Introduction
William John Stephan
WILLIAM JOHN STEPHAN had been in and out of trouble with the law before he shot and mortally wounded Curtis Dobbins in a botched robbery of the Dobbin home in Haddonfield in 1936. He was caught, the case being investigated and prosecuted by Samuel P. Orlando. William John Stephan was executed in the electric chair at the state prison in Trenton on February 8, 1938.
7 Held as Cops Raid Card Game in Home
Camden Courier-Post —
Police Seize 2 Decks of Cards, Pair of Dice; Miss Cash
Seven men were arrested last night when police raided a private home after receiving a “tip” that a card game was in progress.
William J. Stephan, 29, of 403 Friends avenue, the scene of the raid, was arrested as the alleged proprietor and held in $2000 bail for a hearing today before Judge Lewis Liberman.
Others arrested are John H. Ridge, 42, of 418 North Third Street; Ernest Ridge, of Milner Hotel, Delaware avenue and Market street; Nat Green, 34, of 562 Carman Street; John Podhar, 31, of 1944 Bristol street, Philadelphia; Charles Luffy, 32, of 1418 Erie avenue, Philadelphia, and Robert Ramsey, 23, of the Camden Y. M. C. A. All were held in $100 bail as material witnesses.
Detectives John Trout, John Kaighn and Patrolmen Marshall Thompson and Earl Hamby conducted the raid and said they confiscated two decks of cards and a pair of dice. They said a quantity of money on the table was scooped up by the players before they reached the playing room.
Stephan Put on Trial In Dobbins Slaying
Trenton Times —
Stephan Put on Trial In Dobbins Slaying
CAMDEN, Oct. 5 (P).—The trial of William J. Stephan, charged with the slaying of Curtis Wesley Dobbins, former RCA employe, began today before Judge Neutze.
A special jury panel of 100 men and women has been drawn from which counsel will select the jurors to hear the case. The special panel was drawn at the request of Supreme Court Justice Lloyd.
Dobbins, son of Edgar Y. Dobbins, Federal probation officer for southern New Jersey, was shot at the door of his home in Haddonfield August 11. He had gone to answer the doorbell. He died a week later from a bullet wound in the abdomen.
County Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando said Stephan has admitted ownership of the pistol which killed Dobbins, but denied the shooting.
State Opens Case In Stephan Trial
Trenton Times —
State Opens Case In Stephan Trial
CAMDEN, N. J., Oct. 6 (U.P.)—The State called a parade of witnesses to the stand today in an effort to convict William J. Stephan, paroled Federal convict, on charges of murdering Curtis Wesley Dobbins, young RCA manufacturing company executive.
A jury was selected in one hour and 55 minutes yesterday. In his opening address Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando asked death in the electric chair for Stephan.
Two State witnesses—Dr. J. Stanwood Davis, chief of staff at West Jersey Homeopathic Hospital, and Patrolman Harry A. Githens, of the Haddonfield police—admitted under cross-examination by Defense Counsel John L. Morrissey that Dobbins told them before he died that he could not identify his assailant.
Stephan Loses Plea To Escape Chair
Trenton Times —
Frank F. Neutze — William J. Stephan — Curtis Wesley Dobbins
Stephan Loses Plea To Escape Chair
CAMDEN, Oct. 9 (U.P.)—The trial of William Stephan on charges of murdering a youthful RCA-Victor Manufacturing Corporation executive went forward today, despite the defendants’ offer of a guilty plea in exchange for a promise that he would not be sentenced to the electric chair.
Stephan’s offer came in a conference between counsel and Judge Frank F. Neutze in the latter’s chambers, after Stephan had testified in his own defense almost three hours. Judge Neutze refused the offer.
During Stephan’s testimony, the former convict denied emphatically that he shot to death Curtis Wesley Dobbins, a personnel officer of the radio concern.
Prejudice Charge In Murder Appeal
Trenton Times —
Prejudice Charge In Murder Appeal
A juror’s question during the trial of William J. Stephan, of Camden, was submitted to the Court of Errors and Appeals today as ground for reversing his conviction on a murder charge.
The brief submitted for Stephan, who was sentenced to death, contended the juror showed prejudice when he asked a witness, “why waste all of this time?”
Stephan was convicted of killing Curtis Wesley Dobbins, RCA employe and son of a Federal parole officer, in an attempted holdup at Dobbins’ Haddonfield home last April 11.
