Sunday, December 24, 2023

Murder of Albert Lucia

 On December 24, 1883, 30-year-old Christian Reibling (white) was drinking with another man alcohol diluted with water. That Christmas morning they continued drinking a bottle of gin. At a livery stable in Lyndon, Illinois Christian would argue with 19-year-old Albert Lucia (white). It would result in Christian shooting and killing Albert.

Christian would be arrested. He would state that he could remember drinking the bottle of gin, but nothing after. He regretted what he had done and acknowledged he should not have been drinking with his pistol. If he was sober he would not have killed Albert as he had no reason to.

Christian would go to trial and would be found guilty and set to hang. He was to be the first hanging in Whiteside County.  Christian was accepting of his fate and felt remorseful for the killing. He believed that he would be accepted in heaven even for his crime because he was not in the right mind and had no actual malice towards Albert. 

SOURCES:
Chicago Tribune May 16, 1844

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