Stephen D. Richards
Stephen D. Richards | |
---|---|
First-degree murder (9 counts) | |
Criminal penalty | Death |
Details | |
Victims | 9+ |
Span of crimes | 1876–1878 |
Country | United States |
State(s) | Nebraska and Iowa |
Date apprehended | December 20, 1878 |
Stephen D. Richards[13][14][15] or Samuel D. Richards[3][4] (March 18, 1856 – April 26, 1879), also known in the media as The Nebraska Fiend, Kearney County Murderer, and The Ohio Monster, was an American serial killer who confessed to committing a total of nine murders[a] in Nebraska and Iowa between 1876 and 1878.
Richards was born in
Richards was regarded as handsome and
The nature of Richards' crimes and his behavior after his capture led to a brief period of notoriety, as Richards was widely talked about in the media at the time. Richards has been featured in a handful of books and periodicals, including a posthumous biography, based on an interview conducted after his final arrest. The biography, which also included entries on other criminals of the time, was published in 1879 by the Nebraska State Journal. In modern times he is known as Nebraska's first documented serial killer in Nebraska and the first person to be executed by the state.
Background
In the mid-19th century, Nebraska experienced a period of territorial expansion in the wake of the
Early and young adult life
Stephen D. Richards was born in
Up until the age of twenty, Richards lived with his parents, working for farmers and other locals in the area. On September 16, 1871, Richards' mother died of an unknown cause.[22][23][27] At the age of 20, Richards met and became engaged to a young woman named Anna Millhorne, with whom he regularly corresponded during his later travels, up until his final arrest. Richards also met men whom he described as being of "questionable occupation"; he began passing counterfeit bills which he said were obtained from a man in New York City. In February 1876, he left Mount Pleasant, heading west to find fame and fortune.[23][28]
For a short time, Richards lived in
Richards left the asylum in October of 1876, and began drifting around the
Murders
Early murders
In a confession written after his final arrest, Richards admitted to having killed four men during his travels around Nebraska and Iowa in 1876 and 1877.[36] He described committing his first murder sometime in late 1876, two weeks after arriving in Kearney.
According to Richards, he met a man while traveling on horseback through the Nebraska countryside, and the pair decided to camp for the night near Dobytown.[37] (Several newspapers reported that the two men's campsite was instead near Sand Hills.)[38] Settling down for the night, the two began gambling in a game of cards, with Richards winning most of the stranger's money. As the two set off for Kearney the following morning, the other man turned on Richards and demanded his money back. Richards refused, whereupon, he claimed, the other man became belligerent. Richards then shot him above the left eye, killing him instantly. After confirming the man was dead, Richards disposed of his body in the Platte River.[37]
Several days later, as he continued his trek to Kearney, Richards encountered another man fifteen miles from an area called Walker's Ranch,
Richards later traveled to
In March 1877, Richards and a young man with the surname Gemge left Grand Island, Nebraska, on horseback and headed towards Kearney. As they neared their destination, they stopped and camped for the night between Lowell and Kearney, along the Platte River. Richards woke up at about 3:00 a.m. and roused his partner, telling him it was nearly morning and they should get back on the road. Gemge, infuriated at being awakened so early, began arguing with Richards about the time, and then started insulting him.[46][47] The argument continued, as Richards later recounted:
"It's a good thing you don't mean all you say," I said. "But I do mean it," he said. "You don't want to mean it," I said; and he picked up his revolver and said, "Here is something that backs all that I say," cocked it. I looked at him, and thought, "The fool acts as if he means to shoot," and skipping out my little 33 I plugged him one in the head. That was the first trouble we had ever had.[15][32][35]
After leaving the area, Richards arrived at Kearney, registering under the name F.A. Hoge at the local hotel. During his stay, Richards reunited with several old acquaintances George "Dutch Henry" Johnson, and his companion Hurst, as well as a man who went by the name Mr. Burns. On March 21, Richards was arrested along with Burns, whom he had been spending most of his time with. At the time, both men were not told as to the reason for their arrest, although Richards came to suspect that it was for the murder of Gemge. It was only later that they were notified by the authorities that they were under suspicion for murder of a man named Peter Geteway, whom Richards claimed his innocence over. Although Richards was soon acquitted, Burns was held in custody because of a testimony of a "sporting lady" whom he had previously been acquainted with. Burns would also be acquitted sometime later after no evidence was found linking him to the crime.[48][49]
Murders of the Harlson family
In June 1878, while in Kearney, Richards was arrested and jailed for larceny. He later claimed that this charge was unfounded.[40][48] During his time in jail, he reunited with Mary L. Harlson. Shortly before Richards' arrival, she had been arrested under suspicion of having aided the escape of her husband and another prisoner, named Underwood or Nixon, from the Kearney jail.[4][43][50] Richards and Mary Harlson agreed that she would sell him the deed to her property six months later, for $600.[40][48][51]
After Richards was released from jail, he traveled around Nebraska for several months. He did business in Hastings, Bloomington, and Grand Island before arriving at the Harlsons' Kearney County homestead on October 18, 1878. Mary Harlson transferred the property to Richards upon his arrival, and he stayed there for several weeks.
