The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-02
Alleged Confession of Man Who
Says He Slew DR.. Helen Knabe
HE GOT 800 FOR THE WORK
Seth Nichols, Who Is Held by Police at
Portsmouth, N. H., Makes Strange
Statement About Accommodating a
Stranger He Met in New York.

Portsmouth, n H., April "A photo
graph of Seth Nichols, who, the police
say, has confessed to numbering DIR.
Helen Knabe in indianapolis, last Octo-
Der for 81 500 has been sent to the au-
thorities at Indianapolis withs copy
Of the alleged confession Of the man.
Nichols, who is being held by the local
police, indicated an acquaintance with the
scene of the mysterious murder and the
manner in which the murder was com
mitted.
Nichols says that he spent the money
which he got for the murder in eluding
the police. 1t is reported that he is a
deselter from the United States navy.
He was arrested for carrying load
ed revolver After being arrested and
in giving his alleged confession, Nichols
declared that he met stranger in New
York who offered him 81 500 for the
murder of DIR. Knabe. The murder,
which was done with knife, was one
Of the most mysterious that ever oc.
CURED in indianapolis.
Nichols confession was unexpected. He
was under arrest and in cell at the
station house when he broke down and
confded to Deputy Marshal Michael Hur-
ley the dreadful secret he had been
keeping smothered since last October.
Nichols. who is about % years of age
entered a local saloon Saturday and
asked the barleeper for drink. Upon
being refused he pulled large specimen
of a shooting iron from his pocket and
aiming it carefully at the bartender's
head, said with a smile: Come on, be
good fellow; have a drink with me-
The custodian of the bottles and faucets
responded with alacrity when presesa N
such irresistible action
Upon Nichols leaving the saloon the
attention of Patrolmen Michael Kelley
and Oliver P. Philbrck was called to his
behavior. They arrested Nichols on Wa
ter street, took the revolver away from
him and locked him up on charge Of
carrying concealed weapons.
Late yesterday afternoon, while talk
ing with Deputy Marshal Hurley Nichols
confessed that he murdered a woman in
Indianapolis The deputy Immediately
communicated with the Indianapolis po-
lice and received word back that the
story the man told was undoubtedly
correct one.
Nichols told Hurley that on Monday
night, October %, 1911, he broke into the
apartments of Dr. Helen Naudden he
says, though thfs is supposed to be DR.
Helen Knabe When he got there he
says, he cut her throat from ear to ear
with knife. afterward receiving the
sum of 81 500 for doing the job.
The details of this crime were printed
at length in all the newspapers follow
ing the murder On the day after, Capt
William Holtse. chief of the detective
department of indianapolis, summed up
the days activity by the police in inves-
tipating the murder of the former state
bacteriologist, by saying that fIf Dr.
Knabe was murdered. as appears, am
satisfied she was murdered by person
with whom she was acquainted and that
she voluntarily let this person into her
apartment"
The character of DR. Knabe was un
blemished. She lectured to young wom
en- and men on the necessity of social
purity as well as ON physical culture and
hygiene 1t was decided at the time OF
the murder that the motive for the crime
could not have been robbery, and physi
clans ascertained that personal assault
had not been committed.
The heavy street dust that had settled
on the outer sills of the windows was un-
disturbed when detectives examined the
premises. The electric lights in the bed
room were burning when the unfortunate
woman's body was discovered by her sec
retary the morning after.
Miss Knabe and Miss Katherine Me-
Pherson, DR. Knabe's assistant, each in
stantly denied that they saw knife in
the room or had covered up any evidence
tending to indicate that it was a case of
suicide. Miss Mcpherson said she pulled
DR.. Knabe's night dress down over her
body; Miss Knabe said that she laid |
pillow across the body. Then, both said |
they were so anxious to get a physician
into the fiat that they forgot to call in |
the police until more than an hour after
the discovery of the crime. Miss Knabe
admitted that DIR. Knabe owed her sew
aral hundred dollars and that she had
other debts
There were no signs of struggle in
the room. and as DIR. Knabe was a
trained gymnast she would have been
able to have made a terrific fight before
being overcome.