Mexico weekly ledger., 1913-06-26
WOMAN AND son svREEo TO

pEATa-HUssAhD 70 HELD.
Mr JoAn Nichoasoa and her adopt
"a A. Howard. sb0ut II years o.
age. we're burned to death IN BED
at yandAlla. Friday. about midnight
Mr.. Nieholson. husband Of the 10
msa. e being held b. the Authorities
until the eoroaers isquest and turtle
investigated
II vas frs: repeated that the bed
caught fire frOn 4 lamp near tAe Be
uhseh exploded. throwing the oil all
over The bed and ignihng T. Ms
Nicholson and the boz we're anzme,
before aid reached them and died
fron their burns.
Sheriff Barrett. Prosecuting Attor-
ney whitsoa and Coroaer Strobe wen
Iowa 10 vaadAnA Saturday morning
IN An automobile
when sen by a representative o
lthe Ledger. Monday morning. Jobs
Nicholson, Who is charged with burn
ing his wife and adopted son AZ Van
daHA refused to talk OF the eharge
agAiast him He said he woald make
Ilpo statement until the time Of the
trial
In a cell IN the jail. Nicholson pae-
es the floor, very seldom speaking
TO anyone other prisoners say be
appears 20 be very nervous and toss
Is and turns In his sleep. When the
. reporter called he put his face up
close 20 the bars. pesdng through
carefully to see Just who was talk
ing to him. The next minute be
would turn his back and walk slowly
across the cell and back again. where
he would again stare through the
bars. He talked in a low voice. He
said he has retained J. o. Barrow
lot vandzIia, for his attorney and Mr..
! Barrow will secure ]. D. Hostetter Of
Bowling Green
Preliminary Hearing Thursday.
The preliminary hearing will b
} held at yandalia, Thursday. before
, Justice Of the Peace J. H Thole
Charge Of the murder of Mrs Nichol
} son in the first degree has been filed
by Prosecuting Attorney Whitson
} and a large number Of witnesses hav
: been called Just what stand the de
B fence will take cannot be ascertain
ed yet
coroner's Inquest Saturday.
At the inquest Saturday after
1 noon. conducted by Coroner Rober
: lC. Strobe. DR.. W. W Bland. a physi
clan Of vandalia, testified that Mrs
Nicholson had said: John did It. HI
I threw gasoline or coal oil on the be-
d and told me. I am going to burn yoI
up and he lighted a match and Sc
D It to the bed"
DR.. BANDS testimony was corrobo
0 dated by Doctors Hollingsworth AM
0ITerril.
Nicholson says a coal oil lamp ex
0 ploled and caused the fire.
o. Witnesses who were at the dyinI
0 woman's bedside swore she asserte
0 a $1,000 insurance had been taken gu
0 on her life. and she asked that nom
of the money go to her husband. ShI
wanted Howard to receive It In even
the boy survived. she said. and
0 they both died she asked that III
Q money 20 10 her brother, Homer Grii
0 fifth. Before he died. Howad aske
0 the physicians II his mother woul
0 die, and the child prayed that shI
0 might be spared mad that he nigh
live.
According to witnesses al the In
D quest Mrs. Nicholson said that Mich
D olson was in love with their adopt
0 ed daughter, Bessie. 1s years old, an
that he threatened to burn her. (Mr
NIehOison) alive.
This adopted daughter was visit
ing her sister in Centralia at the tim
Of the tragedy.
The verdict Of the coroner's jur1
B follows:
I'VE. the jury, find that Mrs. Johr
} Nicholson and Howard Nicho
} son came TO their deaths In .
} fire, and we find from eyi
dence presented that said fire was
lighted by the hand Of John Nichol
!, son"
The jury was composed OF the fol
lowing: R. w. Moore. foreman; ]
H Laird. ] D Wright, Earl Hagan.
N B Moore and C E johnson.
Coroner Strobe said, Saturday
night, the coal oil lamp, which Nichol
son said had exploded. was found on
the floor with the burner ~unscrewed
from the glass bowl.