The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-03-19
A BLOODY DEED.
An Express Messenger Murdered
and His Car Robbed.
Terrible Crime Committed on the Rock
Island Road Between Joliet and Nor
riss, IIIInois--The Miscreants
Secure About S25, 900.

Island Road Between Joliet and Nor
riss, IIIInois--The AIiscreants
Secure About S25, 900.
CHICAGO, March I3.-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 $685. 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 Norris 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 its 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 Ger and the MUIR
der of the messenger produced the
greatest excitement in the Rock Island
office in this city yesterday. Division
superintendent E. H. Chamberlin was in
receipt OF dozen dispatches detailing
the particulars of the affair. The officers
of the road held consultation and agreed
to send special detectives on tie track of
the rufianS at once. The train, No 5,
left the depot Friday night at eleven
O'Clock. 1t consisted of the locomotive,
two baggage cars, two sfeepers and three
coaches, in charge of Conductor Wag-
ner- Kenog Nichols, of this city, was
the express messc agCr. 1t is thought
that the men who committed the robbery
and murder are COnvictS, lately released
from Joliet penitentiary. The brakeman
of train No I6 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 a stove poker,
which was used by one of them as
weapon. Superintendent Chamberlin left
for Morris yesterday TO investigate the
affair and take charge of the body Nichols
was fOrty-liye years of age and unmarried.
He lived on the North side.
A MESSENGERS STATEMENT.
The first authentic Information of the
murder reached the express office on
Washington street, when the incoming
messenger, w NJ. 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 Jagged.
uneven cash, as If it had beer
inflicted with a hatchet. Turner had tC
leave for Chicago before the investigation
was we'll 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 l 80 a. IN
No stops were made between these
places and for that reason it is thought
the murdereys 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
minutes, and, firing of the delay, opened
the door himself. The sight that met his
eyes was u horrible one.
Nichols body, covered with blood, was
wing in one corner of the car the safe
vas open and the valuables found miss.
ing. The United States express officials
here say that Nichols had in his custody
from $40, 900 to $25, 900 and some forty
packages of jewclry consigned to ieweIry
firms in the country. The value of this
iewelIy is unknown, but the express
people say it can not be less than S5, 900
and may be worth double that amount
The express company acted promptly
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
A special from Morris says: Conductor
Wagner, who had charge of the train on
which the express agent, Kellogg Nichols,
was murdered, SAYS: GAS the train came
to a standstill at Morris at 80 this morn.
ing, I got out on the platform. About the
same time Watt jumped off the baggage
car as white as Il sheet and @aspcd
out: "My God! Look in there The
money is all gone and the papers
all over the carl" I looked in with
my lantern and the safe was standing
open; the way-biIls were all scattered
around and the drafts and other papers
some of them torn, were all around or
the floor. I took my key and went to the
other car and called Mick Nicki' but
there was no answer. AS I swung my
lantern in the car a horrible sight was
seen. There was blood scattered around
everywhere and OH the trunks The local
way-bills were all covered with blood
and the legs Of the chairs were bloody
In the forward part of the car l
found the body of Nick. The face was
covered with blood and great pool was
underneath him. The body was still
warm. The car showed that there had
been a big fight, from nearly one end TO
the other. On hook hung a big poker,
which was also covered with blood
"Nick'' lay with both hands ctenched,
and between the fingers Of one hand
he held lock of black hair, while in the
other hand was a lock of red hair" The
conductor thinks the ROBBERS got on al
the coal chute, near Joliet, and had
jumped off just as the IT, IL slowed up at
Morris.
1t is understood that the Rock Island
road will offer a reward of Sl0,000 foI
the capture of the men who committed
the robbery and 5000 for the arrest Of
any ore of them.
supposed to be Lost with All on Board
SANDY Hook, March l5.-The steamer
Fulda passed Sandy HOOK at l a. N.
bound in with the Oregon's passengers
The Oregon filed rapidly, and went down
head first in aboat twelve faith
oms of water. The upper parts
IlalD, IHlZLch anu ll82tI iittSL>
remain above water. The schooner
that crashed into was the Oregon seen in
the wake Of the steamship for moment
after the collision, her bow aud all heI
head gear wrecked. Then she disap-
pearcd. 1t is supposed she sank and that
all her people were lost.
Loss of the Cunard Steamer Oregon
SANDY Hook, N. J., March 15.-On hel
way to this port, while between Fire Is
land and Shennecock, the Cunard steamer