Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1846-03-21
Foul Murder.

| On the night Of the 22hd ult., a most
cowardly murder was perpetrated on the
wife Of Shadrick Nichols and his daugh-
ter. aged eight years, and son four years
old, on Hickory Ridge, short distance
from Helena, Arkansas, while Mr.. Mich
OILS was on hunting expedition. Suspi-
cion fell on Nelson, yellow boy, belong
ing to Mr.. Bowman, who is near neigh
Dor TO Mr.. Nichols. The boy was first
brought to town and lodged in Jail where
he confessed his guilt. We let the Hele-
ma Journal tell the rest Of this dreadful
tale:
| The boy stated that he first went 10 the
house Of Mr.. Nichols. week ago last
Monday, looked through the window and
saw that Mrs. Nichols had not retired, but
was sitting up engaged in sewing. He
then returned home, and after waiting some
time, 50 that she could be asleep; he again
went. and murdered her; breaking her
skull with board, and then killed the two
children because they awoke! There were
still two children in the house, one about
Syears old, daughter of ]. Sebastian,
Esq. and neice TO the lady murdered, and
the other a little son Of Mr.. Nichols. The
fiend then passed his hand over the faces
of these two to see If they were awake
The boy was still asleep, and he supposed
the little girl was also, as she moved not;
but in this he was mistaken, as the little
child had the courage and presence Of mind
enough,o lie perfectly sill, watch her OPP
portunity and ship from the bed and es-
cape to her fathers house, which was not
very far, and give the alarm. Before any
one reached the house, however, the as
sassin had fed.
But the most hellish part remains vet to
be told. This incarnaie hell-houni raw
ished The lady after breaking her skull!-
Hard as this is to believe, il is no fiction;
no mere phantom Of the imagination; would
to God il was! The dead body was exam-
ined by ladies', and the above Is the verdict
rendered 10 the coroner. l
The people Of Hiekoty Ridge, on hear
ing all the facts, became furious. The cry
Of burn the murderer" ran from one to
the other. They suddenly became calm,
determined and resoliue as to their pur-
poses, which must have been still more
awful to the marderous wretch, could he
have observedit. They medthemselves
with gun and knife, came to town last Sat-
ufday. BODILY and deliberately broke open
the jail door, knocked off The chains DC The
prisoner, and with rope round his neck,
compelled him to run alongside of their
horses 10 the scene Of lie murder; a dis
lance Of abont 20 miles. They then formed
q court; calleda Jury, went through itiaI,
and found the murderer guilty. He was
to be burned! The next day, they chained
him to tree, had the wood around lin SO
as 10 roast him by degrees, and had kin
died the FIRE. Bit this was too terrible
death Tor the spectators to witness even on
that bloody fiend. The cry arose to hang
him; and he too Joined the cryl They did
hang him to the gate -post--they hung him
covered with the saxe bloody shirt in which
he committed the awful deed.
ParsrsrlArsro or DrArn--Lieut. Jno.
C. Henry, who dfsd in Philadelphia last
wee had, three weeks prior to his death,
presentiment that he would be called
hence Oh his birth day, and At that time
made i known to his mother, who tried
in vain to drive the idea from his mind -
On Wednesday morning she said to him,
f.Weil, John; this is yoGt birth day. and
you are still in the land n the living -
"Yes, he replied, ''but before IL 10 over
shall b numbered with the dead" This
remark proved to be prophetical. for daring
THE evening Of the same day, he calmly