The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-15

They then jumped from the train while 1t
was slowing up for Morris.
AT THE DEAD MANS HOME.
The murdered mans wife received the
first information Of the tragic end of her
husband from Mr. Deand, who is in the
employ of the Robert Law Company. He
is former business partner of Nichols,
and learned of the murder from w. M.
Turner, another express messenger on the
Rock Island road, who came in on the
80 train Saturday morning. His train
met the one on which Nichols was mur>
dered at Morris, Just as the widest eX>
element was prevailing around the small
station. During that time Mr.. Turner
CLEANED only garbled account of what
had happened, but sufficient to wish that
somebody else might break the terrible
news to Mrs. Nichols. with whom he also
boarded. Mr.. Deland was the bearer of
the sad news, and, gently as the story was
told, the widow, who is chlldless, was
prostrattd with grief She could say
nothing to the reporters who had the
painful duty to call at the 3esolate hone,
but bewailed her loss in heartbroken
tones.
The only information CLEANED at the
house was that Mr.. Nichols left his home
early on Friday evening" and remained al
the Grand Opera house until it was time
to 90 to the train. The unfortunate man
has only few relatives living, brother
at Goodland, Ind, and widowed sister,
Mrs. Clifford who resides at AGA LaSalle
avenue, this city Manager Hess, of the
Grand Opera house, who is friend oil
the family, dined with the latter few
weeks ago, when the dangers of Nichols
life were incidentally discussed. Mr.
Nichols then declared that he never
thought of anything which might tend to
distract his attention from the duties Of
the moment, and that he would be pre-
pared to act when danger should come
lie has shown that he did know how tC
| defend his trust.
The deceased was forty nine years OF
age, and has been in the employ of the
| United States Express company since
| 1858. For time he WAS the company
local agent at Elgin, and for the last nine
years he had the run on the Rock IslanC
road. His salary was 500 month. He
had his life insured for 81 900, which vii
90 to the widow Mr.. Nichols belonged
to several secret organizations, among
others to the Ancient Order of Unitet
| FL, L,I -.
lodge and legion are at Davenport, Iowa
Mrs. Nichols is a comparative stranger il
the city. so far as the order is concerned
The brothers and comrades propose turn
ing out in body at the funeral service
on Tuesday next.
LATER ADVICEs.
TOdays Chicago Herdd SAYS.
The railroad people do not suspec
Watt of any collision with the robbers
buthey have readily acquiesced in the nj
vice of the detectives to keephim out of tn
way so as to reserve what little he know
for those who are working on the case
The following can be accepted as trust
worthy summary of
| WATT S NARRATIVE
given to the detectives yesterday
After the train had passed MinOoka
where no stop was made, | was sitting Of
Il trunk at the forward end of the car
that end which was farthest from TIN
safe. was facing east, and was at tina
moment looking over my way bills.
was in such Il position that | could no
see either of the doors of the car, both o
which were locked with the ordinar
catch-lock, but not barred wit
chains. Presently l heard scrapin!
noise from the forward door, from whicl
| was perhaps five or six feet removed
and when | rose and turned half arount
| was confronted by man, who held
revolver to the right side of my head
almost touching my nose, and said:
| Now, you keep quiet, or I'll blow you
darned head off
"At the same time heard the break
ing of glass, and looking upward say
that the glass in one of the ventilators il
the roof of the car had been pushed in
Through the opening was thrust hant
with a revolver pointed straight at IN
head, the arm coming through abou
halfway between the wrist and the elbow
The first man noticed my glance an
said:
That man will take care of you if yo
make the slightest move"
THE first man then turned and wake
through the car to the safe, where
heard him working around, but not 70
! lapfrtb Of Inc h. no,
was slowing up for Morris the man cam
by again and looked sharply at me.
had not dared to look either way. Thi
time | noticed that he was of medium
size and that most of his face was con
cealed beneath reddish kind of hand
kerChief. Then the whistle blew fC
Morris, and at once the man was gone
Looking up saw that the arm thrOug
the ventilator was also gone was s
frightened that | did not move until tn
train pulled up"
Today's Chicago Tribune contains tn
following:
WERE THEY RAILROAD MEN?
1t is a prevalent and often espresso
opinion that the men who COMMITTEES
the murder and robbery were former en-
plOyes of the railroad. One of til
strong supports of this view is that tn
poker with which the final blows that d
the murder were given was found hun
up on its nail when the car was entered
This fact, It's claimed, shows that th
man who used it, even under all his RAG
and excitement, could not forget his Gus
tOmary and routine duty, and replaced
where it hung as habit directed. An
other reason given is that few outside q
employees of the road know that lare
sum of money is carried every Frida
night on that train to Peoria.
Who the murderers were, or even hov
many there were of them, is "a matter q
the merest surmise. The generally ac
cepled theory is that gang of recent
discharged convicts from the Joliet per
itentiary committed the crime. but not
few are inclined to the belief that profes
sional crooks from the city, being inform
ed of the express company's business, lai
the plan here and left some time durin