San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-05-17
TRAGEDY ON A TRAIN.
william Nichols, a Drummer iron paiiAs' ms
Victim.

Victim.
SrpALA, Mo-, May IA terrible
tragedy was enacted on the NJ, A.
and IT. train which arrived at Sedaha
at 10: 20 tonight in charge OF Con-
ductor b. f. Nance. In introducing
the parties in the tragedy to the
reader, it will only be necessary to
saw that on the train were two pas
sengers, VIM. Nichols, OF Dallas,
Texas, who occupied n berth IN the
hotel car, and q friend who accompa-
MED him, a man named +. M. Cock.
erell. Messrs. Nichols and Cockerell
were going to st. Louis. Another
man in the front, most of the time IN
the smoking.car, was Charles x.
Adams; at least, that was what he
gave as his name, and said he was
from Carrollton, Ill. Evidently he
was
CRANK OF THE FIRST ORDER,
as matters subsequently developed.
At Schell City, Sol Blatt, of Clinton
and O. P. Howk, of this city, were
passengers on the train. Blatt left
| the car, and went to his supper.
Howk, Adams and other passengers
remained in the car. During Blatt' S
absence from the car, Howk noticed
that Adams took Blatt's vaise from
his seat and moved it to the forward
part of the car, evidently intending to
secrete it, and did so by putting it
partially under a seat. On Blatt's
return, Howk told him where his va
ise was, and Blatt went and got it.
Adams objected, and was remon-
strated with by the other passengers,
when he was told where his own bag
gage was. Adams then sat down by
his own baggage. In the meantime,
Mr.. Nichols, who Is a large, portly
man, probably weighing 200 pounds,
came into the car and sat down on the
same side of the car as were seated
Blatt and Howk. Adams, after being
silent short time, again commenced
talking about the valise, and this was
going on as the train pulled into the
Montrose depot, about forty miles
south of this city. While the train
was standing still, and Conductor
Nance was on the platform, Adams
FIRED SHOT,
which took effect in Nichols neck,
and he died instantly.
By the way the fatal deed was en-
acted, it seemed most probable that
Adams either intended to shoot Blatt
or Howk, but as he drew his pistol
from his hip pocket and pointed it,
both of the gentlemen named lodged,
and the bullet whizzed past, taking
deadly effect, as before stated.
Adams was at once arrested and
disarmed by Conductor Nance, who
called in an officer of the town OF
Montrose, and turned the prisoner
over to him. ..
The body of Nichols was taken care
of as well as possible under the cir
cumstances, and it was finally deter
mined to take both it and Adams to
Clinton, the county seat of Henry
county, where the prisoner was lodged
in jail and the corpse given into the
hands of the coroner.
In conversation with Conductor
Nance last night he told a representa-
tive of the Republican that he had no.
ticed the man all the way from Par
sons; that he was drinking, and
HAD BOTTLE OF WHISKEY,
and that he acted only about half
ted, but he supposed him to be some
harmless crank, such as are seen
every day on trains.
Nichols was about IS OF 38 years
old, and appeared to be a man of
means and affluence. Adamsi is about
80 years of age and very ordinary and
rough looking, clad coarsely. The
affair is enveloped in mystery.
Whether Adams intended to shoot
Blatt, Howk OF Nichols, it is hard to
determine. Adams only had train
acquaintance with either of these
gentlemen, and the future will only
develop the truth of the whole affair.
Nichols was a single man and a
drummer for an agricultural house at
Dallas.-St. Louis Republicans.