The Osceola times., 1886-03-20
A BLOODY DEED.
All Express Messenger Murdered
and His Gar Robbed.
A Terrible Crime Committed on the Roeh
Island Road between Joliet and Nor
riss. IIiinois--The Miscreants
Secure About $4,000.

riss IIIinois--The Miscreants
Secure About ss5, 900.
Chicago, March l3.-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 tiils
morning, Kellogg Nichols, express mes
senper 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 its contents gone. As the train does
not stop between Joliet and Morris, 1t Is
approximately certain that the robbers
boarded the cars at the former place.
CHICAGO, March ll.--The news OF the
robbery of the express car and the mur-
der of the messenger produced the
greatest excitement in the Rock Island
Office In this city yesterday. Division
Superintendent +. II. 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 the track OF
the rufiians at once. The train, No. 3,
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. Kellog Nichols, of this city, was
the express messenger. IL Is thought
that the men who committed the robbery
and murder are conyicts, lately released
from Joliet penitentiary. The brakeman
of train No. l6 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 a
weapon. Superintendent Chamberlin left
for Morris yesterday to investigate the
affair and take charge of the body. Nichols
was forty-five years of age aud unmarried
He lived on the North side.
MESSENGERS 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 If 1t had beer
inflicted with a hatchet. Turner had tC
leave for Chicago before the investigation
was well under way. Ii was found, how
ever, that everything was all right wheI
the train drew up at Joliet. started
promptly and according to schedule tint
was due to arrive at Morris at | $50 a. m
No stops were made between thcs,
places, and for that reason IL is though
the murderers boarded the train mt Joliet
Arriving at Morris, Nichols, as was hi,
wont, did not appear at the door of the
express car to deliver his packages. Tn,
agent waited on the platform for sevcra
minutes, and, firing of the delay, opened
the door himself The sight that met hi,
eyes was horrible one.
Nichols body, covered with blood, wa
living in one corner of the car the saft
was open and the valuables found miss
ing. The United States express official,
here saw that Nichols had in his custod,
| from S2O, 900 to $4,000 and some forty
packages of jewelry consigned to jewelrl
! firms in the country. The value of thi'
| jewelry is unknown, but the expires,
people say it can not be less than $1,000
and may be worth double that amount.
The express company acted promptly
rs soon as they heard Of the murder
They took immediate steps to track tho
murderers, and large force Of detectivei
was set to work on the case.
A special from Morris says: Conducto
Wagner, who had charge of the train OF
which the express agent, Kellogg Nichols
was murdered, SAYS: "As the train can't
to a standstill at Morris at 80 this morn
ing, I got out OIL the platform. About tn,
same time Watt jumped off the baggage
car as white as sheet and gaspel
out: "My God! Look in there, Tn
money is all gone and the paper
all over the carl" | looked in witt
my lantern and the safe was standin!
open; the way-bills were all scattered
around and the drafts and other papers
some of them torn, were all around ol
the floor. took my key and went to tn
other car and called Nick! Nick!' bu
there was no answer. As | swung m,
lantern in the car a horrible sight wa
seen. There was blood scattered arounl
everywhere and on the trunks. The loca
way-biils were all covered with bloot
and the legs Of she chairs were bloody
In the forward part Of the car
found the body of Nick The face wa,
covered with blood and great pool wa
underneath him. The body was still
warm. The car showed that there hat
been big fight, from nearly one end t,
the other. On a hook hung big poker
which was also covered with blood
"Nick" lay with both hands clenched
and between the fingers OF one hant
he held a lock of black hair, while In tn,
other hand was lock of red hair" Tht
conductor thinks the robbers got on a
the coal chute, near Joliet, and had
jumped of Just as the train slowed up a
Morris.
1t is understood that the Rock islam,
road will offer u reward of $4,000 70
the capture Of the men who committe,
the robbery and $4,000 for the arrest o
any one of them.
|
| SunnOseI tn he uns A Ulnu %.
SANDY Hook, March 1.-THE steame