Walter was the son of Arlo George Whitbeck and Mary Jane "Jennie" Salsbury, who married on 1 Apr 1866 in Fayette Co., Iowa. In 1900, Jennie reported having had ten children. In 1910, she reported having had only eight. I found names for eight—Harry Wellington (25 Feb 1867), William Burton (10 Sep 1868), Elmer G. (1870), Glennie Mabel (Aug 1871), Walter Marc (24 Sep 1875), Olive (Dec 1877), Leonard (Nov 1879), and John Ralph (Mar 1883).

I found Walter's parents and older siblings on the 1870 Census, living in Auburn, Fayette Co., Iowa. Arlo Whitbeck, aged 23, was engaged in farming. Jennie, aged 22, was home with their three young sons—Harry, aged 3, Burden (aka William, Birden on the record), aged 2, and Emery (Elmer?), aged 1.

Walter first appeared with his parents and siblings on the 1880 Census. They were still living in Auburn, Fayette Co., Iowa. Arlo Whitbeck, aged 33, was busy with the farm. Mary J. (aka Jennie), aged 34, was busy at home tending to their six children—Harry, aged 13, William, aged 12, Elmer, aged 10, Glennie, aged 7, Walter, aged 5, Olive, aged 2, and Leonard, aged 6 months and still unnamed.

The now-lost 1890 Census would most-certainly have found the family in the same place in Fayette County. Son John would have joined the family by then. The 1900 Census still had them in Auburn, Fayette County. Arlo Whitbeck, aged 55, was still actively farming, and was by all accounts, quite successful. Mary (aka Jennie), aged 55, reported having have ten children, but that only eight had survived to that census. There with their parents were William, aged 31, Walter, aged 24, Olive, aged 22, Leonard, aged 20, and John, aged 17.

Eight years after that census, a dark cloud appeared over this family. (From: The Nashua Reporter, Nashua, IA – Thu 26 Mar 1908 pg. 1) Cruel Murder in Fayette County. Arlo Whitbeck, aged 66 years, and for many years a resident of Fayette county near Auburn, was murdered about 8 o'clock Thursday evening of last week. Mr. Whitbeck left the house about this hour with a bucket of seed for a sick horse. The wife of the murdered man says she thought she heard a peculiar noise shortly after but thought nothing of it at the time. Wm. Strickland, who lives nearby, came over for a chat and on going to the barn where the wife directed him, found the lantern, but Mr. Whitbeck was not about. Mr. Strickland took up the lantern and on coming out through the driveway, found the dead man lying there in a pool of blood. Mr. Whitbeck had about $135 on his person and it is supposed the murder was committed for the money as it was missing when the body was found. The instrument used was a heavy ironwood sled stake which is covered with hair and blood. The blow was struck on the head, cracking the skull and smashing it up in a horrible manner. Deceased leaves a wife, three sons and two daughters, and the evidence brought out nothing that would lead one to believe that any family troubles had visited the household, nor did a strict search by the officers and neighbors reveal the slightest clew."

Son Walter quickly became the person of interest in the murder. (From: The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA – Wed 25 Mar 1908 pg. 3) "WANT SON IN MURDER CASE. Sensational Developments in Brutal Killing of Fayette Farmer. WEST UNION, Ia., March 24. –Special: Sheriff Culver already has arrested the widow of the recently murdered Arlo Whitbeck, a wealthy farmer near Auburn in this county, and he is now searching the country thoroughly for his son. These facts suggest the theory upon which the sheriff is working to locate the brutal slayer of the aged man. The son left his home on the day before the murder, ostensibly for Minnesota. He announced that he would be gone for some time and that impression has been held out by his mother. But since then it has been positively shown by numerous witnesses that the son came back secretly on Wednesday, the day of the crime, and that a few hours before the murder was discovered he was seen in the vicinity of his father's farm. The son was seen to alight from a train at Fort Atkinson, six or seven miles north of the Whitbeck farm. He tried to keep from being recognized, and later he was seen skulking toward his home. He has been missing since then."

