The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-10-11
TRIPLE TRAGEDY IN GUILFoRD.
Continued from Page ~


of The Reformer issued about 6
0 clock last night. At that time the
murder story was being related to
representative of The Reformer, who
went to the house in an automobile,
by the dead man s father and mother,
neighbors and officers who had been
examining the premises.
As soon as the body was found Rev
Mr. Kemp FASTENED to the home of
Sidney Coleman, a mile away, and
summoned DR.. George R. Anderson by
telephone. Then he notified Brattleboro
officers and the Guilford seIectmen and
Deputy Sheriff George 2. Miller of
Guilford. Chief of Police George Will
son of Brattleboro telephoned to Sheriff
Mann, who was attending court in
Newfane. Sheriff Mann tried to mott
fly State s Attorney A. V d. Piper Of
Brattleboro, who had been in Montpe-
lier, but found that Mr. Piper was on
his way home. Calling on Deputy Sher-
if Walter f. Howe of Wilmington.
who was at the Newfane court house.
Sheriff Mann came to BrattIeboro in
his automobile and started at once for
West Guilford
Meanwhile Dir. Anderson visited the
scene of the murder and made an ex-
animation of the body sufficiently so
that he was convinced that Mr..
Nichols had been dead about "a hours
There was nothing further that he
could do, so he returned home.
The GuIford officials arrived soon,
but learned that the spot where the
body lay was in the town of Halifax.
so they had no authority to have it
moved. The Halifax selectmen were
! then notified and Selectman Will War
| rem arrived in his automobile about 6
! o clock
By two newspapermen who had been
gathering information in the ease Sher-
! if Mann sent to Brattleboro for a
/ photographer to make some flash light
photographs of the body as it lay in
the field, but about 7.3O O clock. be
fore the photographer arrived, Sheriff
Mann took the body to the house.
placing Sheriff Miller in charge over
night. The photographer was engaged
to visit the place again today and
make some photographs of the premises
and the place where the body was
found.
Sheriff Mann also had descriptions
of Wrislpv and Mrs. Nichols telephou-
led to officers in aIl the surrounding
towns and cities with orders for the
arrest of either. and he arranged for
having their nictures and descriptions
printed and sent broadcast this after
noon. He also wired DR.. B. II. Stone
of the state laboratory in Burlington
land was notified that Dir. Stone woulo
come to Brattleboro on the 202 train
this afternoon and would 90 to West
lGuilford to perform an autopsy.
One of the first persons to susnect
than anything was wrong at the Mich
OILS house was Mr.. Nicholss mother
Various neighbors who were ut tn,
church meeting Thursday night ha,
commented on the absence of Mr. an,
Mrs. Nichols, their absence beins
noticed especially because Mr. Nichols
was janitor of the church. The voun.
man 5 father went to the home of an
other son, Austin Nichols, yesterda,
morning, which was about four mile
from the Walter Nichols place. an,
: there the absence of Walter and hi
wife was commented upon. Mr.. an,
p Mrs. Homer Thomas went up to tn
r house to see if everything was al
70 right. The kitchen door was unfasteu
ed, and they went in, but found II
one. Then they returned home.
, About 10 clock Mrs. Charlie
, Phelps called at the home of the voun
- man S parents and Mrs. Nichols aske
: her if see had seen anything of Wa
: ter 5 folks. Mrs. Phelps said she ha
t not. and about an hour later Mr.,
Il Nichols went to the home of her so,
a Austin, to make inquiry rs to whethe
5 they had heard anything. At this tim
X the mother expressed her anxiety an
|, said: 81 shall not sleep tonight unit
l. [ know where they are.
J. Returning home. Mrs. Nichols ate
ba i al
Il in the afternoon they started for Wa
@ ter s home On the way they stoppe
= at Arthur Lynde :. Mr. Lynle an
10 Walter Nichols being captains in
- Sunday school membership contest
=, the Baptist church. Then they 60
=, tinued on their trip and after rcac
. ing the hollow under the brow of I'll
hill on which the Nichols house stan,
Il they saw Rev. Mr.. Kemp, the Ia
IN list minister, coming down the hi
rs "Mr. Kemp looked palc,' said Il
IN dead young man 5 mother to II
ld former representative yesterday aftc
at noon, ''and several of the neighbo
in acted in peculiar manner Final
Sc Mrs. H. G. Merrifeld said that som
ze thing had happened up at Walter s.
e. asked her what it was and she sa
a. she didn t know Just what it was, b
~ tlllL one Oh JHcm hat been klIlt
Then Mr.. Kemp told rs what he h
found. One thing that made me an
ious during the day was that Walt
=, said he was going to Brattleboro T
'' day, and I watched for him to p;
the house, but didn't see anything
him.
'eS The fact that the young couple
not come to the church Thursday nia
A caused Mr.. Kemp to visit their hol
-. next day. Not finding anybody
y home, Mr.. Kemp began to look alb,
.c ~ the premises, finally discovering
ne body in the moving
,ty When sheriff Mann arrived f.
me Brattleboro yesterday afternoon
md went at once to the place whore
till body of Mr.. Nichols lay. 1T was il
ar little hollow close beside Il pile
lch stones in about the middle of
a moving 100 rods west of