Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-10-26
W0MRN'S DEATH
CAUSES Sensation
SON OF PROMINENT PEORIA,
ILL.,, MAN CHARGED WITH
HER MURDER.
MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR
IN RAILWAY DEPOT
Soy Confronts Mrs. Thomasson, Who
Had Arranged Clandestine Meeting
with His Father-Former Tells of
the Meeting

Peoria, ILL.,, Oct. 22.-The death of
. prominent woman from injuries
alleged to have been received in an
encounter last Saturday with the son
and daughter OF a man with whom she
had tried to arrange a clandeStine
meeting and the arrest of the son on
a charge of murder, has created a SEN
sation in this city.
Mrs. Nellie Thomasson, wife of a
former real-estate dealer in this city,
is dead at her home in Lacon.
Richard Higgins, son of John G.
Higgins, a member of the board of
supervisors OF Peoria county and
prominent in politics, is under arrest
on a state warrant, accused of muir,
,!er
Clash in Depot.
Mrs. ThOmasscn's death is said 10
Aave been the result Of mysterious
affair in the vai:ins-room of the Rock
Island GepCt, this city, Mrs Thomas
SON expected to meet John G. Higgins
III the Waitir groom. Instead she
encountered Richard Higgins. aged
2f; his sister. Jennie. 81, and his
uncle, Douglas Mcdonald
The son and daughter learned by
accident that the woman expected their
father to meet her.
Mr.. Higgins was in ST. Louis when a
letter from Mrs. Thomasson was re-
ceived at the Higgins home Richard
ir ho 70
suspected for long time that rela-
lions existed between Higgins and the
woman. Young Higgins determined to
make an attempt to prevent scanda:
and arranged with his sister and uncle
10 keep the engagement with Mrs
| ThOmasson.
When Mrs. ThOmassOn arrived in
| the Waiting-room, Saturday morning.
| she Was confronted by the son and
! daughter of the man to whom she had
written.
Four Persons Present.
What took place in the waiting-room
is mystery. Only four persons were
present, Mrs. Thomasson. Richard and
Jennie Higgins, and their uncle.
e. A. Brant. ticket agent. was the
first to discover that something was
wrong. Mrs. Thonlasson, after the
mysterious meeting in the waiting
room, asked him TO assist her to a
train. He did so. and, when she was
gone, found the floor OF the waiting
| room covered with blood.
It was learned that Mrs Thomasson
went to her home in Lacon. She
fingered there in great agony until
her death. Mrs. Thomasson had been
in a comatose condition since Wednes-
day night. rallying enough to speak
word or two at times. Her lin was
severed. both eyes blackened. one
shoulder displaced, her back was COW
cred with bruises, as evidently in
t1lcted with a boot or heavy instru-
ment, and she was injured internally
Fail to Get Statement.
DR.. John Potts, the attending ply
stefan. was unable to rouse the patient
sufficiently to get a dying statement.
although this was attempted by Judge
Richmond of Marshall county. at
whose suggestion the Peoria author
tiles arrested young Higgins.
Higgins wept when placed in Jail.
I'VE had been trying for years to
break up the friendship between my
father and this woman" he said.
When we got that letter,-my sister
and l went down there to see if we
could not make some ARRANGEMENTS
with her. We met her in the wait
| ing-room. l went up to her and
touched her on the shoulder.
Confronts the Woman.
Mrs. Thomasson, believe said.
"She turned around quickly and said:
oh, it's you, is it?' and drew out a.
hatpin. l then pushed her sharply
away and knocked her over a chair.
My sister pulled me away and told
me l would be arrested: that we could
not do anything with her That's all
there was to it."
Miss Jennie Higgins made the fol-
lowing statement:
II had nothing to do with the affair
whatever, only as witness saw
Mrs. Thomasson attack my brother
with hatpin and then he struck her
several times. I did not engage in
the scuff1e."
Mrs. Thomasson has not lived with
her husband ]. w. Thomasson for
three years, and at the time of her
death did not know where he was
located. They were not divorced.