(From: The Humeston New Era, Humeston, IA – Wed 1 Apr 1908 pg. 6) "HELD FOR PATRICIDE. After Long Chase, W. Whitbeck Is Caught in Duluth. West Union.—Walter Whitbeck, wanted in connection with the recent brutal murder of his aged father, Ardo (sic) Whitbeck, on his farm north of here, was brought to West Union in the custody of Sheriff Culver. He was captured at Duluth just as he was about to make his departure for Canada. When arrested young Whitbeck asked Sheriff Culver why he had been apprehended. 'To find out what you know about the murder of your father.' The sheriff replied. Thereupon Whitbeck relapsed into silence. He has talked but little since then about the crime. He is naturally stolid and indifferent in his makeup and he kept his own counsel about the whole affair on the journey home, except once, when coming out of St. Paul."

(From: The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA – Wed 29 Apr 1908 pg. 5) "WILL TRY SON FOR PARRICIDE. Grand Jury Indicts Walter Whitbeck at West Union. WEST UNION, Ia., April 28.—Special: Walter Whitbeck was this afternoon indicted by the Fayette county grand jury for the murder of his father, Ardo (sic) Whitbeck, a farmer who was found, brutally slain in his barn yard several weeks ago. Young Whitbeck is now in custody, having been captured in Duluth after a long search for him a week or so after the crime."

Walter's trial began six months after the murder. (From: The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA – Sat 19 Sep 1908 pg. 3) WHITBECK CASE INTRICATE. Prosecution So Far Fails to Prove Murder Charge. WEST UNION, Ia., Sept. 18.—Special: The state scored today when Dr. Henry Albert of Iowa City, bacteriologist at the state laboratory, identified spots on the gloves taken from Walter Whitbeck by Sheriff Culver as blood. However, the overalls and overshoes from which the state had hoped so much could not be introduced as evidence, as the chain connecting them with the defendant could not be kept intact. This was a hard blow. The claim of the defense that Whitbeck was in St. Paul from March 17 to 20 was badly jolted when six witnesses swore positively to seeing him in Fort Atkinson March 18, the day of the murder, and a hotel clerk from St. Paul swore Whitbeck registered March 17 and March 19, but was out on March 18. The state attempted to trace the defendant from Fort Atkinson to his father's home, and did so after a fashion by witnesses along the road, but some of them did not know the defendant, some did not see him at close range and two were children, whose testimony was fruitless. The best that could be made of this was that a man of the same general appearance was seen at eight or ten places on the road. William Strickland, the witness who is expected to swear he saw Walter at the scene of the murder a moment after it took place, has not been put on the stand. The defense expects to make Strickland the scapegoat."

(From: The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA – Sun 20 Sep 1908 pg. 7) "WHITBECK SEEN NEAR CRIME. Net Tightens Around Son Accused of Killing Father. WEST UNION, Ia., Sept. 19—Special: In the Whitbeck murder trial today, in which Walter Whitbeck, son is accused of killing his father, the principal witness was William Strickland, who occupied the stand most of the forenoon. He testified that when he went to the Whitbeck place at 8 o'clock on the night of March 18, he saw Walter Whitbeck by the light of a lantern in the barn, walking rapidly northwest and out of sight, first seeing him at a distance of about fifty feet. Immediately afterwards the witness found the body of the murdered man, Arlo Whitbeck. Strickland admitted telling a number of people that he saw no one there, but explained that he was scared. He made a good witness, but his evidence is weakened by his own conflicting statements made previously. Two other witnesses swore today that Walter Whitbeck said on March 16, two days before the murder, that he wished Charles Billmeyer, at the time of some trouble with Arlo Whitbeck, had taken a club and pounded the old man's brains out. The state announced at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon that its evidence was practically all in, and asked an adjournment till Monday before resting."

