Professor Hokum W. Jeebs (aka Robert Stabile), 60, lost his life in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Feb. 16. He was the victim of stab wounds to the chest at his home on the 9300 block of 44th Ave s.w.

Police have arrested a 19-year-old suspect in the murder and his bail was set at $500,000 on Feb. 17. The deadline for filing charges is Tuesday, Feb. 22.

To read more on the crime, please check out these Herald stories:
Fatal stabbing victim identified; Suspect arrested

West Seattle murder suspect’s bail set at $500,000

According to a biography of Jeebs posted on Puget Sound Pipeline Online, a non-profit organization “furthering the appreciation, preservation and use of Theater Pipe Organs of yesteryear,” he grew up in Syracuse, NY and started performing comedy piano routines at community talent shows as a youth.

He received a degree in music education and taught music at public school while playing ragtime music at bars on the weekends, then moved to San Francisco to become a vaudeville street performer in the 1970s, according to the PSPO website.

Over the ensuing years, the website states Jeebs performed across the United States and abroad, including working as a performer for Disney World in Florida.

Jeebs was well known for his “Piano Ala Cart” performance where he rode a piano rigged up with bicycle components. The YouTube link included with this story shows one of those performances.

According to the website, Jeebs moved to Seattle in 1992 and founded Hokum Hall, “a venue devoted to the arts of vaudeville, ragtime and silent movies.” Hokum Hall is known as West Seattle’s Kenyon Hall today and is located at 7904 35th Ave s.w.

The website said Jeebs returned to doing traveling shows in 2003.