The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-21

my mother refused TO give MIN mOhey
in response to his requests. Money was
what caused their divorce.
Il have not been up to Topeka to see
my mother very often; not as often as
Is that she owns the rooming house
which she has been operating. and that
It is free from debt. She has no part
uer in the business. [ think n also
had some money loaned out, but 1 don't
know anything about the security
My sister and myself are the only
heirs that 1 know of. L think that the
m house Will be continued IN OPP
Grafton under the charge of Mr. ana
Mrs. Gill of this city. Mrs. Gills moth
er was Mrs. Nickum's cousin. Mr. Gin
now runs a just across from
the Santa Fe depot.
1--WE will take my mothers body back
to Ottawa for burial. She has one son
buried there. Mrs: Peterson and my
self are the only living children we
are both by her first marriage"
Carried Life Insurance on
Mrs. Nickum is said to have been
carrying a $4,000 insurance policy on
her former husbands life. he IS sald
TO have insured his life for $5,OOO IN
her favor to secure some loans made
to him by her. Since their divorce,
Mrs. ickum has been paying the
premiums on the policy. Some time
ago Mrs. Nickum's son, Mr.. Cunning
ham, advised her to write a letter to
the insurance company and hnd out
whether she could collect on the pollcy
III liz 04AoNAAAS S&
1t is not known whether she did so or
not
One theory is that Nickum may
have come and wanted more money
advanced on the strength of this life
Insurance policy, and failing to get
what he wanted, been driven by despe-
ration to commit the bloody deed
There is a rumor that ]. r. Nickum
has been in town within the past week,
but no one can be found who has
actually seen h man. It is probably
one of those rumors which always
arise under such circumstances. The
officers are investigating h matter,
however In respons to kilograms
sent to Pueblo, the sheriff out there re-
spOnded that he was unable to locat
Nickum in that city, but would make
further Investigations. If Mr.. Nickum
is in Pueblo the officers must seek an
other clue.
Boarders All Subpoenaed.
All the men who boarded at Mrs.
the inquest this afternoon. The
names of the regular boarders are as
follows:
-- Smith.
F. Flaherty.
-- Brit.
-- Nyquist-
-- Upton.
-- Miller.
Solomon Frank.
John Murphy.
There were also five transients in
LIE AOuoc dl1Q they nave oil OGSA SUI
poenaed. Their names are:
Jason Austin
H. NJ. Hopper of Osawatomie.
F. Rodgers.
H. S. Beck, Pierce. Neb.
j. c. Kopton, Kansas City.
So far as known none of these board
ers came in on any of the midnight
trains Saturday night. None of them
are suspected of having any completely
in the deed. F1aherty and Nyquist were
not at home Saturday night. They did
not get back to the house till late Sun
day morning. Smith was the man who
was first called by the two girls en-
ployed at the house, and he has board
ed with Mrs. Nickum for more than a
year.
Mr.. Gill, the husband of Mrs. Nick
um's niece, said today:
These regular boarders of Mrs. Nick
um's are not suspected. We know
them, and most of them have been with
her for a number of years. 1t was Mrs.
Nfckum's cus-om not to go to bed until
No III had come in. This kept her
awake till between 1 and 2 O'Clock. She
was probably last seen by a policeman.
who passed by about 1 o'clock and saw
her sitting in the office reading"
The policeman on the Santa Fe beat
is Frank Hendricks.
ReEard of $500 offered.
? Governor w. ]. Bailey has offered a
reward of $500 for the arrest and con-
victfon OF the party or parties who kill
ed Mrs. Mary A. Nickum County At
lOLACy 11uASdl6 ana 0QeIlI Lucas call
ed on Governor Bailey at his office this
and put the case before him
in detail. They also requested that the
state offer a reward of sufficient size
to be an incentive for hard work on the
part of detectives. Governor Bailey was
favorable to the request, and County
Attorney Hungate will draw up a for
NAL letter Of request in writing this
afternoon.
THAT is the most horrible affair I
ever heard Of" said the governor. 1T
looks as though a person who would
commit a crime like that must be de-
void of all moral perception"
The county commissioners have not
considered the proposition of offering a
reward in connection with the state re-
ward. They are to offer a
reward in such cases, and also to en-
ploy detectives &C the expense of the
county Commissioner w. E. Sterne
said: The matter has not been broach-
ed before the board. I do not know
what our duties or limitations are in
such cases, as nothing of the kind has
ever come before the presenA board of
commissioners"
In the Collins murder case the county
offered a reward and hired special de
tectives to handle the case under the
directions of the sheriff.
Sheriff Lucas Theory.
Sheriff A. T. Lucas says that his
theory concerning the murder of Mrs.
Nickum is that the crime was com
United by a degenerate. and tina the
u - sill III topeka or vicinity.
81 have never believed in the rob-
berry theory, and when L first went
down there to the hotel 1 made nv
mind easy on that. 1 could see no
signs of a diSarrangement such as
would have been made by a thief
searching for money. 1 searched Mrs.
Nickum's bedroom, which was within
a few feet of the little room where she
was murdered, and found a lot of
money 1 found S17e.SO up
In a State ourna and damned behind
the dresser. I think that the man who
killed her is still in the city"
Chief of Police T. NJ. Stahl has a