The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-14
LIFE SENTENCE
FOR HIGGINS
Only One Crime Worse Than
the One Which He
Had Com
mitted.
PRISONER UNcoNcERNED
Was the Best Dressed Man in court
and Calmly Lighted Ci-
gar After Hearing His
Fate.

limited Press Leased Wire Service
GAIlESBURG. H., April 14.-Rob-
ert Higgins who pleaded guilty to the
charge Of numbering his wife. Mrs.
Nettie Flake Ernest Higgins in their
home at North Henderson. on the
morning OF January 5, that he might
marry his sixteen year old step-daugh-
Imprisonment by Judge Robert w.
Olmstead of Mercer county circuit
court at 9:15 O'Clock this morning.
Higgins, when sentence was pro.
nounced upon him. showed no emo
ton and his face showed not sign OF
a blush.
There were about 100 spectators in
the court room when Higgins was
brought in. There was not woman
in the audience. Higgins wore fine-
ly tailored suit OF brown shade, pol
ished shoes, a high collar and black
tie. Higgins was without doubt the
best dressed man in the court room.
Judge Olmstead addressed Higgins
in a clear tone OF voice.
"Your first wrong" he said, had
been committed in 4 sexual way.
That led to a graver crime for which
am sentencing you to prison for the
! remainder of your life, i,
I The crime Is the grayest crime
made with exception Of treason to
ones country
. Higgins will be taken to the Joliet
penitentiary on Thursday or Friday
Of this week.
Just as he left the court house, Hig-
gins pulled a cigar from his pocket
and lighted it. He never said a word
and walked back to the jail unhand-
cuffed with Deputy Sheriff Gates.
Julia Flake, who rs In Geneva will
not be brought into cotrt at this term.
Remarkable Crime.
ALEDO, H.. April 1.-THE killing
! OF Mrs. Nettie Ernest Flake-Higgins
at North Henderson, H.. January 5,
1914, and the subsequent amazing
confession of her f1fteen-year-old
daughter Julia, that she helped plan
the murder because of an Illicit love
for her young stepfather. Robert H.
Higgins. developed one Of the most
remarkable crime studies In the his
tory of Illinois
Mrs Higgins was shot to death in
her North Henderson home on the af-
ternoon of January 5. bullet enter
Z IL L.,
At the coroner's inquest her young
husband. Robert Higgins, member of
prosperous family of farmers, swore
that Mrs. Higgins was killed when his
rifle accidentally exploded while he
was cleaning 1t. Her daughter Julia.
( corroborated his testimony and the
jury returned verdict Of accidental
death. Two weeks later. C. w. Ern-
est. of Galesburg. uncle Of the girl.
submitted to the states attorney, let
ters alleged to have been written to
himself and his daugher, Marie, by
Julia Flake. proposing that he come
to North Henderson and kill her moth
er. Julia will inherit $1,000 when she
comes of age and the letter carried
du liupliSu tiio' IL hOS'
killed her mother she would pay him
well for It, Julia was taken to the
states attorneys office. After two
hours questioning she broke down
and confessed that she and Higgins
plotted to kill her mother, so that
Higgins might marry her. Higgins
fred the shot. she said, while her
mothers face was hidden by a news
paper she was reading. According to
the states attorney Julia admitted
I that she and her step-father had sec
reilly maintained intimate relations
without her mothers knowledge.
| Detectives arrested Higgins on a
I train near Rio, a short distance from
North Henderson, and confronted him
/ with the girls story. On the after
noon OF January 19, the deteCttv yes
gave out what purported to be a state
ment from Higgins, >onfessins his
part in the murder. but laying the
{ blame on Julia. whom Higgins. the
T detectives said. blamed as a 'girl-Eve'
who made love to him and then In.
| duced him to kill Mrs. Higgins. The
next day. the attorneys for Higgins
repudiated the confession and insisted
that Higgins was innocent. They gave
out statements declaring that the sir
had repeatedly coaxed Higgins 10 mar
~ her and that she had made the