“The defendant was entitled to a trial by an unbiased and impartial jury,” the appeal brief said, “and in view of the statement of Juror No. 9, it can be readily seen that the verdict of the jury may have been influenced by the remarks and the statements of this juror.”
Murder Verdicts Upheld by Court
Trenton Times —
Murder Verdicts Upheld by Court
Two murder convictions, one carrying the death penalty and the other life imprisonment, were affirmed by the Court of Errors and Appeals today.
William J. Stephan, Camden furniture salesman with a criminal record, must go to the electric chair. He was charged with killing Curtis W. Dobbins, 28, son of a United States probation officer. The court affirmed the conviction by a 7 to 7 vote.
A revolver alleged to have been used in the shooting was found concealed in a stove at Stephan’s home. The murder was said to have been the result of an attempted robbery.
The conviction of John Tomaini, Avon, likewise was sustained. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of William Hobart, proprietor of a meat market, where the defendant was employed. In this case, too, it was charged that robbery was the motive. Hobart died of a gun wound in the back.
Allow Re-Hearing In Murder Appeal
Trenton Times —
Allow Re-Hearing In Murder Appeal
Reargument of the appeal of William J. Stephan, Camden furniture salesman, from his conviction death sentence on murder indictment was allowed today by the Court of Errors and Appeals. The case will be heard after completion of the regular calendar and probably will be reached early next week.
The court divided seven-seven two weeks ago on granting Stephan a new trial. The effect of its decision was to sustain the lower court conviction.
The petition for a reargument was based largely on the fact the entire court had not heard the case when first presented. The importance of the decision to Stephan, it was pointed out, warranted all the members passing upon the contention raised to upset the verdict.
Stephan was charged with killing Curtis W. Dobbins, son of a United States probation officer, at the Dobbins home in Haddonfield last August. Robbery was the ascribed motive.
Stephan to Die in Chair Tuesday at Trenton
Camden Courier-Post —
William J. Stephan, convicted Camden slayer, will die in the electric chair Tuesday, at 8 p. m., for the murder of Curtis Y. Dobbins, Haddonfield athlete.
Stephan, a paroled Federal prisoner, shot and killed Dobbins in the latter’s home in Haddonfield on August 11, 1936. He had been serving his parole under Edgar Y. Dobbins, probation officer and father of the slain youth. The State contended that Stephan had intended to rob the son of his benefactor.
Stephan was scheduled to die last November but Governor Hoffman granted him a reprieve. The Court of Pardons refused his plea for commutation of sentence to life in prison.
Moore Spurns Plea to Save Stephan
Camden Courier-Post —
Slayer Doomed to Die Tonight Bids Goodbye to Mother
Trenton, Feb. 7—William J. Stephan, who is scheduled to die in the electric chair at State Prison tomorrow night for the murder of Curtis W. Dobbins, of Haddonfield, said “goodbye” to his mother last week, prison officials disclosed today.
The former West Berlin salesman talked to his mother, Mrs. Madeline Hackley, for a short time. He will be permitted one more visitor before he begins “the last mile” as the 121st victim of the prison chair.
It also was revealed today that E. George Aaron, Camden attorney and Stephan’s counsel, made a vain appeal to Governor Moore for executive clemency.
Nearly 18 months have passed since the August night in 1936 the state charges Stephan fired the shot that killed Dobbins, youthful RCA Manufacturing Company executive. Most of that time has been spent in futile appeals for life.
After once rejecting Stephan’s bid for a new trial by a vote of 7 to 7, the Court of Errors and Appeals later affirmed the death verdict by an 11 to 4 margin. The Court of Pardons turned down his appeal for mercy.
Dobbins was the son of Edgar Y. Dobbins, Federal probation officer in New Jersey, who once had Stephan under his supervision.
Stephan, Executed After Plea For Welfare of His Children
Camden Courier-Post —
Slayer of Dobbins Goes to Chair Denying Haddonfield Crime
Farewell Note Given to Rector
William J. Stephan, who died last night in the electric chair at Trenton, is shown on the witness stand in a dramatic moment of his trial on October 8, 1936, as he denied he murdered Curtis W. Dobbins, Haddonfield athlete.
Trenton, Feb. 8—William J. Stephan died in the electric chair at State Prison tonight without altering his last message, written yesterday, in which he denied the murder of Curtis Dobbins and pleaded for the spiritual and educational welfare of his two children.
Strapped in the death chair, Stephan was given the first shock at 8.18 p.m. and a second shock two minutes later. He was pronounced dead by Dr. Howard Weisler, prison physician, at 8.23 p.m.
