Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-03-18
A BLOODY DEED.
An Express Messenger Murdered
and His Gar Robbed.

| A Terrible Crime Committed on the Rock
| Island Road Between Joliet and Nor
riss, Illinois--The BIiscreants
+! Secure About $4,000.
CHICAGO, March 13.-The express car
| of the Chicago & Rock Island train which
leaves this city at IL p. m, was boarded
| by robbers at Joliet, at one O'Clock THIS
| morning, Kellogg Nichols, express mes
senger of the United States Express
Company was killed, and money and jew
erly valued at about $4,000 were stolen.
Nichols attended to his duties at Joliet
but when the train arrived at Morris,
twenty miles beyond Joliet, he did not
open the door of the car. The local agent
at Morris forced open the door, and found
Nichols lying dead on the floor of the car
with his throat cut from ear to ear, and his
head horribly cut and crushed. The bag
gageman was found bound and gagged In
the next car. The safe was broken open
and it's contents gone. AS the train does
not stop between Joliet and Morris, it is
approximately certain that the robbers
boarded the cars at the former place.
CHICAGO, March 1.-THE news of the
robbery of the express car and the muir
der of the messenger produced the
greatest excitement i'm the Rock Island
Office in this city yesterday. Division
Superintendent E. III. Chamberlin was in
receipt of dozen dispatches detailing
the particulars of the affair The officers
of the road held a consultation and agreed
to send special detectives on the track OF
the ruffians at once. The train, No. 5,
left the depot Friday night at eleven
O'Clock. 1t consisted of the locomotive,
two baggage cars, two sleepers and three
coaches, in charge of Conductor Wag-
ner kellogg Nichols, of this city, was
the express messenger. 1t is thought
that the men who committed the robbery
and murder are convicts, lately released
from Joliet pententiary. The brakeman
of train No. Is says he saw six men walk
ING along the edge OF the woods near Au
Sable, which is close to Morris. Officers
from Joliet are out after the men. They
left nothing in the car by which they
might be identified, except stove poker,
which was used by one of them as
weapon. Superintendent Chamberlin left
for Morris yesterday to investigate the
affair aud take charge of the body. Nichols
was forty-five years of age and unmarried.
He lived on the North side.
MEssENGER's STATEMENT.
The first authentic information of the
murder reached the express Office on
Washington street, when the incoming
messenger, w. M. Turner, reached here.
His train met the one on which Nichols
was killed, at Morris, and Mr.. Turner
reached the place soon after the murder
was discovered. The widest excitement
prevailed about the depot at the time.
Nichols was found with his throat cut
from ear to ear, the wound being a jagged,
uneven cash, as IT it had been
inflicted with a Ratchet. Turner had to
leave for Chicago before the investigation
was well under way. 1t was found, how
ever, that everything was all right when
the train drew up at Joliet. l started
promptly, and according to schedule time
was due to arrive at Morris at 80 a. m.
No stops were made between these
places, and for that reason it is thought
the murderers boarded the train at Joliet.
Arriving at Morris, Nichols, as was his
wont, did not appear at the door of the
express car to deliver his packages. The
agent waited on the platform for several
and, firing of the delay, opened
the door himself. The sight that met his
eyes was horrible one.
NlCuOlS pOuN, CoftTtu Will UIOOu, WAS
living in one corner of the car, the safe
was open and the valuables found miss
ing. The United States express officials
here say that Nichols had in his custody
from S20, 900 to 5000 and some forty
packages of jewelry consigned to jewelry
firms in the country. The value of this
jewelry is unknown, but the express
people say it can not be less than 81, 900
and may be worth double that amount.
taA
as soon as they heard of the murder.
They took immediate steps to track the
murderers, and a large force of detectives
was set to work on the case.
special from Morris says: Conductor
Wagner, who had charge of the train on
which the express agent, Kellogg Nichols,
was murdered, saws: GAS the train came
to standstill at Morris at l so this morn
ing, got out OH the platform. About the
same time Watt jumped off the baggage
car as white as sheet and gasped
out: "My God! Look in there. The
money is all gone and the papers
all over the ari" l looked in with
my lantern and the safe was standing
open; the way-bills were all scattered
around and The drafts and other papers,
some of them torn. were all around on
the floor. / took my KEY and went to the
other car and called Nick! Nicki' but
Il
lantern in the car horrible sight was
seen. There was blood scattered around
everywhere and on the trunks. The local
ay-hills were all covered with blood
and the legs of the chairs were bloody.
In the forward part of the car I
found the body of Nick. The face was
covered with blood and great pool was
him. The body was still
warm. The car showed that there had
been big fight from nearly one end to
the other. On hook hung a big poker,
which was also covered with blood.
s'Nick'' lay with both hands cienched,
and between the fingers of one hand
he held lock of black hair, while in the
other hand was lock of red hair" The
conductor thinks the ROBBERS got on at
the coal chute, near Joliet, and had
jumped off just as the train slowed up at
Morris.
1t is understood that the Rock Island
road will offer a reward of $4,000 for
the capture of the men who committed
the robbery and So, 900 for the arrest of
any one of them.
Supposed to be Lost with All on Board.
SANDY Hook, March l5.-The steamer