(From: The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA – Wed 23 Sep 1908 pg. 3) "WHITBECK CAN ACCOUNT FOR ONLY ONE IMPORTANT DAY. He Knows Details of His Actions On Day of Murder, But Not for Succeeding Days. WEST UNION, Ia., Sept 22—Special: The heaviest day's work in the Whitbeck murder trial was done today and it is likely that the defense will rest tomorrow forenoon. Mrs. Arlo Whitbeck, mother of the defendant, was given a little more cross-examination this morning, then the defendant, Walter Whitbeck, spent practically all the forenoon on the stand. He testified to his whereabouts in St. Paul on March 18, 19 and 20, also to a visit at Rush City and Duluth. The cross-examination was long and no doubt hurt his case badly. He was circumstantial on where he was and what he did on March 18, Wednesday, the day of the murder, but though asserting that he was in St. Paul a day and a half after that, he was unable to give any clear or reasonable account of his actions, except that he wandered around the streets looking at buildings. The afternoon was taken up with an alibi witness from St. Paul. Two pawnbrokers who are brother-in-laws, testified to the sale to Whitbeck of a ring and stickpin, the clerk of one of these men testified to the same; a jewelry engraver testified to engraving a ring and a salesman of a sporting goods house testified to showing a motor cycle to Whitbeck, all on March 18. The two pawnbrokers and their clerks fared badly at Mr. Murphy's hands, his cross-examination being one of the features of the trial so far. One man was exposed on a prison record and all three had the value of the evidence destroyed. The engraver and salesman made a better impression and did not get tangled in their stories."

(From: Sioux Valley News, Correctionville, IA – Thu 24 Sep 1908 pg. 3) WALTER WHITBECK AGAIN ON TRIAL FOR FATHER'S MURDER. State Links Him With Crime by Circumstantial Evidence—Says He Has Alibi. West Union, Ia., Sept) After spending five months in jail on charge of murdering his father, Walter Whitbeck, 32 years old, was placed on trial here today before Judge Hobson. Arlo Whitbeck, the father was killed in Fayette county Wednesday evening, March 25, 1908. He had gone to the barn to milk the cows. When near the barn door he was pounced upon by someone with a club and was struck six times on the head and instantly killed. So severe was the beating, that when surgeons arrived they only had to cut in one place -½ inches to lift the entire skull. The coroner's jury three days later returned a verdict that Walter Whitbeck, his son, was guilty of the crime. From all that can be learned the feeling between father and son had been strained. On March 24, they started from their farm to town, Walter saying he was going to Minneapolis. On the way, Walter got out of the wagon and rode with a neighbor, and then went the rest of the way on foot. His father said the next day, 'Walter has gone away. I don't know where.' Walter's Movements. The fact is established that Walter did go to Minneapolis for he was seen on the train as far north as Conover. A letter from him postmarked Minneapolis was received Thursday by his mother. For it seems clear that he was in the vicinity of his home on Wednesday, for witnesses will testify that he rode with them from Calmar to Atkinson, that he bought bologna at a meat market, that he was seen by several persons on the home road, that on one instance he made a detour through a field to avoid meeting a team, and that he was seen after 6 o'clock within two miles of his father's place. After the murder of his father he was not seen until after his arrest by the sheriff. He was …(unreadable)… to Duluth and or …(unreadable)… was placed under arrest. At that time he had $417 bills and a 44 caliber revolver loaded in both chambers. His father was known to have money on his person prior to his death but the pocketbook had been rifled and replaced in his pocket when he was found. At first Mrs. Whitbeck was held, but after three days was dismissed from custody. There was strong suspicion that …(unreadable)… was implicated. In this …(unreadable)… was dropped later. Walter Whitbeck maintains he is innocent and …(unreadable)… he will come to the trial with an alibi."

(From: The Greene Recorder, Greene, IA – Wed 30 Sep 1908 pg. 1) "WHITBECK FOUND GUILTY. Jury Convicts Young Man of Murdering His Father. Walter Whitbeck of West Union was convicted of murder in the first degree Friday for killing his father last summer. Instead of inflecting the death penalty, the jury recommended life imprisonment. This case has attracted attention throughout the state and has been on trial before Judge Hobson all week. The court room has been crowded throughout the trial and the verdict was anxiously awaited for by a large crowd. The verdict met with the approval of the people, as the evidence against the young man was of such a nature that it was almost impossible for him to escape."

(From: Marble Rock Journal (Marble Rock, IA – Thu 1 Oct 1908 pg. 5) "WHITBECK FOUND GUILTY.West Union, Sept. 26—Shortly before midnight the jury in the Whitbeck murder case returned a verdict against the son, Walter Whitbeck, convicting him of first degree murder and recommending that he be imprisoned for life. The jury was out eight hours, the arguments and instructions having closed in the afternoon. This case has attracted attention throughout the state and has been on trial before Judge Hobson all week. The case was given to the jury this afternoon. Attorney Murphy for the state commenced his argument to the jury Thursday and concluded this afternoon after which the judge gave his instructions to the jury."

