Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-10
WILLIAMS
GONF[}}ES
D MURDER
PRISONER SIGNS WRITTEN CON-
FESSlON OF KILLING MRS.
MATILDA STEWARD.
TELLS COUNTY ATTORNEY
AND SHERIFF STORY
Was Seeking to Kill Mrs. Steward and
Wendell Foote, Williams Said in His
From Missouri to This City and to
Confession.


\ confessed murderer. Robert j
Williams, held for shooting down blind
Mrs. Matilda c. Steward, at the Wen
dell P. F'oote farm near Dillon July 20
awaits in Jail for the law to take its
County Attorney Scott to his cell We'd
nesday afternoon, Williams confessed
Later in the presence Of Sheriff J. G
Edgar, Williams affixed his signature
to brief summary of the confession
that had been made in much more
minute detail orally.
L want to get it off my mind, want
TO get it off my mind" Williams told the
officers several times. This and other
signs gave proof that Williams con-
science has given him no peace since
he committed the act. Torturins him.
il drove him back to near the scene
Of the killing. 1t dragged from him
his confession within a few hours after
he had defied the machinery of the law
to prove him guilty.
Confession Is Full.
Williams has confessed all. proving
that much that he had already told
Sheriff Edgar was untrue. Hate for
Mrs Steward. who thwarted him in his
love affair with her daughter, Ruby
and jealousy for Wendell P. Foote
his successful rival for Miss Stewards
affections, those were the motives
Williams planned to kill Mrs. Steward
and Foote. He killed the former, but
only wounded the latter. Then he es-
capped thru this city and into Missouri.
only to be driven to return by him.
self. to virtually give himself up.
II knew they would get me some
where and some time. So came back.
If hadn't been picked up at Tama I
had intended coming on to MARSHALL
town." he told the county attorney.
Williams Confession.
This is Williams confession. written
by County Attorney Scott in Williams
cell. and signed by Williams in the
presence Of Sheriff Edgar:
I. Robert J. Williams. make the
following statement and confession
to County Attorney r. P. Scott.
freely and voluntarily:
II came to Marshalltown on
Thursday morning. July 20. 1916.
arriving at 11:2G a. m from Tama.
I engaged room at 105 South
First avenue. and spent the after
noon Of said date at my room,
leaving about ) p. m. for the depot.
I bought ticket for Dillon and
went south on the NJ & st. L. at
SIS. arriving at Dillon shortly af-
ter p m. walked down the NJ.
& St L. tracks. south from Dillon,
and crossed thru the corn field to
Foote'S.
Il stayed near the hedge east Of
the house. across the road, till
about 1913 30 o'clock Then I went
over TO the house where Wendell
Foote resides and Mrs. Matilda
Steward and her daughter Ruby
keep house. I went in thru the
kitchen and then into the dining
room where Foote and his nephew
were asleep on the floor. I dis
covered them asleep. when light
ed match. I shot Foote three
times with my .3S caliber revolver
Just then Mrs. Steward and
Ruby came out Of their bed room
into the dining room and I shot
Mrs. Steward once. Just then
Foote got ahold of a chair and
threw it at me. hitting the lamp
and knocking it off the table
then escaped thru the kitchen the
same as I had entered. then
walked to Marshalltown up the VI.
& ST. l.. track and came to my
room on South First avenue, and
and stayed there till I went to the
depot and north on the VI. &. St.
L. to Mason City. I then went
from there to Des Moines and then
down into Missouri
I was very angry at Mrs Stew
ard. because she had opposed my
marriage to Ruby Steward and be-
cause she had told Ruby not to
let me come back
Il was jealous Of Ruby Steward
and of her relations with Wendell
Foote and determined to get him
out Of the way. I never had any
intention Of killing Ruby because
Of my love for her.
make this statement and con-
fession freely and voluntarily to
r. P. Scott county attorney and
knowing that same might be used
against me if this came to trial
but intend to enter a plea of guilty
to the charge of murder
Signed r. ]. Williams.
Witness: J. G. Edgar.
Dated August 1915"
Not Seeking Miss Steward.
{rfo
Steward, for whom, he says, he still
holds very high regard.
IF l had wanted to kill her / could
have done so when she pa ssed only j
few feet from where l was hiding in
the hedge when she went to the store
early in the evening"" Williams said
He went to the Foote house filed
with jealousy against Foote, who had
usurped his place in Miss Stewards
affections and wrathful Of Mrs. Stew
ard, who had stood between Williams
and her daughter.
IF it hadn't been for the old woman
We would have been married." Will
liams had already told the officers.
Williams found the stage well set to
accomplish his purpose when he crept
thru the kitchen door of the Foote
home. and struck q match over the
forms of Foote and his nephew, Carl
Foote, sleeping on the front room floor.
Foote fell an easy prey. Even an
easier victim was Mrs. Steward, when
coming from her bed in alarm at the
shooting. she stepped ahead OF !. her
daughter ans was, framed as target