The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-08-14
QUEEREST OF WILLS.
AKgNruckv FARMER LEFT HIS PROP
ERTv TO HIS CREATOR.


He nxpeoAsd 10 Bs Trsnslatsd 70 Heaven
g Certain Date--Not Having Realised
His Anticipated Flight Upward He I>f'
His Estats TO His wife.
Probably tho only will ever written
In which the Lord Is made one OF the
chief deyisees is on record In the office
Of the clerk Of the Wayne county court,
Kentucky. II is the last will and testa-
ment of j. A. ]. Nickel. well to do
but rather eccentric farmer who died
not far from the town Of Monticello
about three years ago.
The will was made and written
the hand Of the deceased on the 9th
day of December, 1878, under most pc
culiar circumstances and conditions.
According to the history OF the case, as
related by some of the most reliable
people of Wayne county, Mr.. Nickel,
who was u devout church member and
close student Of the Bible. concluded
that Nov. 18, 1878, he was to be taken
MP to heaven--translated the
prophet of old. The language Of the
will would indicate that Mr.. Nickel ex-
pected the end Of the world to come on
that day, but in his conversations with
his friends and members Of his family
he left the impression that the phenom-
enon was matter personal to himself.
They ridiculed the old. gentleman's
vagaries, hut he would not be laughed
out Of his ideas and made full and COM
plete preparations for his transit from
earth to heaven. On the 9th Of the fated
month he made and recorded the fol-
lowing will:
Now, In accordance with the dictates OF my
conscience as q sane man, this day being the
eth day of November, 1873, I do now make
and draw with my own hand this, my Last
will and testament, agreeable to the oircum-
stances hereinafter mentioned-to wit:
First, II, according to the calculations from
the Bible, the day Of traDslation occurs on the
18th of the present month. my win 10 that all
Of my possessions be beQueathed TO my wife,
for her support, provided that am found
worthy 10 be translated without her. But II
wc are both found worthy and pass away and
leave all, i then beQueath all my POSSESSIONS
to him who gave them to me, excepting all
the dues from all people to mo Of every do
scription, such as notes, accounts, loans, or
anything In their hands belonging to me,
which freely forgive them, for Christ's sake.
Given under my hand and seal ON the date
above mentioned. J. A. J. NICKEL
Mr.. Nickel, having made his will
and completed all other arrangements
for his departure, calmly awaited the
day for his translation. Old citizens
say that the 18th of November, when it
came around, was one of the gloomiest,
most threatening and uncanny ever
seen. The clouds hung low and heavy
and there was an ominous stiffness in
the air which seemed to presage the su-
pernatural. Some Of the superstitious
who had been somewhat impressed with
Mr.. Mickel's predictions really began
to lock for something terrible to hap
pen. Mr.. Nickel, however, was disap-
pointed. The Lord was not ready for
him, and the old gentleman remained
on earth nearly 8 years longer. Wheth-
er or not his disappointment caused him
to take up dislike for his Creator or
whether he changed his mind about his
wife unknown, but some time prior
to his death he wrote codicil to his
will cutting his Creator out of every
thing. The codicil is as follows:
This ia my 1rst codicil: AS my wife IL the
only other person interested in this matter,
will that she, being fully acquainted with my
affairs, he appointed executrix Of my estate,
to manage 1t herself, with the aid Of the wit
uesses hereto, for her support through life.
Written with my own hand, but not SO steady
as formerly, Aug. a, 1893.
A. l.. Acrey, j. A. J. MICKE.
G. L. Aciey.
CHICAGO Tribune.