Walter was admitted to the Iowa State Penitentiary on 30 Sep 1908, convicted of First Degree Murder. He appeared there as an inmate on the 1910 Census, aged 35.

Five years after Walter was sent to prison, there was an interesting twist to the case. (From: Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier, Ottumwa, IA – Tue 13 May 1913 pg. 8) "LETTER MAY CAUSE RELEASE OF CONVICT. Note Found on River Bank in New Orleans May Discover Slayer of Iowa Man—Son Convicted. Des Moines, May 12. –Since October 1908, Walter Whitbeck, son of Arlo Whitbeck, wealthy farmer, has worn the stripes of an Iowa prison. He has had little hope of reprieve, for he was convicted in September, 1908, of killing his father, whose body, the skull crushed by a heavy stake that was lying nearby was found in the barnyard of his farm, early in the evening of March 18, 1908. Friday a note was found on the bank of the Mississippi river at New Orleans, La., hundreds of miles from the scene of the crime, which seemed to indicated that the real slayer of the Iowa farmer had been driven by remorse to suicide. No one saw the possible slayer jump to death and the letter is the only clue. For the last week a detective, giving the name of Friend claiming to be a police lieutenant, and who says he is working at the instance of the McDonald detective agency of Chicago, has been at West Union, seeking to pick up the dusty threads of the case, with the avowed object of attempting to secure Whitbeck's release from the Iowa penitentiary. Friend's employer is not known."

(From: The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA – Sun 11 May 1913 pg. 4) "NEW WHITBECK CLUE STOPS AT THE RIVER. Body of Supposed Suicide Who Confessed Murder Cannot Be Recovered. SLEUTH STILL ON JOB. Detective Hopes to Secure Evidence to Warrant Reopening of Case. No one ever will be able positively to state whether or not Jesse Miller, who left a note on the banks of the Mississippi river near New Orleans that seemingly is a confession to the murder of Arlo Whitbeck at West Union, Ia. In 1908, jumped into the Mississippi as the note said he intended to do, or calmly faced about and walked away from the river. The river near the point where the suicide is supposed to have occurred has been carefully dredged and practically all hope of finding the body has been abandoned, it is said. Officials point out, however, that bodies many times are washed miles downstream by the swift current, sometimes out into the gulf where they never are found. Detective Continues Work. Meanwhile George C. Prim, Chicago private detective, who has been in West Union for a week, an admitted employee of Walter Whitbeck's mother, who is seeking to free her son from prison, still is working in the securing of evidence which might warrant reopening of the hard fought case by which the youth was convicted of patricide in 1908. Mr. Prim formerly was a Chicago police lieutenant, who was dismissed from the service in one of Chicago's many political crusades. The note which the presumably dead man left was longer than at first was supposed and it gave quite a detailed description of what purported to be his career. 'This is a brief history of a man broken in spirit and health.' The letter opens. 'When this note is picked up I will be in hell, unless the good Lord has mercy upon my poor soul. I was born in Pittsburgh in 1859 or 1860. I was prosperous at one time, but booze got the best of me. I roamed about the country. On or about March 16 or 17, 1908, I killed a man near a small town in Iowa. I wanted to sleep in his barn and the old man fought me.' Didn't Mean to Kill. 'I struck him with a club. I did not intend to kill him, but read in a newspaper while in the Omaha Jail that the old man had died. I cannot speak his name, but it was something like Fishback. I think an innocent man was convicted of the crime.' Arlo Whitbeck was found on the evening of March 18, 1908, dead in the barnyard of his farm home. His skull had been crushed by a heavy stake, which lay nearby. Walter Whitbeck, his son, had gone to St. Paul the night of March 17, and he did not return, ostensibly until March 20. It was proved to the satisfaction of the district and supreme court, however, that he had come back to West Union on the night of the murder, and had been seen near the body by the neighbor who discovered it. Mrs. Whitbeck denied that her son had returned on the night of the crime, and he arranged an elaborate alibi."

