The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-22

Veloped the fact that this was the Same
party who had figured i'm the eastern
part 81 ithe city, as report snys, in search
Of his wife, who had gone into
house of questionable character. De-
termined to get at the true state of af-
fairs as nearly as possible, we visited
the house, and learned from o white do
,mestic that Mrs. Nickerson had accompa-
MED her yesterday afternoon on visit to her
house in the eastern part Of the city, where,
ut Mrs. Nickerson's. request, they sent out
for the. beer, and were drinking 1t when
she heard the neighborhood aroused by the
report that man was attempting to gain
forc1Dle entry into the house. The domes-
tic says she at once informed Mrs. Nicker-
son thatit must be her husband, when they
both started home. On reaching the house
by way Of the gate;on Bay lane the domes-
tic proceeded ahead into the house, Mrs.
Nickerson being met by Nickerson, who
had also, come up Bay lane from the direc-
ton Of Barnard street. On confronting
each other in the door, both entering the
kitchen, ,, Nickerson-so colored SER
want, says-seemed TO smile and say,
" So you have come home, have you?''
She replied, Yes, and what Of iJP
Nickersan then, Immediately erasped her
and threw her upon the floor Of the kitchen,
u, u
kill her. The blade, which was about six
inchesiin length, did not seem to perform
its work quick enough, SO it was thrown to
the floor, the blade breaking in two. Nick
erson then seized hatchet and struck her
six blows in the head, crushing the skull.
He took hold Of the finger of his wife
that had. her wedding ring on, and at.
tempted to sever it from the hand. In
her struggles the blow did not come with
its intended force, but sufficiently so
as to leave the finger dangling from the
hand. The screams of Mrs. Nickerson soon
attracted the attention of policeman,
Nickerson in the meantime dragging her
from the kitchen to the lane. Nickerson
passing down the hill, staggered towards
the dock, from whence he was seen to jump
on board the schooner Margaret Ann, pull
off his coat, and plunge into the river, Civ
ing his throat desperate cut with some in
strument as he was falling.
: The body was Immediately searched for
by those who had witnessed the act, and
in half an hour after it was brought to the
surface by Thomas V. Williams, a fisher
man, with hook. The suicide was taken
out of the water and placed on the wharf,
where, it was viewed by hundreds, the
news Of, the occurrence baying spread like
Wildfre. Upon examination of the throat
it was found that, though there two severe
gashes, the jugular had not been sever
ed, and that his death had been caused from
drowning, the jury rendering q verdict to
that effect. Upon the forehead and head
of Nickerson was found an indentation. as
if produced with blunt instrument, which
we afterwards learned from the colored do
meStic, was caused by chopping himself
with the axe after it had flown or from the
.handle.2 Had not the axe become dtsen-
gagged, the colored girl says Nickerson
would have killed his wife before he fled.
Officer Kaufman took charge of Mrs.
Nickerson, and assisted in taking her to her
rooms, when medical assistance was pro-
cured. Although badly injured, and suffer-
ing terribly, Mrs. Nickerson was alive last
night, and, by careful attention, may re-
cover. AS there was, seemingly, no desire
to have the body of the suicide conveyed to
nis former home, it was buried by the coro-
ner after the inquest. #