wife, too, was approaching
In confessions attributed tU them,
Julia and Higgins admitted the inti-
macy OF the relations since last May
TO tho desperation of her situation rel
ativcs attribute the apparently callous
appeal for the murder Of her mother
which appears in Jail, ana the girl un-
which appears i'm two letters written
by the girl.
Girl Tells Of Pact,
The prosecutor hesitatcd To believe
the girls story of the extraordinary
pact she entered into with her step
father, but she told how they had
for hours in devising "a plan
which would make Mrs. Higgins death
appear accidental She said she was
In the next room when Higgins fired
the shotgun which brought instant
lcath To- her mother.
She told how Higgncs ravcd and
struggled with nelghbors for posses
sion of the gun. saying tnat he would
md his own life. Then, when the
excitement subsided somewhat, she
said. they explained that Higgins had
Ieen cleaning the gun and it had been
accidentally discharged. The story was
tn convincing that the coroner's jury
'cturned verdict of accidental death.
Iot one of the 300 residents of the viii
age suspected anything regarding Mrs. /
Higgins death and they comforted
he widower and his apparently grief
stricken step daughter. subsequently, ,
IN investigation brought out the truth r