Tags
crime, ElmiraCrime, ElmiraMurderSeries, history, murder, news, PearlRobinson, reviews
Thursday July 6, 1933. 7:05 AM:
An early morning in one of Elmira’s tranquil neighborhoods took a harrowing turn when a hen, perhaps sensing the urgency of fate, dashed from its pen in Mrs. Flora Wilson’s backyard at 756 Spruce St. Mrs. Wilson pursued the errant fowl, only to stumble upon a scene of unfathomable horror: the lifeless form of a woman lay in the edges of her backyard, partially obscured by a berry bush. She was later identified as Mrs. Pearl Dibble Robinson. Mrs. Robinson bore the ghastly evidence of her demise—a fractured skull and ravaged clothing, with the chilling presence of a large iron bolt, nearly half an inch in diameter and a yard in length, abandoned near her body.
The tragic narrative of Mrs. Robinson’s final moments unfolds against the backdrop of her complicated life—estranged from her husband Earl, she sought refuge with her sister, Mrs. Clyde Smith, at 827 Hazel St. Yet, fate would not grant her sanctuary, as her existence was cruelly extinguished steps from her final disembarkation from the last stop of the Franklin St. streetcar.
A web of circumstantial evidence hints at the grim events of that fateful Wednesday night. Witnesses place Mrs. Robinson in the company of Raymond Snyder at the Snyder Paint shop on George St., their evening punctuated by libations at a local establishment. Snyder’s last sighting of her, waiting for a streetcar at the corner of 13th St. and Oakwood Ave. at 11 p.m., leaves a haunting image in the minds of those who recount her final hours. Subsequent sightings by employees of the Elmira Light, Heat, and Power Company place her disembarking from the last Franklin St. car on Broadway at 12:07 a.m., mere moments before her path intersected with that of her assailant.
The brutality of Mrs. Robinson’s injuries—a fractured skull, torn clothing and over a hundred curving lacerations inflicted with a paring knife—suggests a sadistic hand behind her untimely demise. Despite diligent efforts, the iron implement found near the scene yields no fingerprints, shrouding the investigation in further uncertainty.
As the community grapples with the shock of such senseless violence, Mrs. Robinson’s remains are transported to her parents’ home in Ogdensburg, PA. There, she finds her final rest, her funeral a solemn testament to a life extinguished too soon, leaving behind unanswered questions and a frightened community. “Hundreds of motorists” went to the scene of the murder Thursday evening and created a traffic jam so terrible that State Police were mobilized to clear the streets.
Who was Pearl Dibble Robinson?
Pearl Dibble, born in January of 1900 in Tioga County, PA, emerged into a world of humble beginnings as the third child of William Hiram Dibble, a carpenter and farmer, and his wife, the former Maude Mae Clark. Her early years unfolded amidst the rustic landscapes of rural Pennsylvania, alongside her six siblings.
Pearl married Earl Edwin Robinson, of Pleasant Stream, PA when she was 17. Their union is presumed to have been solemized around 1917, and their eldest child entered the world in 1919. As the family settled into Elmira, New York around 1922, a snapshot from the 1930 Census captures them residing at 208 Mechanic St., with their children—Edwin, Erma, and Bernice.
Earl, a veteran of the Great War, charted a varied career trajectory, navigating roles as diverse as farmer, copper plater, and foundry laborer at Willys-Morrow. Meanwhile, Pearl, once the anchor of their home, transitioned into the realm of employment, assuming the duties of a dishwasher in a local restaurant by 1930.
However, beneath the facade of familial harmony, fissures of discord began to emerge. The specter of estrangement loomed over the Robinson household, casting shadows upon Pearl’s relationship with both her spouse and her offspring. Estranged from Earl who now lived in Trumansburg and distanced from her children, Pearl found herself adrift. One of the children lived with their father, and the other two were with his brother Charles Robinson who also resided in Trumansburg.
Newspapers wondered if a male acquaintance did her in, or if her custom of enjoying a beer at a local pub caused this to happen. Numerous names of possible suspects were given to police including men who were acquainted with Mrs. Robinson, men who were known criminals, and also several “reputed perverts”. One man who had become engaged in an argument with another man over Mrs. Robinson was questioned and released. Her husband was also interviewed but was able to prove that he was at his farm in Trumansburg on Wednesday night. The more prevalent theory was that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, which became more evident as another report of a male stalker in the neighborhood on the night of the murder came to light.
That same Wednesday night on Broadway Avenue between 10-11 PM, a man chased two girls. They noticed a man following them and quickened their pace, alarmed when he matched their speed. Seeking safety, they joined a group of people walking ahead, prompting the man to turn down a side street. Believing the danger had passed, the girls departed from the group, only for the man to reappear from the shadows and resume pursuit. They began running earnestly, with the man in close pursuit. Fortunately, they reached one of their homes and sought refuge inside. They described the man as having a short stature, dark complexion, and wearing a dirty grey suit. Chillingly, a piece of grey plaid cloth matching the suit description was discovered hanging from a wire fence at 768 Cedar St not far from the murder scene.
In the July 10, 1933 paper, the Star Gazette reports a suspect—a known “pervert” (their words)—matching the description of the man who chased the girls and who had previously quarreled with Mrs. Robinson. In an apparently unrelated incident, a footnote under the story details the release on bail of Frederick C. Wood, 21, of 585 Thompson St., following a Saturday evening arrest for disorderly conduct in harassing Mrs. Grace Hunsinger at a Broadway Pharmacy where she worked. In the July 11 newspaper, police are reported to be seeking a couple of “abnormal” men and one with a distinctive car. The man who owned the car was found but had never met Mrs. Robinson. Another unrelated article beside the Robinson murder coverage announces “Arrest Wood for breaking parole: Frederick Wood, 21, of 585 Thompson St., was rearrested this morning on a warrant…based on a charge of violating his parole from Elmira Reformatory.”
Based on Star-Gazette reports, police in Kent, Ohio, establish a connection between a slaying in their community and the killing in Elmira. They believe that the slaying of Mary Klincko in Kent, which occurred 15 days after the Elmira murder, was perpetrated by the same individual. A nationwide search for the killer was initiated. Gabriel Domoto, whose name was also reported as Domoto Garbriel, described as a “psychopathic vagrant”, was identified as the suspect in both slayings. Three Elmirans identified him as being in the area around when Pearl Robinson was killed. He could not provide an alibi for either of the killings, and when questioned he ranted “incoherently” about women and blood.
Gabriel Domoto was found with a paring knife, the kind of knife believed to have caused the lacerations on Mrs. Robinson. The tip of his knife was broken off. Due to this fact, Pearl Robinson’s body was exhumed from her burial place in Ogdensburg and brought to Elmira for an examination in hopes of finding the broken knife tip somewhere in her person. This was the first disinterment of a body in a local case. She was returned to the cemetery in Ogdensburg after the examination.
Shortly after being named a suspect, he was committed to the Massillon Ohio State Hospital for the criminally insane. Due to his condition, he was not brought to trial for the slayings. Some believed that the horror had ended, while others contended that the true murderer remained at large.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.