On November 3, 1878, Richards got up early in the morning, along with another man named Brown, who had been staying at the house.
Murder of Peter Anderson
On December 9, 1878,[59][58] Richards agreed to help his neighbor, a 26-year-old[60] immigrant from Sweden named Peter Anderson, with some work on Anderson's property.[57][58] The Columbus Journal reported that Richards had used the alias "Dick Richardson" when working for Anderson.[1] On December 9,[4][11] Anderson became ill after eating a meal Richards had prepared, causing him to suspect Richards had poisoned him. Anderson informed a neighbor of his suspicions. The next day, he confronted Richards; the two fought, and Richards either beat Anderson to death with a hammer or hatchet,[61] or shot him[8][10][41] (contemporary newspaper accounts vary). Anderson's body was later discovered in the cellar of his house, buried underneath a pile of coal.[14][62] Richards strongly denied poisoning Anderson, saying that was not his style. He claimed Anderson had attacked him with a knife and that he killed Anderson in self-defense.[3][25] Anderson was later buried at the Bethany Cemetery in Axtell, Nebraska.[60]
On the run
Richards decided to flee Kearney shortly after murdering Anderson, expecting that the bodies he had concealed would soon be discovered. In the evening, as he was hitching up Anderson's horses and preparing to leave, some of Anderson's neighbors arrived. They had noticed Anderson's absence and questioned Richards about it. He reportedly told them Anderson was inside the house. As Anderson's neighbors entered the dwelling, Richards fled on horseback, riding to Bloomington[63] He traveled east, by horse and train and on foot, passing through Omaha and Chicago.[e] While on the run, he met up with Jasper Harlson and Harlson's fellow escaped prisoner. The three traveled through Wheeling, West Virginia, and into Ohio, passing through Bridgeport, before arriving in Richards' hometown of Mount Pleasant.[15][29] Nebraska Governor Silas Garber issued an arrest warrant for Richards on December 16, 1878, and promised a reward of $200 for his arrest and conviction.[64]
Capture
Most accounts state that on December 20, 1878,
If I hadn't had the two girls with me, I guess the constable, McGrew, who arrested me, would have been a dead man—either of us would, for I'd have shot.[29]
Richards said that if he had escaped, he would have gone to Nebraska as he reasoned that it was the last place anyone would look for him.[8][10][41]
Some accounts differed about the date and place of Richards' arrest.
