Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-20
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AN ApPALLTVG rRAGEDY.

AN APPALLING TRAGEDY.
A man Marakrs his wfre. Murder.
hts Two Boys, and Murders Him
seIf-Osher Murders Attributed "a
IGSAssst sstoSa iSslSoSii lSoSi bs@UoScIaa.i =:
BRooKFIELD, Mo-, Feb. II, 1867.
On Sunday noon, the 10th instant, Linn
county was made the. Scene of one of the
most deliberate and cold -blooded atrocities
that ever, occurred in this or any other
1sSfii I've miles mort hwestlof to this town
lived one Sidney s. Nichols, native Of
Kentucky, aged fifty four years; Jensey
Nichols, his third wifes aged about fifty
years; Sarah Jane Nichols, daughter o
Sidney S. by former marriage, aged six.
and Tho mas I oEi1g i sons Of lseys N ieholE
by former marriage, aged respectively
twelve and nine years.
Sidney s. Nichols was the owner of a fine
farm, with good dwelling house dpon)it-
where the parties were living, and is esti-
mated to have been worth from ten to tif-
He seeSss b Hs fhsts been I'll
most wicked and vindictive disposition
was quarrelsome with his neighbors, and
has, In fact, for a long time been perfect
terror 70 sllTbhe geighbe beriRg farpersSEO
Hehad so maltreated his last wife, jersey
Nichols, that until within a month past
they had not lived together for a long time.
bueR eqmprpmise haTb been sefIeefed3 and
she had gone back to his house, taking with
her her two sons, Nicholas and Thomas
Young.
In neighborlng cabin lived James Mich
OILS, aged 26 years, son of Sidney s., and
on Sunday morning he went to his fathers
for the purpose of getting Nicholas and
Th06asik oShg ia assist hin. in moving In
to another cabin on the same farm.
JeRseys ichols their mother objected 80
their going, giving as a reason her dislike
of James wife, which brought a6outaR al
tereation between theoeld9 couple; but the
two boys finally went with James, leaving
the old couple (still quarrelingJ and bis
daughter Sarah Jane alone Id the house.
Fheir quarrel Of words finally embraced
In its scope questions touching thesOWner-
ship of certain. real estate, of which she
accused him of trying to defraud her. Up
on this he told her he would not stand such
talk any longer and rising from his chair,
went to bureau drawer, and took there
from anavy revolver, His daughter begged
him not to shoot, but was told to get out OF
the way or he would shoot her. She rushed
out of doors, and Immediately sheard the
report of the pistels when looking into the
SE GGSE 9r E,ndSw, .hs Ec,, she saw her stepmotheE
she at once ran to her brother James
house and told him what had happened,
when they started back tOgethery toward
the bOdse, and soon met their father. He
told his son what he had done, and called
for thestwo boys Nicholas and Thomas. to
come with hiBaiif they wanted to see their
mother again. Thy, went with him, fol-
lowed by Sarah Jane, James returning to
his own house. When the daughter reach
ed the house, she looked In. and saw them
all sitting in chairs around the fireplace, the
old NsShAH having risen from the floor
Sarah Jane being afraid to go in, went be-
HING the house when she, was still further
terrified By heafing three more shots, when
she started again 10 run to James, but was
stopped by. her father, who came out of the
house with tin box In his hand, which he
told hefeohtaihed his deeds and papers, and
he told herhet had shot his wife and the
two boys. and was going to shoot himself
He then kissed his daughter and bade heI
goodbye, he returning to his house and
she1ftinning to find her brother. -1i9H E3H2
After ehevleft the house the upaonster
dragged, the bodies of his . wife !, and
two boys out into the, yard, laying them
side by side on che grass, and just as James,
with some neighbofss came bdrryihg tOthe
scene,ithey saw him stand ereetIby sthelside
Of the PROSTATE bodies. plaGsithe mnzEle Of
by the side of hts victims. When they
were reached life was extinct In 9thes old
man, in his wife, and in the youngest boy.
The oldest boy, Nicholas, still fingers, but
the physicians say there Is no hope of his
recovery.
horrors that would Satisfy the most sinsati.
able lover of .stich tales E0f)efuelty and
blood; but since this event has occurred ad-
ditiDna6 Stories aReatOlds of 3iims " hich ar
pear entirely credible and i'm perfect keep
ing with the character of this fiend.
His first wife, when one day on her way to
aHeiehbof's house, was attacked on the road
bysone lOnei in w0Alah's garb who came
suddenly from the brush, by the road side,
and was so terribly beaten by a hickory
pole. that She lived but short time after
ward, and il has always been supposed that
it was her husband who Administered the
beating.I,f Ida I,g.et,F,, = 4l,.,,.g, 4..,t /,
Of a fever, and, while lying very low, be
oneday took her from her bed bolstered her
upin ebair<w <whiehtheplacedic close before
the fireplace, and then, kindling up roar
ing hot fire, went away and left her. She
was found In this position, dead, by some
neighbor who chanced to come in.
His old father was one day taken violent
ly i'll with aeongestiye chill. Some one OF
thefauMlgsor heiShhors Weiit for ptlysi-
clan, and, as it happened to be during a
timeOfEhigh ENatersw ben theereek nearhiE
house was impossible exeeptiby the use oi
fallen tree across the branch, he Wepl
with his axe and chopped of one end oi
this tree, dropping it into the stream, sc
that the doctor failed to. reach his house
until the next day, when the old man u 4 was was
There are sim other ;rttttmors, afioat, ap.
parently well founded, of throwing one O
his sons on the fire and burning him to death
of cruel mlstreatment of little girl tina
lived inhfs family Hntil finally taken away
4, -
attempt to poison his. tliird wife but a shor
time ago. But 1 only a1l1de to these latte
items to assist in giving your readers ant
the public generally some idea of sYwha
manner of man. he must have been, sd
l.san a.iE I'M IT7T7rr-TT7ZT II. a..l IL