Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-20
Colored Preacher, Charged With
ENLIGHTENMENT, Safe Be-
hind Prison Walls
HUTsoN HAD A HARD TIME
Sheriff Was Met on Every Hand With
Efforts to Prevent His Bringing the
Prisoner to Iowa--colored People of
Nickerson's Columbus Church Defray
Expenses of Attorneys Hire.


wanted here on a charge of embezzie-
ment. in having, as it is alleged, mis-
| appropriated funds belonging to the
| Colored Baptist church of this city
There was curious crowd of specta-
tors at the station to see the prisoner
and among them We're number OF his
! former Pensioners. Nickerson is in
! Jail, the district court having fixed tha
amount of his bonds at $1,000. He Elk
poets his attorney, w. *. Williams. OF
Columbus either this evening or to-
! morrow, and the latter will attempt to
furnish the required bond, so that his
client may return to Columbus. IL he
fails in this Nickersson will remain In
Jail until the August term of the dis
trict court.
Sheriff Hutson had hard time in
getting his prisoner back to the state,
and was met on every hand by efforts
| of the preachers attorney. AS is known
/ here Nickerson's arrest was effected
| by the Columbus police last Wednes-
| day Sheriff Hutson did not arrive at
Columbus until Friday evening. at .
/
| ings in habeas corpus had been COM
menced. Chief O.Conner, of the Col
umbus police, defeated this action, and
upon the arrival of Sheriff Hutson the
request for a requisition, signed by
Governor A. B. Cummins, was present
| ed. to the requisition department. In
Governor Myron T. Herrick's office.
The secretary who has charge of this
branch of the business was not in the
city. and the hearing had to be post
poned until Monday. Nickerson's at
torney endeavored to get another con-
tinuance, but this was not granted, and
at the hearing the necessary papers
were issued.
Much Red Tape.
There was much red tape that had to
be gone thru with even then, and 1t
was necessary to take the prisoner be-
fore the civil court. which was in ses-
sion. and make arrangements for a
bond to cover the expense of returning
the prisoner to Ohio in the event that
he was not convicted. At this hearing
Niellerson's attorney made another eff
fort to have the court quash the requi-
sition. The attorney held that the
amount claimed in the charge of en-
hezzlerneM was too small to be OF any
consequence and that the effort OF the
Iowa authorities was nothing more
than one of collection agency, in at
tempting to have the church reinl-
bursed. Another point made was that
the papers upon which the requisition
was granted might have been fraud
lently procured.as there was nothing to
show that the signatures of Clerk Of
Courts Knisely, or County Attorney
Northup, We're genuine, or that they
were really the officials they were
represented to be. 1t was necessary,
finally. when the court held that the
requisition should stand, that the sher-
III deposit with the clerk of court sos 30,
court costs and mileage. the latter for
the purpose of paying the prisoners
fare back to Columbus, If he is not con
yicted.
Nickerson Refuses to Talk.
Rev. Nickerson was seen in his cell
at the county Jail Tuesday evening by
a Times Republican man. The former
pastor of the local church. now pastor
OF the Corinthian Baptist church of
Columbus. did not appear to be down
cast and maintained the same SELF
satisfied expression as he bore on the
night of Feb. Is, 1908, when, In the
presence of several of the prominent
white people and business men Of tho
city, he promised to love and cherish,
ds long as life should last, Lulu Gil
more an 1s-year-old girl, who now am
swers to the name of mamma to IL baby
daughter, born Dec. /, 1908. Nickerson
refused absolutely to discuss his case,
saying his attorney had cautioned him
before leaving Columbus to say noth-
ing whatever to any one He intended
to obey his instructions to the letter.
In an effort to draw him out the col
ored man remarked that 1t was strange
the church people here had not decided
to prosecute him before, on the embez-
element charge, il they had case. He
was here several months after the al
legged crime was committed. He said
that it looked like spite work to him.
When asked about his marriage to
Miss Myrtle Zimmerman, of Circleville,
Ohio, he shut up like a clam, and said
he had not admitted that he was or
was not married. He was asked if he
had reason to believe that his wife here
had obtained a divorce. and he said
that he knew efforts Were being made
to secure one. He was also asked
about his first matrimonial venture, in
the south. and If ne knew whether or
not his wife was alive, or had ever
secured a divorce He said he knew
all about it. but did not care to discuss
it. He was also asked about the
charge of Ella Jackson, that he was
the father of an illegitimate child, born
to her last September, and replied that
it was news to him.
About the only thing that Nicker~
son cared to talk about was his church
in Columbus. He reorganized it in
February, he says. and has Il very
promising field before him.
Sheriff Hutson says that he was in
formed by an old colored woman at
Columbus that Nickerson's wife in that !
city was but 16 years of age when he
married her. The sheriff says he was |
living with her at the time of his ar
rest. She is said to be a beautiful col
ored girl
Had Valuable Assistance.
Sheriff Hutson had some valuable I
assistance among the officials at CO.
lumbus, and speaks very highly of their
treatment of him. Had it not been for
Chief O'Connor and City Attorney
Carter it is thought probable that
Nickerson would have been glglnted a |
y,o ha.e n..,r,,o l1x,for< tt,xo