The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-03-05
AN APPALLING TRAGEDY.
A Man Murders his Wife. Murders
his Two BOys,and Murders Him
self--Other Murders Attributed
to Him.
correspondence Missouri Dsmoorat.J

BRooKFIELD, Mo-, Feb. II, 1867.
On Sunday noon, the 10th inst, Linn
County was made the scene of one of the
most deliberate and cold -blooded atroci-
ties that ever occurred in this or any 9TH
er country.
About FIVE miles northwest of this
town lived one Sydney s. Nichols, . ma.
tive Of Kentucky, aged fifty four years.
Jensey Nichols, his third wife, aged
about fifty years; Sarah Jane Nichols,
daughter Of Sydney s. by former mar
riage, Jagged sixteen years; Nicholas Young
and Thomas Young, sons Of jersey
Nichols by former marriage, aged re-
spectively twelve and niue years.
Sidney s. Nichols was the owner of
fine farm, with good dwelling house
upon it, where the parties were living,
and is estimated to have been worth from
ten to fifteen thousand dollars. =
He seems to have been possessed Of a
most wicked and vindictive disposition;
was quarrelsome With his neighbors, and
has, in fact, for long time been per-
feet terror to all the neighboring far
mers. 80 Aa
He had so maltreated his last wife,
Jensey Nichols, that until within month
past they had not lived together for a
long time, but compromise had been eff.
fected, and she had gone back to his
house, taking with her her two sons,
Nicholas and Thomas Young.
In a neighboring cabin lived James
Nichols, aged 26 years, son Of Sidney
S., and on Sunday morning he went to
his fathers for the purpose of getting
Nicholas and Thomas Young to assist him
in moving into another cabin on the same
farm.
jersey Nichols, their mother, objected
to their going, giving as a reason her dis
I like of James wife, which brought about
an alteration between the old couple, but
the two boys finally went..with James.
leaving the old couple, (still quarreling)
and his daughter Sarah Jane alone in the
house.
Their quarrel of words finally embrac-
ed in its scope questions touching the
ownership Of certain real estate, of which
she accused him of trying to defraud her.
Upon this he told her be weuld not stand
such talk any longer, and rising from his
chair went to bureau drawer. and took
therefrom navy revolver. His daughter
begged him not to shoot, but was told to
get out of the way or be would shoot
her. She rushed out of doors, and inn
mediately heard the report of the pistol,
when looking into the door or window,
she saw her step-mother lying on the
| floor. B8
She at once ran to her brother James
house and told HIM what had happened,
when they started back together toward
the house, and soon neither father. He
told his son what he had done, and called
for the two boys, Nicholas and Thomas,
| to come with him if they wanted to see
their mother again. They went with him,
followed by Sarah Jane, James returning
| to his own house. When the daughter
reached the house, she looked in and saw
them sitting in chairs around the FIRE
place, the old an..:haying risen from
the floor. Sarah Jane being afraid to go
| in, went behind the house, when she was
still further terrified By hearing three
more shots, when she started again to run
to James, but was stopped by her fa-
ther, who came outof the house with a
tin box in his hand, which he told her
contained his deeds aud papers, and he
told her he had shot his wife and two
boys, and was going to shoot himself. He
then kissed his daughter and bade her
lgood. bye, he returning to the house and
lshe running to ind her brother.
After she left the house the monster
dragged the bodies of his wife and two
boys out into the yard, laying them side
by side on the grass, and just as James,
with some neighbors, came hurrying to
1.-THE scene, they saw him stand erect by
the side of the PROSTATE bodies, place the
muzzle of the revolver to his own head,
fire, and fall by the side of his victims.
when they were reached life was extinct
lin the old man, in his wife, and in the
youngest boy. The oldest boy, Nicholas
Istill fingers, but the physicians say there
lis no hope of his recovery. as 3
This would seem to form chapter Of
horrors that would satisfy the most insa
Itiate lover of such tales of cruelty and
blood; but since this event has occurred
additional stories are told of him, which
|appear to be entirely credible and in per.
fleet keeping with the character of this
6end. ae
i His FIRST wife, when one day on bel
way to neighbor's house, was attacked
on the road by some one in woman,
Igarb who came suddenly from the brush
| by the road side, and was so terribly beat
en- by hickory pole, that she lived but
|ashort time aftarward, and it has always
been supposed that it was her husband
who administered the beating.
His second wife had been dangerously
i'll OF fever, and while lying very low
he one day took her from her bed, boil
stored her up in chair, which he placed
close before the Gre place, and then, kind
ling up roaring hot fire, went away aut
left her. She was found in this position
dead, by some neighbor who CHANGED u
come in. a $500 ;
His old father was one day taken vic
lently i'll with congestiye chill. Som
one Of the family or neighbors went 70
> physician, and, as it happened TO b
during time Of high water, when tn
/ creek near his house was impossible ex
eent bv the use of fallen tree across th