Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-05-09

Mazda Mill "The neighborhood Of
the Edgeware road was Last night tho
scene Of one of the msst frightful tra-
gedies that has taken place in London
for some years past. A father murder.
ed four of his children and then de.
stroyed his own life, under circum-
stances that cannot fail to touch the
heart and arouse the sympathy of al
who read tho sad narrative, which 10
short, but melancholy in the extreme.
A shoemaker, named Nichols, With q
wife and six young children, left Piv-
mouth, his native place, about .
twelve-month ago, in the hope OF
bettering his position by working
at his business for . London house.
He took a couple of rooms over q
small shop in Capland. street, Church
street. Edgware road. He soon afte,.
ward obtained employment as boot and
shoemaker to q large firm in London,
but having been accustomed to what il
called county trade he found hi.
deficiency compared with the ability ol
the London workmen. He however,
owing to his reliability and Industry,
maintained his situation until last Sat.
urday, when, in consequence Of hi
having spoiled pair Of boots, he was
discharged. This appears to have
preyed seriously upon tho mind of the
been ; declining for some time 1 past. ct
Yesterday, and, indeed, for some d.y.
past, according to the statement of hin
wife, he had been very desponding, and
at times almost beside himself. Hi
wife left him at nine O'Clock TO fulnn
the duties of choring at shop in the
neighborhood. During the day the un.
fortunate woman spoke of the sad con.
dition of the husband, and said she did
not know what to mako of him. While
thus commenting upon her misfortunea
one of her chi1dren-her eldest daugh-
ter, twelve years old-1uahed into The
house and exclaimed, sOh, mother, do
come home, father has killed baby,
and he is killing the other children.
The poor woman ran, half frantic, to
her house, but in time only to witness
sight of tie most heartrending
and terrible destruction, On enterinR
the top floor, where the crime WAS com.
mitted, Mr.. Benson Baker; surgeon,
who had been sent for, beheld pool
of blood issuing from under the beck
room door. Upon opening the front
room door q thrilling scene presented
itself. In sort Of semi. circle lay three
children with their throats cut The
first, a little girl, Louisa, aGede three
years, lay upon her bach, with her arms
extended and her throat severed right
across, The tip Of the left hand fore
finger was cut of in the palm Of the
hand was sugar. plum and in the right
hand . green bead. The next child
was Rosina, aged five years; che lay
with her face downward, and had heI
hands clenched her throat also beina
cut. James Henry wss the third child.
He was fine boy Of Il months old, and
was found lying half ON his back, With
his arms extended at right angles, and
his throat severely cut, and in pool
of blood. Entering the back room,
which was used ~ . wurk-shop and
which was in great confusion, every
article of furniture being turned up
side-down, near the door lay the body
of the eldest girl, Eliza, aged nine
years, upon her right side, with he1
head thrown backward, hands olenohed,
elbows bent, and throat cut from
which was issuing stream Of blood
This appears to have been the last one
murdered. The unfortunate man had
then committed suicide. It would up.
pear he went to his seat, leant over q
tea chest which he used ~ Work-ta-
bic, and cut his own throat in . most
desperate manner, placed tho knife
upon the table, and fell under II, the
chair falling upon him. The bodies
were afterward removed to the work
house through crowds of people who
had congregated in the approaches to
the house"