The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1913-08-19
new DEVELOPMENT I
IN STRANGE CASE
Nichols s-StocksIager Tragedy De-
fies Solution

GUN USED In DOUBLE SHOOTING
WAS PURCHASED HERE.
James Nichols Bought the 45.CaIibre
Revolver Found by His Body at a
Local Store.
Much of the mystery SURROUNDING
the double shooting on the North Side
Friday night, was cleared up this
morning by the discovery that James
Nichols. charged by the coroner's
jury with the murder and suicide
which has for four days been source
OF wonder and mystery throughout
this section of the state, bought the
45-calibre revolver found beside his
body at secondhand store in this
city on the 7th day of July.
This important fact was ferreted
out by Sheriff c. c. Nelson of Mini
doka county, and T. G.. Wilson, a
neighbor of the dead man, who came
down from Rupert yesterday for the
L
every possible clue connected with the
case. A canvass was made of every
store In the city, engaged in the sale
OF firearms, until G. w. Garrish, pro-
prietor of secondhand store on
South Main, recognized the gun as one
he had had in stock An examination
OF his books revealed the fact that the
purchase was made on the seventh day
OF July, and had been paid for by a
check, but Mr.. Garrish had no recol-
lection OF the person or persons who
had bought the weapon. The check
was traced, however, to the Twin
Falls Bank and Trust company,
wherezt was found made out for the
sum of $S and with the name Of James
Nichols signed to it f
Although not absolutely conclusive,
this bit of evidence clears up one of
the most mysterious circumstances
connected with the case, namely that
according to the testimony of Nichols
hired man, who has slept with him
and worked by his side for year and
a half, that Nichols has never during
that time been known to possess a
gun, and that also the strictest search
failed to reveal cartridges of any kind
in the Nichols house.
The new line of evidence tends also
to cOunterbalance the statement made
yesterday by Drs. Clouchek, Pike and
Wilson after long postmortem exam
ination of the body, that it would seem
almost impossible that the wounds on
the body of Nichols were self-inflict-
ed. AS the body of Nichols was ship
ped last night to his, former home in
Brownie, Michigan, and the remains
OF Mrs. Stockslager, the other victim
in the double shooting, were buried to-
day in the Twin Falls cemetery, and
as no eyewitness to the affair has yet
been found, the coroner's verdict will
probably remain unchanged and the
case definitely closed unless other
connecting facts are yet discovered,
The circumstances surrounding the
strange affair are in brief as follows:
On Friday night, about ten o'clock,
while nearing the Nichols ranch ten
miles northeast of the city, Messrs.
Neuman and Barlow of the Cash Buy
ers Union. mot boy who told them
that there were a man and woman
dead in the road. Hurrying forward,
the Twin Falls men found the bodies
of James H. Nichols and Mrs. l.. B.
Stockslager. Mrs. Stockslager had
been shot through the heart and pow
der marks on her face and neck indi-
Gated a missing bullet. Near her was
the body of Nichols and beside him
was the gun, unquestionably the one
with which the shooting was done.
Mr.. Neumann and Mr.. Barlow
watched over the bodies all night un-
til the arrival of the sheriff from Ru-
pert. The inquest was held at ten
o'clock on Saturday morning, and af-
terwards the bodies were brought to
Twin Falls.
Mrs. Stockslager, the victim of the
double tragedy, was % years of age,
and at the time of the shooting was
living with her mother, quarter of a
mile south of the Nichols ranch. She
was originally Miss Florence Berry,
and was married about six years ago
to Guy Miner, son of E. A. Miner OF
Buhl.
Later she was divorced from him
and married DIR. l.. B. Stockslager, OF
Albion. Not long ago they agreed to
separate, and she returned to her
mother, where 1t fs said that Nichols,
an old suitor, renewed his attentions
Nichols came to Idaho seven years
ago from Michigan. and was well-liked |
BY all his neighbors. "Jim must have |
been crazy" declared Mr.. Wilson who |
came to Twin Falls with Sheriff Nell
ION for the express purpose of finding |
evidence to clear the name Of his |
friend and neighbor
L. B. Stpckslager was notified i'm
after the shooting and came
Q Twin Falls to be in attendance at
he funeral.
The following h the pestmortem
inding ON the body Of Janes H.
(Continusd On Page 6.)