Individual Details
John W. Tucker
(21 Sep 1849 - 28 Aug 1928)
From Starke County Republican - August 29, 1928:
John Tucker, age 79, an old time resident of Lena Park was found dead early Tuesday morning a few feet from his home. His skull was crushed with some blunt instrument and death apparently occurred the evening before. The body was found by James Reading a neighbor and was fully clothed. The body lay by the side of the house in which he lived on a deserted farm north of the road west of the Casey School. So far as anyone knows he had no valuables or personal property and authorities are at a loss to account for his death. He had been in usual health and so far as is known had no trouble with any one.
He was a bachelor and something of a recluse. He had lived around the vicinity for something over 50 years, part of which time he lived with his mother who died many years ago. He was known as an honest man and would share his last dime with some one in distress. $2 in cash was found in his pockets. He had no living relative except a brother in Illinois who is expected to claim the body which was taken to Eatinger's Undertaking rooms at North Judson. Coroner Hite and Deputy Sheriff Hildebrand are conducting an investigation.
From Starke County Republican - September 19, 1928
Joe Stella, age 16, of near Lena Park, who has been held for the past ten days as a suspect in the murder of John Tucker, has confessed to his part in the killing which occurred near Lena Park the latter part of August. His confession implicates an older brother, Fred Stella, age 25, a paroled prisoner who has served 7 years of a life sentence for robbery and murder in Illinois.
According to Joe Stella's statement he acted as a lookout while his brother clubbed Tucker to death with a 22 caliber repeating rifle. Joe claims not to have been an eyewitness to the killing and that his brother killed Tucker in the hope of obtaining $50 which he said a neighbor had promised him for getting Tucker out of the way.
The confession which is a long rambling story of trips back and forth to Chicago, Hammond, Twin Lakes, Wisc., Joe's version of the story he claims he did not see, his brother's promise to divide the money, his brother's instructions of what to tell the authorities if either were caught, the hiding of the gun after the murder and many other apparently conflicting angles seems to be rather far fetched in spots. Joe has made four statements, the first two of which he says are not correct, but are the ones his brother instructed him to make. The last two he says, are correct.
Joe hid in the cornfield near the house the evening of the murder and walked back and forth along the road in order to warn his brother if any one approached. He was instructed to whistle if any one came near. According to Joe, Fred broke the gun clubbing Tucker, striking him twice with the butt of the rifle and then as the stock broke away from the heavy barrel he struck Tucker three times across the head with the barrel. Joe said Tucker groaned "Oh Oh" as he was being killed and that he did not see his brother do the killing nor did he see the body of Tucker after the deed. Before and after the killing the two made trips to North Judson and back home as well as to Hammond, Chicago, and into Wisconsin.
Joe says it was Fred's intention to shoot Tucker but that there was but one cartridge in the gun and that it would not fire. Fred ordered Tucker to hold up his hands at the point of the rifle, but Tucker grabbed the muzzle and Fred jerked it away from him and struck him over the head with it, at the same time trying to get the gun to fire at every opportunity during the struggle. Joe says no money was obtained and that the $50 promised was not paid so far as he knows. The two slept in fields and along ditches before and after the crime as they made their escape. Joe is being held in jail here and efforts are being made to locate his brother Fred. Wardens Stout and Conn, deputy sheriff Hildebrand, Ted O. Hays, Chas. W. Danielson and others are working on the case. Fred Stella if caught will have another story to tell of course and Joe's statements are of little value according to Warden Stout, since they are conflicting. The murder was committed in Tucker's yard. Tucker lived just south and west of Lena Park.
Authorities are tracing the movements of the two boys and are checking up the story of the crime. It is hoped to find the gun soon which Fred Stella hid immediately after the killing. Circulars with the picture of Fred Stella are being mailed over the country similar to the above.
Additional note: Fred Stella was convicted of 1st degree murder in 1929.
John Tucker, age 79, an old time resident of Lena Park was found dead early Tuesday morning a few feet from his home. His skull was crushed with some blunt instrument and death apparently occurred the evening before. The body was found by James Reading a neighbor and was fully clothed. The body lay by the side of the house in which he lived on a deserted farm north of the road west of the Casey School. So far as anyone knows he had no valuables or personal property and authorities are at a loss to account for his death. He had been in usual health and so far as is known had no trouble with any one.
