Made A Confession

The Richards murder case was again brought prominently into pnblio Dotioe yesterday when word was brought to this city that Mrs. Jacob Straub, formerly Lizzie Finch, and whose testimony at the trial of Larkins, Lyons and Jones in the circuit court last üctober did much to clear theru oL the charge was dead and bad made an antemorteru statement to the effect that the three men were really guilty of the murder of poor old Jimmie Richards. 2 Acting on this information an Argus reporter at once went to Wayne and Plymonth to learn wbat trutb, if any, theie was in the statement. At Wayne it was learned for a ceitainty that althongh the woman was not dead, she was in a preoarious oondition and that Dr. Oliver, of Plymoath, wbo was her medical attendant,had taken her autemortem statement of thfi facts in the case. Arrived at Plymouth the Argus man at once went to Dr. Oliver's residenoe and found tbat gentleman at home. Questioned as to the truth of the rumors the doctor said there were a great many false rumors flying aronnd, bnt none of them shonld be taken as aotaal faots. Mrs. Straub had been confined on Feb. 22. Five days later as tha tesult of improper care on tbe part of her nurses she had been taken with a chill, wbich resulted in puerperal fever and she had been and was yet in a very dsngerous condition. with but slight hopes of lecovery. Realizing her condition she bad asked him if she was likely to riie and be bad told her that her chances for life were but slight. She then said tbat sbe hoped she would be forgiven for whatever sias sbe migbt have comuaitted(and made a confession of what she knew about the murder, but he was not at liberty tü sa? what the sobstanoe of tbe confession was. It was in the hands of the proper authorities and later on would doubtless be made public. More than a dozen newspapermen had already been to bis house to see him, buc all had received the same refusal to teil what the confession was. At Plyruouth it was also learned that Larkins and Jones had had nothing to do witn each other since the trial in Ootober up to three or fonr days ago, but since then they had frequently beeD seen together. The rumors afloat in Plymonth and Wayne legaiding tbe coufession, bat the truth of which the Argus is not prepared to vouch for, are to the effect that the robbery was planned by flve persons. That the two women, Mrs. Larkins and Lizzie Finch, knew the robbery of the oíd man Richards was to be attempted and made the masks for the men to wear. That Larkins, Jones and Lyons went to the lonely old hut the night of the ronrder. While Lyons temained with the horse and cntter at tbe gate near the house, Larkins and Jones went up to the house to coinmit the robbery. That taaviug effected an entrance Jones went inside the house and was cornered by the old man witu his pitchfork, who had knocked the mask from Jones' face and recognized hirn when Larkins fired the shot, which afterwards ended tbe old mau's life. That the amount of money secured was between $300 and $400. Whether nese rumors are true can only be found nt when the oonfesaion is niade pnblic. Mrs. Straub, or Lizzie Finch, as 6be s better known to the people around iete. is lying at the home of her husancTs parents at Stringer's corners in Cantoo township, about three miles on tb. of Plytuuuth. Mis. Larkins and her infant daughter about sis or seven weeks old, is living with her brother n the village of Wayne. Lizzie Finch, after the tiial here was ended, claimed bat Jones had promised to marry her and prosecuted him in Justice Demtning's court at Wayne on a charge of bastardy. The case was afterwards discontinued when she married Jacob Straub.