The 32-year-old Camden man was accompanied on his walk to the electrocution chamber by Father Thomas F. Kirk, rector of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Berlin, and his spiritual adviser.
As he passed through the corridor from his cell, several of the inmates of the death house called out to him, “Pleasant trip” and “So long.”
His answer, “So long, Doc.” was his last utterance. He stumbled into the death chamber, his lips moving in an attempt to pray with Father Kirk, but no sound could be heard.
Before he left his cell, Stephan ate the food he had chosen as his last—celery hearts, roast chicken, lima beans, French fried potatoes and apple pie a la mode. He smoked a cigar after the dinner.
Claimed Alibi
Stephan, whose criminal record included a post office robbery, denied the murder of Dobbins, Haddonfield athlete and the son of his benefactor, at his trial in Camden. He said he was in a roadhouse near Clementon at the time Dobbins was shot.
Firearms experts testified Stephan’s pistol fired the bullet which killed the youth. The weapon was found hidden in a stove in Stephan’s home.
Both the Court of Errors and Appeals and the State Court of Pardon’s refused applications for clemency for Stephan. About a month ago he was visited at the prison by his wife, Margaret, and his mother, Mrs. Mary Magdalen Hutley, but his two sons never had seen him in prison.
Stephan’s message, written to Father Kirk, reiterated his innocence and warned against “affairs” with women.
“I make the letter public,” said Father Kirk, “that it may be read by all boys and girls and the warning heeded.”
Father Kirk has known Stephan since he was a boy. Stephan’s grandparents and his mother still go to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. Stephan used to go, too, but he drifted away from the church and returned only after his conviction.
Attaches Little Poem
His letter to the priest and a little poem he wrote on the bottom follow:
My Dear Father Kirk:
“As my spiritual adviser and esteemed friend, I will take great pleasure in corresponding to you.
“Father Kirk, the fact is, it is a new experience for me. I find myself unable to express the gratitude I feel. I would appreciate this very much if you would see to it that my children are brought up good Christians, and most of all get a good education.
“Father, I want you to always remember that I was unjustifiably convicted for this unfortunate crime. I will die with my conscience clear, and God in heaven knows that it is true. I had nothing to do with it, no way shape or form. I also appreciate your frankness, you were the only one that was that way.
“The less we have to do with women, the better. They are not even a necessary evil; Life is safer and smoother without them. Once men recognize the snare there will be less crimes; I learned this lesson too late.
“This letter is brief. My mind is so distracted I cannot think of anything else of interest.
“In conclusion: I will say that I appreciate all that you have done in my behalf. Good luck and God bless you.
“Yours truly,
“William John Stephan.
“When the Golden sun is setting,
“And your mind from care is free,
“When of others you are thinking,
“Will you sometimes pray for my soul?“William John Stephan.
Dobbins, son of the federal parole officer who had befriended Stephan after a previous scrape and had given him work, was shot to death in the doorway of his home by a robber on the night of August 11, 1936.
The state charged that the robber was Stephan, who had been drinking heavily in some of the inns along White Horse pike. He was accompanied that night by a girl who worked for him in Philadelphia. At the trial she turned State’s evidence.
Stephan in Letter to Mother Denied Crime on Eve of Death
Camden Courier-Post —
Woman Releases Note Hoping to Clear ‘My Son’s Name’
Asked Blessing on Friends, Foes
Mrs. Mary M. Hackl, mother of William John Stephan
A voice from the grave of William John Stephan yesterday pronounced a benediction upon his friends and foes alike and sounded a final cry of innocence in the murder of Curtis Dobbins.
Stephan died in the electric chair at Trenton Tuesday night, steadfastly maintaining that he had been framed for the fatal shooting of the young Haddonfield athlete in October, 1936.
Less than 12 hours before he was strapped into the chair, Stephan wrote his mother a five-page letter in which he thanked the witnesses who testified for him at the trial and forgave those who gave evidence against him.
But he insisted that he had been framed; that someone else took his gun and killed Dobbins with it, so that he would get the blame.
He spoke of his family—his children in particular. As in a previous letter, to the Rev. Thomas Kirk, his spiritual advisor, he asked that his children be well educated and raised in the Catholic Church. He asked his mother to obtain their custody.
Begs For Forgiveness
The man about to die begged forgiveness for himself “for all the heartaches and trouble” he had caused his mother. His grandfather had gone to see him and told him that he should die like a man. He wanted “Grandpop” to know that was the way he intended to go.