(From: Marble Rock Journal, Marble Rock, IA – Thu 15 May 1913 pg. 2) "MAY FREE CONVICT. Letter Found In New Orleans Recalls History of Noted Iowa Crime. STATE OFFICIALS SUSPECT RUSE. Arlo Whitbeck Was Killed in His Own Yard At the Family Home in Fayette County—His Son Convicted. Des Moines—Either Walter Whitbeck of Fayette county is innocent of the murder of his father, and should be released from prison, or a clever scheme has been concocted to make it appear that he is innocent. A letter written in New Orleans, and signed Jesse Miller, says that Whitbeck did not kill his father, and that the writer who has drowned himself on account of remorse was the real murderer. Investigation for the case will be made by the Iowa board of parole. The supreme court records and the parole board records show that Arlo Whitbeck, a farmer residing near Fort Atkinson, Fayette county, was murdered March 18, 1907, about 8:00 o'clock in the evening within a few yards of his home door. He had gone to the barn and was attacked by someone who beat him to death with a club. The club was found in a wagon. W.J. Strickland, a farm hand on the place, walked into the house about 8:00 o'clock in the evening and asked for the father. Mrs. Whitbeck told him to go to the barn. Strickland returned and reported the finding of the dead body. He also swore later at the trial that he had seen the son in the yard just about the time the murder was committed. Young Whitbeck was found guilty of the murder and has been serving time in the penitentiary since Sept. 30, 1908. The alleged motive of the murder was to rob the father of money he had drawn out of the Fort Atkinson bank the day before."

Walter was not freed, however, and in 1920, he again appeared on the Iowa State Penitentiary's prisoner roster, aged 44. A year after that census, Walter would learn of the death of his mother Jennie Whitbeck on 2 May 1921. She had never remarried, and had championed Walter's cause over the years. Her death would have been a cruel blow to him. Time ticked away, and a decade later, Walter was still an inmate, aged 55 by then.

A year after that 1930 Census, Walter finally caught a break and was released on parole. (From: The Summer Gazette, Sumner, IA –Thu 15 Jan 1931 pg. 1) The office of clerk of the district court of this county was advised last Monday that the life sentence of Walter Whitbeck had been commutted to 60 years in the penitentiary at Fort Madison. Whitbeck was convicted of the murder of his father, Arlo Whitbeck, a farmer of Auburn township, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Whitbeck has served over 22 years in the penitentiary, he having been committed September 29, 1908. He is about 54 years old. James Cooney, who was the father of our present county attorney, M.M. Cooney, was the county attorney at that time and conducted the prosecution assisted by D.D. Murphy of Elkader. Estey and Clements were the attorneys for the defense. The case was one of circumstantial evidence. It seems to be the general opinion that Whitbeck will be paroled in the near future as he will be allowed credit on the time for his good behavior while in the institution."

Two years later, Walter was officially a free man. (From: The Oelwein Daily Register, Oelwein, Iowa – Tue 6 Jun 1933 pg. 5) "Walter Whitbeck Discharged. Governor Clyde L. Herring granted the Final Discharge papers to Walter Whitbeck whose former home was in Auburn Township but who was convicted of murdering his father, Arlo Whitbeck in the September Term of the District Court in 1908. He was paroled from the Penitentiary at Fort Madison on April 14, 1931, where he was serving a 99 year sentence."

After Walter's release, he was taken in by his younger brother John and his wife Dora, who were living in rural Starke Co., Indiana. By the 1940 Census, they were living in West Township, Marshall Co., Indiana. John Whitbeck, aged 59, was head of household and farming on a rented farm. Dora, aged 49, was keeping house. Walter, aged 65, was correctly noted as John's brother, and was helping John with the farm in exchange for his room and board.

On John's 27 Apr 1943 WWII registration, he listed his brother Walter as that person who would always know his address. A year later, Walter's brother John Whitbeck died on 17 Apr 1943. Walter appears to have stayed in the area until his own death on 6 Mar 1946 at age 70. Of those seventy years, twenty three were spent confined. If there had been DNA testing available in 1908, Walter's guilt or innocence could have quickly ascertained, and perhaps the outcome would have been entirely different. Walter's mother maintained her son was innocent, and Walter's conviction was based on circumstantial evidence and on what sounds like unreliable eye witness accounts. On his father's Find-A-Grave memorial, it is noted that a death-bed confession eventually cleared Walter's name.