Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-16


ever. caused him TO reconsider, and he
was taken out Of his cell into the jail
Office whore he was shaved and dressed
up In n white shirt. with collar and era
vat lie was particular that the picture
should be a good likeness. and cautioned
the photographer 20 do his best The
work was soon gotten through with. and
he was returned TO his cell The boat
was then hauled out from the room un-
der the courthouse. where Il had
lain for two years. and was set I'D on
its side In the alley between the Jail and
the street, and a Photograph OF 70 was
also gotten. Both pictures are presented
this morning.
The likeness OF Nicholas Is striking.
and the boat shows up wen, the three
holes being especially prominent Mich
olas occupied a seat when II sunk Just
at the end IN which the holes appear
From his seat he could easily have kicked
out the cobs which stopped the holes.
and with his weight In that end OF IT,
boat there was nothing 20 prevent the
water flowing in and sinking the craft.
The details Of the crime were published
Al some length in the Dispatch, and
should be perfectly familiar 20 its read
err. on the sth OF December. 1892.
Nicholas. with two men-Mlls and VII
Nnson--left their home. on the Wickham
farm in HenricO. near the Goochland
line 60 cross the river in boat for the
purpose Of taking honey from a bec-tree
They reached the other side OF the stream
and started 10 cut the tree down. when,
al the suggestion of Old Man Mills. they
desiste1 Tor fear that they might get
into trouble. and got In the boat TO re-
turn home on the return trip, and when
only about thirty yards from the Henrico
side, Nicholas. who was prOpelhng the
boat with "A paddle, kicked out three
pieces Of curn-cOb. which had been stop
ping up a like number Of holes in the
bottom Of the boat. This L., the water
in and the boat rapidly began TO sink.
Neither Mills nor Wilkinson could swim,
and they became panic-stricken when
they realized their predicament. and
Nicholas claims jumped into the water.
BE that as il may they sank and were
drowned. while Nicholas swan TO shore
and gave an alarm. The drowning was
thought 10 have been accidental until
the boat was found floating down the
river with the three frcshly-bored auger-
holes in its bottom. and then foul play
was suspected and Nicholas was arrest
Cd. and brought to this city. arriving
ABOUT O'Clock in the morning.
SAYS THEY TESTIFIED FALSELY.
To a Dispatch reporter, who called on
him i'm his cell yesterday. Nicholas said
that he had been sentenced 10 BE- hanged
simply because OF the false witness
borne against him by several OF
the commemorative witnesses, whom he
named. He told Of how he procured the
poison at Lewls's drugstore. and how he
afterwards took II back and asked that
his name be stricken from the books.
lie then detailed the accident-as he
called it-and said that he was so eX-
haustcd when he reached the shore
that he had TO lie there for more than
ten minutes before he had sufficient
strength to walk up to the house and
give the alarm. lie said he had never
dreamed Of hurting a hair of MISS head;
that they had always been friends, and.
though he had been intimate with Mrs.
Mills. he had no liking for her. and had
no desire TO get Mills out Of the way.
So far as his intending to drown WIKI
son. ne says that ne was never accused
or having intended that, ana would not
have done so for the world.
The condemned man IS very hopeful
that the Governor viii do something Tor
him. and asks everybody who comes To
see him what they can tel him concern
ipg any new developments in his case.
He saws ne viii. il he has to be- hanged.
ascend the gallows Ike a man, and
having made his peace with God, does
not fear TO die When asked # he would
make any statement on the scaiIoid. he
replied that ne would. He said he pur-
posed giving a detailed statement OF the
accident" and of the trial. and would
show that he had been lied upon.
HISTORY OF HIS LIFE.
phiiip Norman Nicholas was born In
Rucklneham. near Scottsville, May !, 1871.
lie lived there until he was about y years
old. when he engaged in railroad work.
and was employed as for man Of a gang
of hands on the Chesapeake ana ONO
railway. After three years or service
ON this line ne went 10 Georgia. and was
employed I'm q like capacity on the Geor-
gia Pacific railroad. lie afterwards re-
turned 10 buckingham. and went to
Favette county. W. Va. where he re-
nained for two years getting out stone
from the quarries. He returned TO Nlr-
,,inia. and settled I'm GOOchland in 1871.
In the fail Of 1891 he removed to Henri
co. and began work on the Wickham
farm. Nills's house almost adjoined his
and the home Of Wilkinson, where ne
Iced with his aged mother was only
across the road. Nicholas's mother, who
is aged oyer 90 years. Is still alive. and
lives with his sister. in Goochland. lie
has two brothers. one Of whom-W. II.
pff and Ia a.