There were other little requests—like making sure the family burial plot was large enough to hold him and all the rest of his family—and one major one.
Stephan urged his mother to lock all his letters and the records of his trial in her trunk. Some day, he assured her, the real murderer of “my friend” will be revealed, and then his mother will have the further proof of his innocence through the letters.
He asked that his mother say goodbye to his friends, and his only regret was that Dobbins’ father, who once aided Stephan by giving him work, had not come to the death house to see him. He believed he could have convinced Dobbins that he had not slain his son.
Seemingly, Stephan thought of everyone—even a country newspaper editor who sent him editions of the paper. He recalled that another friend was going to write him a poem, but never did. He praised Chief Deputy Warden George L. Selby, of the state prison, for his manliness and consideration, and blessed Father Kirk for his spiritual help.
Such were the last thoughts of William John Stephan, who signed himself John in the letter to his mother. The letter arrived late Wednesday—after Stephan had been buried privately at Atco.
The sorrowing mother, Mrs. Mary M. Hackl, made the missive public “to clear my boy’s name.”
Dressed in deep mourning, she called at the office of E. George Aaron, her son’s lawyer, to get the transcript of the testimony and have his help in other requests. Aaron was out of town, but Mrs. Hackl allowed a Courier-Post reporter to copy the letter.
Aged beyond her 50 years, the mother said she wanted the world to know John was innocent.
“I feel comforted,” she said, “because I know my boy is in heaven. I mourn him deeply, just as deeply as I know the Dobbins must have mourned Curtis.”
Following is Stephan’s letter, in part, his last to his mother or anyone else in the world, written on prison stationery, but in a firm and clear hand:
My Dear, Dear Mother:
“This is my farewell letter, Mother dear, to you, so I want to tell you everything that I have on my mind before I leave this world.
“Mother dear, I am heartily sorry for all the heartaches I have ever caused you and for anything I have ever done against you. Mother, a man never misses his mother until it is too late, and the only friend a person really has is his dear mother.
“I know you did everything in your power for me. You sent me to Wenonah Military Academy and I was fool enough to leave to join the Army. When I left the Army I went and got married to Margaret.
“Mother, please take good care of yourself and also dear Grandpop and Grandmom, as they are getting along well in years now. Grandpop sure has the right spirit. He made me very proud of him yesterday when he told me, ‘Johnny, if you must die, die like a man.’ I admire him greatly for that, a man of his age, looking at it that way, and so did every man in the death house here. They all talked about the spirit and grit Pop had for a man of his age.
Refers To Children
“I hope that you and Grandmom and Grandpop will rest beside me when you leave this world and I hope we will all meet together again in the next world. So please see that we all rest together, Mother. By that I mean get a large enough lot for that.
“Mother, I do not believe that the State took my children from my wife and that they are in Burlington county, because last week they were living in Glendora and attending Glendora public school. My wife’s people live in Glendora so my belief is my wife has them boarding them out until after the State takes my life, then my wife will take them over to Philadelphia, out of New Jersey. So please, for God’s sake, watch out for my children, and try to get them away from her, even if the State takes them.
“I want my children to go to school steady and get a good education and to read a lot of good books; also to go to church and Sunday school every Sunday so they will become good Christians and grow up to be respectable citizens.
“Mr. Aaron and Mr. Albert Brager or Mr. Paul McLaughlin can get the children from my wife if they just check up. I would like to see them go to a Catholic school as that will do them good. They must study in Catholic schools. Please tell them I die loving them, Mother, because I do.
“But now all I ask, Mother, is that you will watch over my children, Grandmom, Grandpop and yourself and take care of your health. I know I am the only child you had and it is hard and a strain on you. But, Mother, you can look the world in the face and say your son died like a man for a crime he was innocent of, just because another man was killed with my gun. Mother, God knows and I know you would be telling the truth.
“Mother, be sure to see Mr. Aaron and get the minutes of my court trial from him and ask him also to give you what correspondence he has from me. Also keep all the correspondence I wrote to you in this case and get any that Fritz has which I sent her. Keep them all together in the bottom of your trunk, locked up, so that when this crime does come to the surface you can prove I told the truth and that I was framed.
Sends Regards to Friends
“Mother, tell all my friends over at the Penn Furniture Company I send my farewell wishes to them and God bless them. Also tell Philip, Bessie, Howard, Tess, Leo, Florence, Louis, Kitty, Mattie and Jim that I sent my best wishes to them all and their families.
