The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-08
ENDED HIS EXISTENCE
WEST INDIANAPOLIS MANS MURDER
oUS ATTACK ON HIS WIFE.
After SIashfng Her with "a Razor He
Takes His own Life-Excite-
ment i'm the suburb.

Christian Nickels, of West indianapolis,
yesterday morning attempted to kill his
wife and then ended his own life by taking
a large quantity of Rough-on-rats. Mrs.
Nickels was cut with a razor in several
places but she fought her assailant and
was able to escape serious injury. Nickels
did not die in the house" but went out
the Haywood road to a spot on the river
bank not far from "Oklahoma" to end his
miserable existence.
Nickels and his wife have not agreed for
some time and have been living apart.
Drink was the cause of their trouble. Mrs.
Nickels lives at 1S2 Judge Harding street
and Nickels boarded at the home of Mrs.
White on the same street. Nickels was
employed recently by Henry Mag, d street
contractor.
Yesterday morning Mrs. Nickels was busy
with her homework when she heard a
knock at the back door. She always kept
the doors locked for the reason that she
was afraid her husband would seek to kill
her. She went to the door and seeing who
was there refused to open it. NickelS kicked
in a panel of the door but Mrs. Nickels
guarded the opening with a hickory stick
and her husband was afraid to enter. After
a while the man seemed to go away and
Mrs. Nickels, having an errand, started
out the front door. She had not reached
the gate when she heard footsteps behind
her. Turning she was Mortified to see her
husband spring upon her with a razor in
his hand. She received the blow over the
eye but he was too far away when he
struck to make a serious wound. He
slashed her across the hip and then raised
the weapon to strike again. She threw
up her hand to ward off the blow and the
thumb of her right hand was almost sew
cred. Then she grabbed him by the wrist
and there ensued a deadly struggle for the
possession of the razor 1t was a struggle
for life with Mrs. Nickels and she came
out the victor. She is a powerfully Quilt
woman and the superior OF the man who
attacked her. Finding that she was his
match and that the neighbors had begun
to gather about. NickelS jerked the razor
through his wifes hand and fled The
sharp blade laid the flesh or the hand pare
to the bone.
While the struggle was going on several
women had stood by witnessing 1t. They
weapon and did not dare to interfere in a
fight between husband and wife. After
Ntckels had fled, however, they took in the
situation and hurried for several phys1-
clans. Three soon arrived and Mrs. NICK
els's wounds were dressed. They are not
of serious consequence.
"A
Patrolman Ashe happened to be in the
vicinity end he got in buggy and drove
out the haywood road in search of Nick
els. He found no trace OF him ana re-
turned to West indianapolis. There he met
Patroman kurtz and the two started to
search the river bottom. Mrs. NickelS told
them that she believed her husband would
kill himself.
Near the roadhouse known as Oklahoma
they met two young men who told them
that a man was dying on the bank of
Fla gle creek They followed the two men
and found Nickels in the last struggles
with death. He died at about 1890 o'clock.
Coroner Brayton viewed the remains and
found that death had resulted from poison
from Rough on-rats. Undertaken hermann
took charge of the remains.
NickelS was an inmate at the County
Asylum for nearly year leaving there
March 10. He was admitted July 10 of last
YEAR He was lame when he went there
and said he had broken his leg. About a
year ago he lived at No. 8 Sample street,
and one day while he was drunk the house
caught fire. He was dragged out by the
firemen Just in time to escape death.
Mrs Nickels was told that her husband
had taken poison. PatrOlman AShe came
back to town after the discovery of Nick
els and before the latter had died. When
he told Mrs Nickels she said she hoped
he would die. She said she had been in
constant fear of him ever since he came
from the poor farm. He had threatened
to kill her. People who knew Nickels say
that he often accused his wife of infidelity
and had threatened to kill her and himself.
At the boarding house yesterday morning
Nickes seemed unusually melancholy and
remained at the house after the other
hoarders had gone to work.