A tragedy in Jackson

In 1963, tragedy struck the town of Jackson, its high school, a teacher and a family.

Richard Burton Partridge was born June 20, 1925, in Evanston, Illinois, and married Martha Weaver in 1954. Partridge received a master’s degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He and his wife, along with their five children, moved to Jackson in 1960, when he become the director of music at the Jackson School District. He passed away Friday, June 9, 1989, just nine months after his wife, Martha.

On Thursday, Aug. 22, 1963, at the Jackson Municipal Band concert, where Partridge was conductor, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Crites and two state troopers arrested Partridge at the end of the concert for robbing the Chaffee and Advance banks.

Partridge was accused of taking $12,782 from the Bank of Chaffee Bank on Aug. 5 and $9,637 from the Bank of Advance on Oct. 15, 1962. The next day, he confessed to robbing both banks at gunpoint, waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was taken to St. Louis to await trial in jail, unable to post a bond of $30,000 for each robbery. He was sentenced to 12 years for each crime to be served concurrently and sent to the federal prison at Terre Haute, Indiana. After serving his sentence, he returned to Jackson, working at Lenco.

Newspapers from Kansas City to Boston covered the story of Partridge, a World War II veteran, reporting he was consumed with how to get out of deep debt. His solution was to rob banks outside of Cape Girardeau County, admitting he knew it was wrong. In a comment to an interviewer, Partridge said it was almost like watching someone else commit the robberies. His actions in the robberies didn’t seem like a cold, calculating robber. Wearing different shirts and hats, carrying an empty gun, not wanting to injure anyone and wearing no mask. In addition to these strange behaviors, he kept the stolen money in a foot locker in the band room at the high school. Commenting he was wrecked with guilt over the robberies, concern for his students and his family who knew nothing about his actions, he had no problem spending part of the money.

A sketch based on eyewitnesses was circulated around the area and many thought it resembled Partridge. Robert Glenn Kurre, owner of an auto shop in Jackson began putting things together, noting Partridge paid cash at his business instead of a check after one of the robberies, remembering Partridge mentioned selling his station wagon, so people wouldn’t think he was the robber since a car resembling his had been seen leaving the banks. After a failed attempt to reach federal authorities, Kurre passed his information to a parts dealer, who passed on the information, eventually reaching a state patrolman working the case, which led to the arrest.

Jackson, the high school and especially Partridge’s wife were shocked at the band teacher’s side hustle. In a letter to the Missourian newspaper printed Aug. 30, 1963, Mrs. Partridge stated she would try to remain in the area, stand by the husband she loved and raise their children awaiting his release from prison. She also thanked friends and others who had stood by their family during this tragic time.