“I want you to tell Chick from the Berlin Breeze I thank him a million times for him being kind enough to send me The Breeze and the Observer papers, as I sure appreciate them very much. You can also tell Mr. and Mrs. Huber I send my best wishes to them and their children and I hope and pray to God that their children nor no one else’s children ever get framed like I was. Give my regards to any other of my friends down in West Berlin you want to.
“If you ever see Bertha Bonsack, from Paulsboro, tell her I am waiting for that piece of poetry she was going to write for Fritz and me; she knows what I mean, the one from A to Z, and tell her I said goodbye to her and her sisters, also the bartender in the Garden House in Paulsboro. Tell Mr. and Mrs. Burkhardt and Mrs. Burkhardt’s sister; Mr. and Mrs. Polen and their bartender, Mrs. Penn and Mrs. Rogers that I thank them all from the bottom of my heart for telling the truth where I was at the time the State claims this horrible crime happened, and God bless them all.
“Also, Mother, tell Gertie, Hugh, Fritz, Rhea, Emma and Doris—Fritz’ sister—I send my best wishes to them and hope that we never see anyone in their families get jammed up like I was and framed, as I know they are good people. They were really friends of mine and I would like them all to come to my funeral to see me before I am laid away to rest, as I sure thought a lot of them all and hope that we shall meet again in the next world.
Again Denies Killing
“You know, Mother, I’ve been from coast to coast and in a good many states and I met quite a lot of fine people in my travels. So I should know good people when I see them. Mr. and Mrs. Dobbins are very good people, too, and if they think for one minute that I shot their son, Curtis, or had anything to do with it, God forgive them, as I am as innocent as they are of this horrible crime. I always thought a lot of the Dobbins family and I still do, even though he refused to come and see me and hear my side of it.
“He will learn someday I was innocent and he will regret more than once that he didn’t come to see me and help me, as he could have got me out of here alive if he wanted to. But he listened to those crooked detectives instead of his son and me, so all I can say is God bless him and his family as I know he is a very good man at heart.
“Mother, I wrote a letter to the chief deputy here, Mr. George L. Selby, and I told him to turn over my body to you; also what money I have left out there in the office, and my eye glasses and any other things which I own and have here, as I wanted everything turned over to you, Mother dear.
Praises Selby
“You know, Mother, Mr. Selby here is a 100 percent man. I talked to him quite a few times and if he has anything to say to anyone he tells them straight from the shoulder and that is what I admire about him. I know he wouldn’t frame anyone, as he isn’t built that way. I wanted you to know I thought a lot of him.
“Mother dear, the Good Book says we should forgive our enemies, so God knows I forgive all who have injured me and ask God to forgive me for all I have injured. Father Kirk told me I would have my last rites in Church, so I want to thank God for that.
“And I appreciate everything Father Kirk has done for me, and is still doing, so God bless him, Mother. I know you did everything in your power to help me out of this trouble, and I will never be able to pay you the debt I owe you, Mother dear, but God forgive me and have mercy on my soul for all the trouble I caused you and the heartaches.
“Well, Mother, it is 9.10 a. m. now, and I just had a shave and haircut. I expect Father Kirk here today around 2 p. m. and he will eat with me my last meal, God bless him.
Wants Flowers Left
“So, Mother, please see to it that I am buried decently and come to see me often with my children and grandparents. Kiss them all goodbye for me and tell Grandpop I will die like a man, like he asked me to, as I am a Stephan.
“I know God will take care of me, as I never in my life fought with a knife or gun, and I never shot or cut anyone either, as I am too chicken-hearted to do anything like that. This must have been my fate. The Good Lord is calling for me, so I must go to meet Him.
“Please pray for me and when you receive this last letter from your loving son I will be in the next world, so please keep your chin up and look to God. He will take care of all of you.
“I sure hate to say goodbye, Mother, but I must now, so please remember me and pray for my soul and all my enemies. Tell Grandmom, Grandpop and my children I die loving them all and you, too, Mother dear. I ordered some white carnation flowers here. If I get them I will send you each one in memory of me. So keep them always. Please excuse this writing. With lots of love and kisses to the dearest Mother in this world, and to my friends and relatives, goodbye again for the last time, Mother dear; God bless you.
“Loving son,
“John.
“P. S.: I will pray for you all in the next world, Mother. God bless you.