The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-22
LIVED AT NICKUM.
Cunningham's Former Partner
Sheds Light on Case.
Says That Chauffeur Knew the
Murdered Woman.
TELLS HIS EXPERIENCE.
Feared That Cunningham Would
Kill Him.

Did Nate Ferrand. alias w. B. Cum
ningham, the automobile thief, once
room at the Nickum house?
w. G. Ferguson. of Independence,
who was associated with Cunningham
last summer in making maps of the
oil fields, says that Cunningham was
personally acquainted with Mrs.
Nickum and that he roomed at her
house at one time.
This statement was made by Fer
guson after he heard that Cunning
ham was suspected of the Nickum
murder
This statement by Ferguson, togeth-
er with the fact that the front door
of the Nickum house was found
locked on the inside, after the muir
der, with a key such as Cunningham
was known to have had may develop
into strong clues.
Mrs. Ferguson informed Sheriff
Lucas that she had seen a pass key
in Cunningham's possession last sum-
mer which answered the description
of the key found in the lock of the
front door of the Nickum house.
Sheriff Lucas is out of town today.
He left no word where he was going.
Whether he is following murder clues
or not is not known but the utmost
secrecy surrounds his movements.
Il have not heard that Cunningham
said County Attorney Hungate this
afternoon. This statement of Fergu-
sons is worth looking into. We have
no evidence of this kind and I have
never heard of this before"
In the fall of 1903, while Cunningham
was chauffeur for c. H. Pattison, is
when it is believed Cunningham lived
at the Nfckum hotel This has not been
positively verified but there are persons
in Topeka who knew Cunningham at
tnat time who understood that he lived
at hotel near the Santa Fe depot and
one person who rode with Cunningham
in Pattison's automobile says that Cum
n1ngham told him that he was living at
the Nickum house and that he was too
Iar from where the automobile was
kept, and that he was going to move.
Soon after that Cunningham took a
room with the Leslies who then lived
next door to the garage.
The Independence, Kansas, Daily Re-
porter in an interview with Ferguson
brought to light the fact that Ferguson
was in fear of Cunningham. The Re-
porter article says:
According to q letter received In this
city yesterday by her husband, Mrs W.
G. Ferguson played an important part
IN the arrest of w. 3. Cunningham, in
Lima, o. AS told in the Reporter last
Saturday, Sheriff Lucas of Topeka. and
Mrs. Ferguson left independence on the
same train when she went east and it
was known that Mrs. Ferguson had re-
ce1Ved letters from Cunningham asking
her to come to Lima and meet him. 1t
was supposed that he would be waiting
for her at the railway station and it
was arranged that detectives be on hand
also and Mrs. Fergusons greeting of
Cunningham was to be signal for the
Lima officers to arrest him. When she
alighted from the train last Thursday
evening she saw Cunningham walking
up and down the platform with both
his hands in his overcoat pockets. She
knew Cunningham habitually carried a
revolver and she was afraid to tip off
his presence at the depot for fear he
would shoot her. She proceeded to a
street car and Cunningham followed. He
started to assist her to the car and she
turned and spoke to him when the Off
GERS grabbed him. What am arrest
ed for" was Cunningham's startled
question. For stealing an automobile"
replied one of the officers. 20, is that
all?" said the prisoner.
1t has developed the name Cunning
ham is an alias. The mans real name
is undoubtedly N. ]. Farren, this with
the name Eva James being tattooed
on one of his arms. Mr.. Ferguson has
seen these marks, but Cunningham ex-
planned they were assumed names of
himself and a woman who formerly
Travelled with him when they worked
together as a professional bicycling
team. But when Ferguson saw the
same name engraved in his watch he
concluded Cunningham was an as
sumed name.
One of his crooked deals while I'm
this city was to buy a revolver, belt
and cartridges and have them charged
to the Ferguson Mapping company
after the partnership between him
self and Mr.. Ferguson had been dis
solved, this fact not having come toi
the attention of Mr.. Ferguson until
after he had skipped with the automo-
bile. 1t was this gun that Mrs. Fer
guson was afraid of when she saw
Cunningham at the depot in Lima.
Mrs. Ferguson is now visiting at the
home of her parents in that city. 1t is
80 inc y coll la r.
rooms several times the night of his
departure from this city, having made
a threat to kill his former associate
before he left. Ferguson feared Cum
ningham and had taken the precau-
ton to lock the annex entrance to the
Carl Leon and had given strict or
ders to the hotel attendants to allow
Cunningham under no cfrcunnstancas
access to his rooms.
We'll, I feel much easier since he is
arrested" said Ferguson last night,
Another month of this would have
Mr.. Ferguson says Cunningham was
personally acquainted with Mrs.
Nickum, having boarded at her
home. Cunningham is the name of
Mrs. Nickum's son.
Mrs. Ferguson wrote her husband
she would get 800 of the reward.
The capture of Cunningham was expen-
and expenses ard wocked about three
weeks on tie case Besides this the Ohio
VIZ the arrests were well
paid and one Cf them was taken to St
Louis with Lucas and Wilkerson on their
way nome with the prisoners. Lucas ex-
penses were considsra bic and it is known
besides the statement made by Mrs Fer
guson, that she was to receive 800 and her
expenses in aiding the officers to Capture
Cunningham
Mr.. and Mrs. Cunningham are still kent
IN separate cells. Mrs. Cunningharn's cell
Is dlrecfly over that of her husband and
a steer moor separates them. Wednesday
aIternoon cunningham discovered that hts
wife was in the coll above him and he
tried to talk with her through the steel
moor The jail officers surprised Cunning
nam while he was attempting to conn.,7iI-
nicate with his wife. Since then the offf.
GERS have kept closer watch on the con.