Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-12
NICHOLAS MUST DIE.
THE HeNRlco jury FINES HIM Gull
1Y OF DOUBLE MURDER.
lie Receives the Verdict Cai'n'y ""'
wceps In P'ison-motion for q New
Trial-Tbe Crime.

and Judson WILKINSON.
Tb,s f. the verdict OF twelve competent
men who heard the evidence In the n'ys-
terious case. and carefully weighed the
Testimony OF the many witnesses.
For ten long months the fearful niger
~ suspIcIon has pointed to the prisoner
and now, at last. the mantle OF Buiit ha'
been fastened upon his shoulders me
law demands his life I'm expiauon OF the
awful crime that he IL charged with nav
inc committed. and unless his counseI
obtain n new trial. or the higher courts
interfere. he will probably meet MS emu
upon the gallows. ,,-.-
Guilty, "a charged In the inhictmen.'
were the ominous words pronouhceu Dy
Clerl, Broaddus yesterday morning when
the court convened to hear the Nerdict
Judge Wexford was on the bench the
counsel were in their seats, and pale ana
haggard, the prisoner sat behihu the O"'
THE COURTROOM CROWDED.
when the awful announcement feii upon
the ears OF the immense assembly, t.'''
crowded and packed the room the silence
was naInfuI. II almost seemed as II death
rad touched the gathering with It's ICY
hand and stilled the noisy hum OF iie'
And truly II was voice from the grave
a voice from two murdered men VINO
lost their lives In the waters OF the
lanes and cried to the law Tor ven
geance. ,,.....,.,
The argument in the much-disctSSed
case was completed Tuesday night anu
after the speeches OF the attorneys the
court adjourned to meet again yesterday
at 10 o'clock Promptly at the appointeu
hour the proceedings began ana the jury
went into their room. Fifteen minutes
later there was n rap on the door, ana
Sheriff Solomon announced that they were
ready to give their verdict.
After the jury had been brought IN
Judge Wexford asked: Have you a6reeu
upon verdict, gentlemenY' -
we have. sir replied Mr.. Hugh -.
Smith. the foreman Of the jury, as ne
handed the indictment TO Sheriff solomon
who I'm turn gave it To Clerk BroadduS'
After reading the Indictment. Mr.. Broad
dus said: philip Norman Nicholas, stand
up"
RECEIVES THE VERDICT
The carcworn criminal arose and heard
the verdict with unmoved features, put
when he sat down the woe depicted upon
his features was something pitiaole. ne
verdict was a terrible surprise 10 MN
and when ne was taken back to jan no
broke down completely and wept IKE
child $1,000, ~.
After a few minutes had elapsed Mr..
u q richardson. one of the counsel Tor
the accused. arose and addressed tne
court. The long argument he had maze
on the day before had completely proheh
him down. and his voice was so weak that
his words were scarcely audible. ne
moved that the court make carer III
examination Of the evidence taken by
cteuographer Brown. and set aside the
verdict and grant new trial on the
ground that II was contrary TO law ana
evidence. Mr.. Richardson also suggested
that the court should consider the ques-
ton of Jurisdiction which was raised IN
| the case. ,,,
Judge Wexford stated that he desired
To do this. and that he would give the
| evidence his careful consideration ana
pass upon the question at as early a
| date as possible.
The counsel on neither side made any
argument on the motion and submitted
the case on the evidence.
HAD A GOOD JURY.
| When the Judge discharged the jury
! he congratulated them upon the faithful
ness with which they had discharged thelr
work. He told the gentlemen that the
Jury was one Of the best he had ever
seen.
Squire Edwin Rugg. the MAGISTRATE
| who figured so prominently In the case
|
\ dence 10 convict the accused. IS mucn
grieyed and distressed that the counsel
| for the defence attempted 10 impeach
| bis testimony and limited that he was
| preiudiced in his way Of giving evidence.
| The Squire told n representative OF inc
| Dispatch Yesterday that his interest IN
| the matter was due entirely to ms sense
| OF duty, and that the work he haa dohe
on the case had not brought him an extra
cent lie said that it was largely cue
| IN his efforts and perseverance that the
| commonwealth secured the evidence that
| Nicholas had bought poison with which
! TO Kill Mills. and that ~ went 20 nearly
every drugstore In town TO obtain TINS
| important clue I'll,
| The question as 10 jurisdiction. which
| the prisoners counsel Will bring up III
| their efforts to save Nicholas. IL dispute
| 40 to whether TIE crime was committed
! In EenrIco or Goochnnd. There has al
| wavs been some doubt on this subject
Goochland was separated from Henricc
county i'm l7g7, but the records of the III
| vision are somewhat scant.
HISTORY or THE CRIME.
The history OF the crime for which
| Nicholas has been convicted is n remarka'
BILE one. ON December s. 1872. the prisoner
| nersuaded Mills and Wilkinson to sc
across the river in a boat with MN
| When they were out in the stream the
skin began TO fiji with water, and the de-
| ceased. neither OF whom could swim
Jumped out and were drowned. Nlcholas
who was an expert In the hatatoIIdi al
swan ashore in safety. Investigation
nroved that three anger holes had beer
bored In the boat. and that these had al
nrst been stopped UP with corn-coDs
| which. il appears, were subsequently
pushed out and let the water In.
Nicholas was unduly intimate WITH
| NIillss WIFE and the Commonwealth
proved that the prisoner Thought "l
poisoning him at one time. Wilkinson ac
companied the party on the day OF 'h'
drnrnino because Mills refused to &c