The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-03-19
DIED AT HIS POST.

masked Robbers Board an Express Train
Near Joliet, ILL.,, Kill the Messenger and
Plumber the Safe of Its Contents, Valued
at $35,OO0-The Murdered Mans Des-
perate Fight in Defense of His Trust
A Heavy Reward Ofered-NO Arrests
Made.
MORRIS, H., March ia most horrible
murder was committed at Morris at ons
O'Clock Saturday morning on the Kansas
City express, Eo. 5. which left Chicago at
eleven o'clock Friday night. As the train
was nearing Morris the baggageman who
was in the second baggage-car, heard the
door from the forward baggage-car open
and found himself covered with revolver,
and was ordered not to stir and informed
that another revolver was covering him.
lie then saw a hand with revolver
pointing toward him~ from the top
OF the car. The robbers thenwent through
the express safe. When the train stopped
it was found that the express agent, Mich
OILS, in the other car, had been murdered.
His body showed thata desperate strug-
gle had taken place.
He had, indeed, sold his life dearly.
Three bullet wounds We're found, one pass
ing from the right side of his neck
through, coming out near the ear on
the LETT side. A second bullet struck
him near the right. collar-bone, and
came out on the left side of the
breast, while a third passed through his
left arm. He had evidently defended
himself with his right arm by raising
it to shield himself from the blows
that were aimed at his head, for the right
hand was cut and bruised, while the
wrist was broken. The wound however,
that caused the messengers death was
dealt with an axe, which caused cut five
inches in length extending from the ear to
the top Of the head. The sharp edge OF the
axe had penetrated deep into the head, lay
ing the brain open and covering the hair
with blood. In addition there were
twenty-six cuts on the face and head, some
of which were delivered with the axe
and some with the butt end OF the re-
volvers. The men were evidently afraid to
ire, except as a last resort, lest the noise
might be heard outside the car. The fight
must have lasted fifteen minutes at least
the messenger defending himself as best he
could against such odds. In the dead
mans right hand was clutched tuft Of
hair, pulled from the head of his assail-
ants. The hair is straight. about three
inches in length and OF a light sandy
color. This was taken by the coroner and
turned over to the detectives as valuable
and the only clue to the perpetrators of
the outrage. Nichols leaves u WIFE whose
residence is in Chicago.
The value OF the money and iewelry stolen
from the safe in the express car is reported
to be $35, 900. Nichols, the murdered agent,
is an old employee on the road, and had the
respect and confidence of the company.
Conductor F. L. Wagner, who had charge
OF the train on which the express agent,
Kellogg Nichols, was murdered, arrived
here at 1890 o'clock Saturday, with n.
H. Watt, the baggage man, who was in
charge OF the express business with Nichols
Conductor Wagner said:
| left the coal chutes just below Joliet at
l2:55 this morning and passed Minooka at
1:l0; am positive OF this time, as looked at
my watch as we whistled going by. We got
INTO Morris at about l:35. AS the train came
to step got out on the platform. About the
same instant Matt jumped out OF the baggage
car as white as sheet and easped out:
my God, my God, look in there. The
safe is all gone and the papers are all over the
car 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 up were all around
on the floor. took my key and went to the
other car and called Nick! Nick!' but there
was no answer AS swung my lantern into
the car horrible sight was seen. There was
hood scattered around everywhere.
The local way-bils were all covered
with blood, and the legs of the chair
the car l found the body of Nicholas
The face was covered with blood, and a 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 q hook hung q big poker
which was also covered with blood
The baggagcman, N. H. Watt, who is
about twenty-four years of age, told the
following story in response to various
questions:
was sitting in the car; the chains were up
on the door which went back to the train, but
the door in the front part of the car was not
locked, as the car ahead was the one in which
was the messenger He was checking up
MS his runs: ] sat on trunk, and Just
L heard sort of scraping sound
on the floor, but not much just as though
someone had rubbed his foot on the floor.
Before / could turn around big gun was
You open your mouth or move a muscle,
and I'll blow your brains out" l could
only see the lower part of his face; it was
covered with some cloth or paper. / sat
looking toward the back part of the car
toward the rear of the train, when
heard someone at the safe. which was behind
me, and could hear the rust ng and tearing
of papers This wenHon fer q while, and the
man who stood over me said to me, IF You
move or stir hand or foot before the train
stops at Morr s that man up there will
rolled my eyes up and there was
mans hand stuck through the ventilator
with gun IN it. In about five minutes, as
it seemed to me, the train slowed up for Nor
ris, and looked up. The hand was gone and
jumped out of the car. heard no noise nor
any shooting. The first | heard was, as
said, the man speaking to me, and at the
same time putting the gun over my shoulder.
They must have gotten into Nichols car first
and got the key to the safe before they came
into NINE
CHICAGO, March 15-The United States
Express Company, by its Chicago agent,
states that the currency in the safe was
about $21 800, besides large quantity of
iewelry, value not known.
What at present seems the most favored
theory is that the act was committed by
trainmen, in whole or in part. They me-
chemically hung up the poker which they
had used as a weapon. They went to the
proper place to get the key to the safe, not
disturbing the bunch of keys which re-
manned in the pocket OF the deceased. His
watch was not taken.
Conductor Wagner says that four men
left his train at Joliet after drinking and
playing cards on the way down. Two OF
them he put off because he discovered that
the pass which they gave him had been
altered from 1885 to 1886. The pass was
made out for 'R. D. Martin and one .
Three OF the men in question got on at the
Chicago depot and the fourth one at Blue
Island. At Joliet one of the men asked the
telegraph operator where he could find a
cheap clearinghouse. He did not go as
directed, however, when he disappeared. 1t
is supposed the men got aboard the train
at Joliet, and that they got up between
the express cars at the coal chute.
General superintendent KimbalI, OF the
Rock Island road handed reporter the
following official announcement.
$4,000 REWARD.
Several persons entered the express car on
the passenger tram moving west on the Chi
caso, Rock Island Il Pacific ra lway, between
Jol ct and Morris, between one and two
O'Clock q. IN. of SATURDAY., the 18th Of
Esirch, and murdered the messenger of
the United States Express Company, and
robbed its safe of considerable amount
of money. Tie Chicago Rock Island
& Pacific Railway Company will pay reward
of $1,000 for the arrest of any one of the par
ties guilty, if but one shall be al rested, ard
$1,000 for the arrest of afterwards to be
paid when party or parties are arrested and
finally convicted. A. KIMBALL,