The Workingman's Friend, a Leavenworth, Kansas newspaper, reported that Chicago authorities received part of the reward.[10]
After his arrest, Richards was jailed in
At the time of Richards' arrest, authorities suspected he was a member of a gang of outlaws who had plagued the state, or even the group's leader. Law enforcement was able to definitively link Richards to the nine murders to which he had confessed, and suggested that he might have killed even more,
Shortly before his trial, Richards predicted that he would be convicted and hanged for his crimes.[8][10][41] He was moved to a jail in Omaha on December 28, then transferred to Kearney by train. On December 30, a large crowd of enraged townsfolk gathered outside of the jail in Kearney where Richards was being kept. Fearing a lynching, authorities took "extra precautions" to ensure Richards' safety, as well as their own.[75] While being moved to the depot, Richards was said to have been impressed by the large crowd, asking whether the whole town was there to see him.[15] Eventually, the crowd dispersed and there were no further incidents during the rest of his stay in Kearney.[75]
Trial
Richards' trial began on January 16, 1879, in
After two hours of deliberation,
Execution
When Richards was returned to Nebraska, the Omaha Herald reported that he "manifested supreme indifference to his lot, was perfectly willing to be brought direct to Kearney Junction and said he had as soon died one way as another."[32] Shortly after Richards' conviction, Sheriff Martin announced that his execution in Minden would be open to the public, even though Martin feared the attendance of a large number of spectators who could become violent.[79] In an effort to prevent a riot, an enclosure was constructed around the gallows to separate the expected crowd from Richards. However, tickets that allowed admittance into the restricted area were sold. Also, Richards was allowed to invite people; he chose members of the press whom he had befriended while in prison.[15] One such ticket of admittance was recently discovered and is now in the collection of the Nebraska Historical Society.[80]
Spectators at the execution were said to have numbered between 2,000[25] and 25,000.[39] As the crowd became increasingly agitated, the authorities pleaded with them to stay outside the enclosure, but guards were unable to prevent the spectators from beginning to destroy the barrier.[15][39][81] One participant in the incident, a man named Rolf Johnson, recalled that twenty to thirty people in the crowd cut the rope as the authorities tried to stop the agitated crowd. The mob then proceeded to pull the posts out of the ground, attempting to drag the makeshift barrier away while the guards were pulling the rope at the other end in what Johnson described as a "tug of war". The mob succeeded in pulling the rope away from the guards, dragging it onto the prairie before proceeding to destroy the barrier completely, in spite of the authorities' attempts to intervene.[72] At precisely 1:00 p.m.,[39] Richards was led to the gallows by Martin and his deputy; this pacified the crowd. Upon ascending the gallows, Richards launched into an impassioned defense of his actions. He again claimed that the killing of Anderson was in self-defense, and also disavowed any involvement in the murders of the Harlson family,[39] and claimed he was the victim of a "wrongful conviction".[24][26] He then said he had found the Lord, "made [his] peace with God",[15][26] and "had faith in Christ", and asked the crowd to join him in singing the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing".[39] One such spectator documenting the events of the execution in his journal, observed that Richards appeared calm and collected during the entire ordeal.[82] Richards' final words were said to have been "Jesus be with me now!"[25][h] Reverend W. Sanford Gee, who presided over the execution, later telling reporters he hoped Richards' professions of religious salvation were genuine, but allowed that they might not have been.[25]
At 1:17 p.m.[39][i] on April 26, 1879,[13][83] Richards was hanged. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat said it took fifteen minutes for him to die.[39][j] Richards was the first person in Nebraska's history to be executed,[2][82] since its incorporation into the United States in 1867.[86] Shortly after his execution, a photographer was able to capture a photograph of Richards' corpse propped inside a coffin.[87]
Aftermath
Local doctors hounded Richards before his execution, asking him to consent to donating his body, so they could perform an
Pathology
I have killed nine persons, and I can't say I feel any worse for it.
Stephen D. Richards[13]
After his arrest, many people described Richards as
Throughout his travels, Richards used various aliases. In an account of his life published in The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo, Richards admitted to having used the false names George Gallagher, F.A. Hoge, and William Hudson. Richards also admitted to corresponding with various acquaintances under the names D.J. Roberts, J. Littleton, and W. A. Littleton.[15][33]
Legacy
At the time of Richards' arrest and execution, it was a popular belief that all criminals were of poor quality and limited education.[96] The horrific nature of his crimes gave Richards some notoriety which increased after his capture due in part to his not fitting with the public's preconception of criminals,[95] with reporters and members of the public often struck by his charisma, good looks, his education, and outspokenness.[15][41][95] Richards was featured in a handful of books and periodicals, the first of these was The Philosophy of Insanity: Richard, the Nebraska Fiend by Dr. John Sanderson Christianson, published on February 9, 1879.[97][98][99] A Nebraska State Journal interview with Richards before his execution was published in a trail pamphlet titled Life and Confession of Stephen Dee Richards, the Murderer of Nine Persons Executed at Minden, Nebraska, April 26, 1879. The pamphlet, published on May 1, 1879, five days after Richards' hanging, includes entries on other contemporary criminal cases as well.[100][101] After his execution, interest in Richards dwindled and he subsequently faded from public memory.[95]
In modern times, Richards is now acknowledged as Nebraska's first documented serial killer.
