The Cecil Whig., 1881-09-10
MI RDEI,
A STRANGE AND HORRIBLE CRIME.
An Elk Nt>h Farme. foully NJ lered Id Sunk
and Anchored in t. Elk Riyrg His He'd
EluGeiy Crushed in. anu d. Buay
Dragged Mile and a Halt
and Thrown Into
the Water.

The people of Cecil county generally have
heen shocked. and the residents of the i'm
mediate vicinity Of Elkton excited, over the
details of the most horrible and >ickcnng
murder hat has ever been rhroniclcd within
lis borders. and the revolving circumstances
of the Grim" will find few comparisons in
other localities
Nicholas Nolcker, = German ly birth and
for twenty odd wears Il resident OF Cecil
county, living in Elk Neck about thirteen
miles from Elkton, and near Elk river, WAS,
like most of the German race, 4 harl-work-'
ing man. He had come here from Phila-
aclphia about twenty-five wears ago and
purchased a tract at land containing about
4.I acres from the late Col. John G. Groomr,
Sho. with the late Jacob G. Howard, had
purchased the land some YEAR, before. Here
with his wife he had lived untii u little over
two wears AGO, when She died, and he has
been an occupant Of the property ever since
The property adions the lands OF William
Francis, of Wilmington, Charles lery,
Alexander Hart and others. Last spring
he rented if to William .ArrantS, :: farmer
of the neighhOrhoo,, on shares, Nolcker re-
serving the right III occupy the one upper
room of the house. Nolcker had made all
his arrangements tur the threshing of his
last Years wheat crop: the machine was to
arrive by Tuesday morning lie had made
arrangements with Il nei~hhorng farmer to
cook food for the hands. Late ON Monday
y, IL, .I,. 4
rived with his machine. and on Tuesday
mornin. looked for Nolcker, who could not
he found. Mrs. .\rrautS had not seen him
since the evening before and had not heard
him 90 up To his room during the night:
her husband was not ut home, having start
ed away for Wilmington with IL load of
peaches long before day and while She was
in bed The machine men made search and
inquiries about the neighborhood, and fail
ing to lind hear of him, they left with
the machine TO fill engagements for thresh-
ing elsewhere. Then The ueigllborS took up
the matter and began Il thorough search,
but still without any clue. They could trace
him up to about & o'clock on Monday even
inr, and then all trace WAS lost.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE BODY.
ON Wednesday morning the neighborS
took up the hunt and in Il field between the
old mans house and the river, .AhSalom
Hylaud, Alexander Hart and others dis
covered Il trail where something had cvi-
IDENTIFY been dragged over the ground, and
following it up took the direction Of the
river. When they came to the top of hill
and in view of the river, they saw some
boys in a boat making motions. beckouing
and shouting, as if to attract their atten-
ton They Immediately hurried to the Shore
where they found three boys-named Pres
ton .\kerS. Charlie ArrantS, and Johnny
Futty,-who told them that while looking
for a boat that belonged to Mr.. Futty, they
had found Il mans foot sticking up ont of
the water .\bSalom Hyland started OF in il
boat in the direction pointed out, and on
reaching it and taking hold Of the foot drew
it mp, and immediately shouted for Those
on shore to come ont. They Joined him in
another boat and to their horror, found it
to be the body of the missing man with his
skull mashed in, rope and also Il chain
around the neck and Il thirty-tive pound
anchor at the end of the chain -\iter tow
ing the body nearly to the shore, some of
the party started to acquaint the authori-
ties while Others Went back TO where they
nau seen u1SIlncliN Ine lflll Oh tne urdH,
and once reaching il they followed it with
distinct accuracy 10 the spot where it had
been first discovered and then on to find
out where the other end might lead. Plain
ly and distinctly it still led them on through
Il Stubbie field. a thick swamp, the edge OF
Il corn field. Il skirt of woodS-hut still
plainly on and in the direction of Nolckers
house, and finally it was followed on to his
orchard and direct tu his barn yard: the
marks of the drag heinG plain that no
one could fail to sec them, and here and
there throughout the entire trail could be
found marks of blood on branches or roots,
stones, leaves. etc; while in the woods near
the swamp, i'll the center of the path Were
found scattered along, evidently from the
pocket Of the victim, u ten-cent and five
cent piece and three pennies: his hat could
not be discovered, and up to this time has
not been found. and as it could not have
. kept on his head during the dragging, it
most probably was destroyed by the muir
derer before starting with the holy to the
river.