He was a bachelor and something of a recluse. He had lived around the vicinity for something over 50 years, part of which time he lived with his mother who died many years ago. He was known as an honest man and would share his last dime with some one in distress. $2 in cash was found in his pockets. He had no living relative except a brother in Illinois who is expected to claim the body which was taken to Eatinger's Undertaking rooms at North Judson. Coroner Hite and Deputy Sheriff Hildebrand are conducting an investigation.
From Starke County Republican - September 19, 1928
Joe Stella, age 16, of near Lena Park, who has been held for the past ten days as a suspect in the murder of John Tucker, has confessed to his part in the killing which occurred near Lena Park the latter part of August. His confession implicates an older brother, Fred Stella, age 25, a paroled prisoner who has served 7 years of a life sentence for robbery and murder in Illinois.
According to Joe Stella's statement he acted as a lookout while his brother clubbed Tucker to death with a 22 caliber repeating rifle. Joe claims not to have been an eyewitness to the killing and that his brother killed Tucker in the hope of obtaining $50 which he said a neighbor had promised him for getting Tucker out of the way.
The confession which is a long rambling story of trips back and forth to Chicago, Hammond, Twin Lakes, Wisc., Joe's version of the story he claims he did not see, his brother's promise to divide the money, his brother's instructions of what to tell the authorities if either were caught, the hiding of the gun after the murder and many other apparently conflicting angles seems to be rather far fetched in spots. Joe has made four statements, the first two of which he says are not correct, but are the ones his brother instructed him to make. The last two he says, are correct.
Joe hid in the cornfield near the house the evening of the murder and walked back and forth along the road in order to warn his brother if any one approached. He was instructed to whistle if any one came near. According to Joe, Fred broke the gun clubbing Tucker, striking him twice with the butt of the rifle and then as the stock broke away from the heavy barrel he struck Tucker three times across the head with the barrel. Joe said Tucker groaned "Oh Oh" as he was being killed and that he did not see his brother do the killing nor did he see the body of Tucker after the deed. Before and after the killing the two made trips to North Judson and back home as well as to Hammond, Chicago, and into Wisconsin.
Joe says it was Fred's intention to shoot Tucker but that there was but one cartridge in the gun and that it would not fire. Fred ordered Tucker to hold up his hands at the point of the rifle, but Tucker grabbed the muzzle and Fred jerked it away from him and struck him over the head with it, at the same time trying to get the gun to fire at every opportunity during the struggle. Joe says no money was obtained and that the $50 promised was not paid so far as he knows. The two slept in fields and along ditches before and after the crime as they made their escape. Joe is being held in jail here and efforts are being made to locate his brother Fred. Wardens Stout and Conn, deputy sheriff Hildebrand, Ted O. Hays, Chas. W. Danielson and others are working on the case. Fred Stella if caught will have another story to tell of course and Joe's statements are of little value according to Warden Stout, since they are conflicting. The murder was committed in Tucker's yard. Tucker lived just south and west of Lena Park.
Authorities are tracing the movements of the two boys and are checking up the story of the crime. It is hoped to find the gun soon which Fred Stella hid immediately after the killing. Circulars with the picture of Fred Stella are being mailed over the country similar to the above.
Additional note: Fred Stella was convicted of 1st degree murder in 1929.
Events
| Birth | 21 Sep 1849 | Franklin Twp., Johnson Co., Indiana | |||
| Census (family)-shared | 1850 | (Samuel Tucker and Jane Speer) Johnson Co., Indiana | |||
| Census (family)-shared | 1860 | (Samuel Tucker and Jane Speer) Franklin Co., Indiana | |||
| Census (family)-shared | 1870 | (Samuel Tucker and Jane Speer) Starke Co., Indiana | |||
| Census-shared | 1880 | (Jane Speer) Starke Co., Indiana | |||
| Census | 1900 | Starke Co., Indiana |  | ||
| Death | 28 Aug 1928 | murdered - North Judson, Starke Co., Indiana |  | ||
| Burial | North Judson, Starke Co., Indiana |
Families
| Father | Samuel Tucker (1824 - 1872) |
| Mother | Jane Speer (1815 - 1910) |
| Sibling | Edward A. Tucker (1851 - 1933) |
| Sibling | Minerva Tucker (1855 - 1871) |
Notes
Census
Living with Hannah Tucker, listed as boarder. I traced Hannah Tucker family back to 1850 and find no relationship to John W. Tucker.Endnotes
1. newspaper accounts.