Notes
- ^ Some contemporary newspaper accounts would say Richards confessed to six murders.[3][16]
- ^ A biography published shortly after Richards' execution claims that he was born in Ohio.[13]
- ^ In his confession, Richards said the man had identified the murder victim as John, but Richards was unable to find out the dead man's surname;[34][35] however, it was given as Crawford in an article published ten days after Richards' execution.[39]
- ^ The surname is spelled Harlson in the transcript of Richards' confession.[40] Other sources give different spellings, including Harrison,[10] Harleson,[41] Haralson[35][42] and Harrelson.[8][9][43]
- ^ An article in the Lincoln Journal Star claimed that he fled instead to Red Cloud, and traveled to Chicago by way of Hastings. The article also stated that he used the alias "Samuel Richards" during his flight.[2]
- ^ Phrenology supposedly predicts a person's mental traits by measuring bumps on the skull; influential in the 19th century, it is now considered pseudoscience.[70]
- ^ One source listed Anderson and a Simon C. Ayer.[73]
- ^ A contemporary report recorded Richards' last words being "Sherrif meet me in Heaven".[82]
- ^ An alternate account reported by The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo reported that Richards was led to the gallows at 12:48 p.m.[15] This report would also list the song as "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood", and the time of his hanging as 1:10 p.m.[26][25][26]
- ^ Other accounts gave the amount of time as being five to ten minutes.[82][84][85]
References
- ^ a b Columbus Journal 1878, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f "Nebraska's first legal executions". Lincoln Journal Star. June 13, 2015. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Nebraska Advertiser 1879, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e Wilson 2014, p. 11.
- ^ a b Jenkins 2004, p. 35.
- ^ Teeters & Hedblom 1967, p. 202.
- ^ Newton 2006, p. 317.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Atchison Daily Champion 1878, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f Belmont Chronicle 1879, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The Workingman's Friend 1879, p. 1.
- ^ a b Sioux City Journal 1879, p. 2.
- ^ Little Falls Transcript 1879, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d e New York Daily Herald 1878a, p. 7.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Sedalia Weekly Bazoo 1879, p. 2.
- ^ a b c Walnut Valley Times 1879, p. 2.
- ^ Holt 1978, pp. 53–54, 72–73.
- A&E Television Networks. November 9, 2009. Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "Nebraska Statehood Launched in Troubled Times". History Nebraska. March 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ Gless 2008, pp. 21–25.
- ^ Gless 2008, p. 30.
- ^ a b c d e f Wheeling Daily Intelligencer 1878, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f Johnson 2000, p. 142.
- ^ a b Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 46.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sedalia Weekly Bazoo 1879, p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e Johnson 2000, p. 140.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 11.
- ^ a b c d Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 12.
- ^ a b c d e f g New York Times 1879a, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f Wheeling Daily Intelligencer 1878, p. 1.
- ^ Johnson 2000, p. 143.
- ^ a b c d e Omaha Herald 1878, p. 2.
- ^ a b c Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 15.
- ^ a b c d e Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 14.
- ^ a b c d e f Johnson 2000, p. 144.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, pp. 10–11.
- ^ a b c d Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 13.
- ^
- (Atchison Daily Champion 1878, p. 2)
- (The Workingman's Friend 1879, p. 1)
- (New York Daily Herald 1878b, p. 5)
- (Nebraska State Journal 1878, p. 2)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j St. Louis Globe-Democrat 1879, p. 4.
- ^ a b c Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 19.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Quad-City Times 1878, p. 1.
- ^ a b Nebraska State Journal 1878, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f New York Daily Herald 1878b, p. 5.
- ^ a b c Wilson 2014, p. 12.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 16.
- ^ Johnson 2000, p. 146.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 17.
- ^ a b c Johnson 2000, p. 147.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 18.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1878, p. 16.
- ^ a b c New York Daily Herald 1879, p. 7.
- ^ a b c Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 20.
- ^ Bang 1952, p. 104.
- ^ Boyle 1999, p. 210.
- ^ a b Johnson 2000, p. 149.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, pp. 21–22.
- ^ a b c Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 23.
- ^ a b c Johnson 2000, p. 150.
- ^ a b Setlik, Michelle (November 4, 2020). "Monday Mystery series: Nebraska's First Serial Killer had Nine Victims". The Independent (subscription required). Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
- ^ a b Johnson 2000, p. 108.
- ^
- (New York Times 1879a, p. 2)
- (Omaha Herald 1878, p. 2)
- (Johnson 2000, p. 150)
- (Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 24)
- ^ Johnson 2000, p. 151.
