The Shock of It All
After The Murder
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Initially the local community’s response was as expected, they were distraught and in shock at the assassination of the doctor and their sympathies were with the family. The newspapers reported the events and also presented potential theories as to who killed the doctor.
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Patricide?!
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Once Albert and Charles were accused of the murder of their father most of the public turned on them in horror. They expressed the sentiment that patricide (the murder of one's father) was one of the worst crimes that someone could commit.
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Wide Coverage
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Local newspapers covered every aspect from the murder all the way to the execution. However, once the death sentence was given, the story received state-wide and some national attention. This was the first legal execution to happen in Nodaway County and Missouri had a Governor that was against capital punishment.
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Intimate Reactions
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The public was appalled at the thought of patricide but when it came to the sentencing of the Talbott brothers the reaction was chilling;
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The public’s reaction then shifted once more when the execution took place. A large mob of 5,000 to 10,000 people came to witness the execution. Many participated in hateful speech and even suggested they also hang the priest that prayed with the Talbott boys in the last moments before their death. Overall, the public reaction to the series of events was confusing and constantly changing because no one could grasp the truth of what happened.
“No pen can write, no tongue can tell, the awful scene as these words were uttered. The Judge broke down, covered his face with his hands and quivered with emotion; strong men wept, women shrieked. The vast multitude present were shaken as if by a tempest. The agony of the mother and relatives of the condemned was terrible. Mrs. Talbott clung to her boys as if she would not have them torn from her. Albert's calmness forsook him. His mother, his affianced, both must be bidden farewell, ah! it was terrible.”
