The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-20
GREAT TRAGEDY IN MISSOURI,
A Man Murders his wife, Murders his
Two Boys, and Murders Himself-Other
Murders Attributed to Him.

N man mmTueFe MS NNlHes MuEueNh AAh
Two Boys, and Murders Himself-Other
Murders Attributed to Him.
The correspondent of the st. Louis Democrn
writing from Brookhed, Mo-, has the followng
relative to the late awful tragedy at that pllce.
We COPY
county was made the scene of one OF the most
deliberate and cold-bloooed atrocities that ever
occurred in this or any other county. k1a
About five miles northwestern this town lived
one Sidney 3. Nichols native of Kentucky,
aged hfty-four years; jersey Nichols, his thlrd
wife, aged about fifty years; Sarah Jane Nichols,
daughter OF Sidney s. by former marriage,
aged sixteen years; and two boys, Nicholas
Young and Thomas Young, sons Of Jensey
Nichols by former marriage, aged respectively
twelve years and nine years.
Sidney S. Nichols was the owner of fine
farm with a good dwelling-house upon 1t, where
the parties we're 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 vindctive disposition; was quarrel
some with his neighbors, and has, in fact, for a
long time been perfect terror to all the neigh
boring farmers.
He had SO malteated his last wife, jersey
Nichols, that until within month past they
had not lived together tor long time; but q
compromise had been effected, and she had
gone back to his house, taking with her her
two sons, Nicholas and Thomas Young.
In neighborng cabin lived James Nichols,
aged twenty-s'X years, son OF Sidney s.,
aud on Sunday morning he went to his fathers
Tor the purpose of getting Nicholas and
Thomas Young to assist him in moving into
another cabin on the same farm. Jensey
Nichols, their mother, objected TO their going,
giving as a reason her dislike 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 quar-
relling) and his daughter Sarah Jane alone in
the house.
Their quarrel of words finally embraced in its
thn n in nj
tain real estate, of which she accused him OF
trying to deiraud her. Upon this he told her
he would not stand such talk any longer, and,
rising from his chair, went to bureau drawer,
and took therefTom 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 Immediately heard
the report of pistol when, looking into the
door or window, she saw her stepmother lying
on the floor.
She at once ran to her brother James house,
and told him what had happened, when they
started back together towards the house, and
soon met their father. He told his son what he
had done, and called for the two boys, Nicho-
las and Thomas, 10 come with him ii they
nted TO see their mother again. They went
with him, followed by Sarah Jane, James re-
turning to his own house. When the daughter
reached the house, she looked in, and saw them
all sitting in chairs around the fireplace, the
old woman having 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
father, who came out of the house with tin
box in bis hand, which he told her contained
his deeds and papers, and he told her he had
shot his wife and the two boys, and was going
to shoot himself. He then kissed his daug hter
and bade her goodbY, he returning to his
house, and she running to find 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 size on the grass;
and Just as James, with some neighbors, came
hurrying to 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 in tue 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.
This would seem to form chapter of horrors
! that would satisfy the most Unsuitable lover o.
such tales OF cruelty and blood, but since thi:
! event has occurred additional stories are told o
him, which appear entirely credible and in per
/ feet keeping with the character of this hend.
| His first wife, when one day on her way to 6
neiehbor's house, was attacked on the road by
! some one in Woman's garb, who came sud
| denly from the brush by the roadside, ant
| was sn terribly beaten by a hickory pole
! that she lived but short time afterwards
ano it has always been supposed that i
! wa her husband who administered the beating
His second wife had beeL dangerously i'll of {
| fever and, while lying very low, he one day
! took her from her bed, bolstered her up in
/ chair, which he placed close before the fire
place, and then. kindlng up a roaring hot fire
went away and left her. She was iO1nd in th
position dead by some neighbor who CHANGED Il
come in.
His old father was one day taken violently il
with congestive chill. Some of the family o
! neighboIs went for physician, and, as it haQ
pened TO be during lime of high water, whel
! the creek near his house was impossible excep
by the use of a fallen tree across the branch, h.
went with his axe and chopped off one end O
the tree, dropping it into the stream, so that tn
doctor failed TO reach his house until the mex
day, when the old man was found dead.
! There are still other Iumors aAoat, apParentl
\ well founded of the throwing of one of his son
on the fire. and burning him to death; of crue
! mistreatment to little girl that lived in hi
family until finally taken away by order of tn
! court, of an unsuccessful attempt to poison hi
| third wife but short time ago.