- ^
- (Sedalia Weekly Bazoo 1879, p. 2)
- (Johnson 2000, p. 151)
- (Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 32)
- ^ Nebraska State Historical Society 1942, p. 501.
- ^ a b c Johnson 2000, p. 152.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 34.
- ^ Ramsland 2006, p. 4.
- ^ Boyle 1999, p. 230.
- ^ a b c Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 37.
- ^ Stiles 2011, p. 12.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 38.
- ^ a b Johnson 2000, p. 139.
- ^ Nebraska Senate Journal 1879, p. 501.
- ^ New York Times 1879b, p. 2.
- ^ a b Cincinnati Daily Star 1878, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 35.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 36.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 33.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879a, p. 4.
- ^ "Frederick E. Dalrymple [RG0933.AM]". History Nebraska. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Nebraska Advertiser 1879b, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d Johnson 2000, p. 141.
- ^ a b Newton 2006, p. 399.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 48.
- ^ Saint Paul Globe 1879, p. 7.
- ^ Olson, Naugle & Montag 2015, p. 121.
- ^ NET News. Event occurs at 8:08–8:44. Archivedfrom the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Wilson 2014, p. 13.
- ^
- (Sedalia Weekly Bazoo 1879, p. 2)
- (Quad-City Times 1878, p. 1)
- (Press and Daily Dakotaian 1878, p. 5)
- (Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 7)
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 7.
- ^ Press and Daily Dakotaian 1878, p. 5.
- ^ a b c Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 41.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, pp. 6–7.
- PsychologyToday.com. Sussex Publishers. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ PsychologyToday.com. Sussex Publishers. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
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- ^ Bell 1885, p. 668.
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- ^ Kuhlman 1929, p. 125.
- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 72.
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- ^ a b "'Paranormal Witness' 507 Nebraska Fiend aka Stephen Dee Richards". MovieTvTechGeeks.com. MTTG Staff. September 15, 2016. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ Enk, Bryan (September 14, 2016). "Paranormal Witness News—Attend the Tale of Stephen Richards". SyFy.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ "Paranormal Witness Recap—Nebraska Fiend". SyFy.com. SyFy Channel. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ Sakellariou, Alexandria (August 26, 2020). "All 15 Red Dead Redemption 2 Characters Based On Real People". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
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Sources
Books
- Anon. (May 1, 1879). Life and Confession of Stephen Dee Richards: The Murderer of Nine Persons, Executed at Minden, Nebraska, April 26, 1879 (1st ed.). State Journal Co. – via Internet Archive.
- Anon. (1911). Bulletin of the New York Public Library. Vol. 15 – via Google Books.
- Nebraska Senate Legislature (1879). Senate Journal of the Legislature of the State of Nebraska: Fifteenth Regular Session. Vol. 15. Journal Company, State Printers – via Google Books.
- Bang, Roy (1952). Heroes Without Medals: A Pioneer History of Kearney County, Nebraska (1st ed.). Warp Publishing Company – via Google Books.
- Bell, Clark (1885). The Medico-Legal Journal. Vol. 49. Medico-Legal Society – via Google Books.
- Boyle, Alan (August 1, 1999). Holding Stone Hands: On the Trail of the Cheyenne Exodus. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-1294-7. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022 – via Google Books.
- Gless, Alan (2008). The History of Nebraska Law. ISBN 978-0-8214-1787-4. Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- Holt, Michael (1978). The Political Crisis of the 1850s. ISBN 978-0-4714-0840-6. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Google Books.
- Jenkins, Philip (December 2004). Moral Panic: Changing Concepts of the Child Molester in Modern America. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-10963-4 – via Google Books.
- Johnson, Rolf (August 1, 2000). Happy as a Big Sunflower: Adventures in the West, 1876-1880. ISBN 978-0-803-27614-7. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023 – via Google Books.
- Kuhlman, Augustus (1929). A Guide to Material on Crime and Criminal Justice. ISBN 978-0-8758-5098-6. Archivedfrom the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
- Lewis, John, ed. (1942). Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Nebraska, 1854–1941. Vol. 1. Nebraska State Historical Society – via Google Books.
- McDade, Thomas (1961). The Annals of Murder: A Bibliography of Books and Pamphlets on American murders from Colonial Times to 1900. University of Oklahoma Press – via Google Books.
- Teeters, Negley; Hedblom, Jack (June 1, 1967). "... Hang by the neck ...": the legal use of scaffold and noose, gibbet, stake, and firing squad from colonial times to the present. C. C. Thomas. ISBN 978-0-398-01906-8 – via Google Books.
- Newton, Michael (February 2006). The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (2nd ed.). Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8160-6987-3 – via Google Books.
- Olson, James; Naugle, Ronald; Montag, John (January 30, 2015). History of Nebraska (4th ed.). University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-8626-9. Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
- Ramsland, Katherine (2006). Inside the Minds of Serial Killers: Why They Kill. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-99099-2 – via Google Books.
- Stiles, Anne (December 22, 2011). Popular Fiction and Brain Science in the Late Nineteenth Century (E-book). ISBN 978-1-1395-0490-4 – via Google Books.
- Wilson, R. (January 10, 2014). Legal Executions in Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma Including the Indian Territory: A Comprehensive Registry. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-107-01001-7 – via Google Books.
Newspapers
- "Watching for a Wholesale Murderer". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. December 14, 1878. p. 7. Archivedfrom the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "The Journal". The Columbus Journal. Columbus, Nebraska. December 18, 1878. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "A Vile Murderer: A Prisoner Confesses to Having Murdered Nine Persons Over Three Years". The New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. December 25, 1878. p. 5. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "The Steubenville Murderer Turns Out to be of Wheeling Origin". The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer. Wheeling, West Virginia. December 25, 1878. p. 2. Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Friday, December 27, 1878". Nebraska State Journal. Lincoln, Nebraska. December 27, 1878. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Richards, the Murderer". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. December 28, 1878. p. 1. Retrieved January 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "A Hardened Criminal". The Atchison Daily Champion. Atchison, Kansas. December 29, 1878. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Richards Back in Nebraska". The Cincinnati Daily Star. Cincinnati, Ohio. December 30, 1878. p. 1. Archivedfrom the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Richards, the Kearney County Murderer, Gives for the First Time Full Details of His Crimes". The Omaha Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. December 31, 1878 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Nebraska's Boss Murderer: Richards on His Way to Kearney Junction, Where He Will End His Career". Press and Daily Dakotaian. Yankton, South Dakota. December 31, 1878. p. 5. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Richards, The Mount Pleasant Criminal". Belmont Chronicle. Saint Clairsville, Ohio. January 2, 1879. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "The Nebraska Murderer: A Cool Confession of His Many Crimes". The New York Times. New York, New York. January 2, 1879. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Rande's Rival". The Workingman's Friend. Leavenworth, Kansas. January 3, 1879. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "He Killed Children as He Would Rabbits". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. January 7, 1879. p. 7. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "A Daring Demon". Little Falls Transcript. Little Falls, Minnesota. January 9, 1879. p. 2. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "The Nebraska Fiend". Sioux City Journal. Sioux City, Iowa. January 17, 1879. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "State News and Notes". The Nebraska Advertiser. Brownville, Nebraska. January 23, 1879. p. 2. Retrieved July 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "The City". Nebraska State Journal. Lincoln, Nebraska. April 26, 1879. p. 4. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "The Craven Choked". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. St. Louis, Missouri. April 27, 1879. p. 4. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Scenes at a Hanging". New York Times. New York, New York. April 27, 1879. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Crimes and Casualties: Execution of Richards". The Saint Paul Globe. Saint Paul, Minnesota. April 27, 1879. p. 7. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- T.B. Murdock (April 27, 1879). "Stephen D. Richards". Walnut Valley Times. El Dorado, Kansas. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "The Advertiser". The Nebraska Advertiser. Brownville, Nebraska. May 1, 1879b. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- "Dead and Damned: Stephen D. Richards Hanged". The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo. Sedalia, Missouri. May 6, 1879. pp. 2–3. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
Further reading
- Dempsey, Tim (May 25, 2014). Well I'll Be Hanged: Early Capital Punishment in Nebraska. Sunbury Press, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-62006-336-1 – via Google Books.
- Bakken, Gordon (November 16, 2010). Invitation to an Execution: A History of the Death Penalty in the United States. ISBN 978-0-8263-4858-6 – via Google Books.
- Ramsland, Katherine (February 5, 2013). The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-101-61905-6 – via Google Books.
- Uhlarik, Jennifer (2021). The Scarlet Pen. Barbour Publishing. ISBN 978-1-643-52929-5. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022 – via Google Books.