Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-09
Ha|lboy in Dead Widows
Home Is Arrested as Rob-
bers' Accomplish.
MRS. NICHOLS DEATH DUE
TO FRIGHT, POLICE SAY
Strong Box With Gems Worth $3.50,
600 to $500, 900 Is I'm
molested.

two and onarhalf months a hall
boy in the home of Mrs. Elizabeth
Nichols, the widow, sixty years
old, who met death last night at
the hands of masked men who
robbed her OF gems valued at
$4,000, was arrested today after
he had confessed. the police as
sert, to having played part in
the crime. He was charged for
mally with murder. All other
servants in the house were freed
OF suspicion, Deputy Police Com
missioner Lord announced.
Preliminary examination Of Mrs.
Nichols body revealed the probabil
that she had died of fright and not of
Lord said. An autopsy to be performed
late today will disclose the exact
cause of death.
Although the burglars stripped their
and other jewels worth 10000. they
failed to rifle the strong box of her
safe. in which she kept gems valued at
from $4,000 to 100000.
Inside Assistance.
e Detectives working on the case as
serted soon after reaching the house
that they believed the robbers prob
ably had assistance from some one on
the premises. Accordingly they sought
the friends of the hall boy. found five
of them in Harlem and took them to a
station house for interrogation.
The maid. the cook and the butler. in
addition to Talas. also were closely
questioned. The cook and The butler
were both out of the house at the time.
1t was said. The maid and Tallas told
the same story: That masked
men had forced their way into the
gagged them and then attacked the
aged widow The chief difference in
their stories was that the maid said
that there We're two masked men and
the hall boy. said there were three.
Mrs. Nichols, in the opinion of the
police, resisted the masked burglars
with all the strength her sixty years
permitted. Mr.. Lord said today that a
preliminary examination of the body
showed that she had died of fright and
tightly around her neck when the body
was found she had not been stran-
gled.
Strip Rings From Fingers.
With Mrs. Nichols lying dead on the
floor of her room, the hall boy appar-
emily unconscious from a blow on the
head from the butt of a revolver and
the maid bound and gagged in the SER
wants. quarters, the masked robbers
looted the premises. Apparently their
first act was to strip the diamonds
from their victims fingers The ear
rings also were taken. The value of
these gems was placed today at about
$4,000 by Mrs Nichols nephew. Matt
land F. Griggs.
Two Closely Questioned.
Talas and the maid were kept up vir-
tually all night by detectives, who made
them repeat their stories again and
again. Commissioner Lord said today
there were many minor discrepancies in
their accounts. Significance was placed
by the police in statement attributed
to the cook, Leona Tiovonen, that on
leaving the house she met former
employe of Mrs Nichols who had fire.
ouently called at the house, after Ieav-
ing her employ, and borrowed money
from other servants. Two other men,
the cook said. were lettering nearby.
Mr.. Lord said that after the cook and
the butler, Ernest Vital. had left the
house. Talas, the hall boy, had been
seen to leave the premises several
times to converse with men in front
of the house.
Mrs. Nichols was the widow of James
Edwin Nichols. founder OF the whole
sale grocery firm of Austin, Nichols &
co. She was reputed to be worth about
s2,o00,0o0, and il was known that much
q in
Kept in the house. She was sixty wears
old and quite stout. Because of her
physical condition. Mr.. Lord said it
was reasonable to assume that she ha d
died of fright, theory which, he added.
was confirmed by preliminary exam.
ination of the body
Description Sent Broadcast.
In an effort to recover the stole, isw-
elry and perhaps thereby obtain a clue
to the burglars, a detective was stan
toned In every pawn shop in New York
city with instructions to remain on
watch all day. A general alarm and a
description of, the valuabIes were tele-
phoned from police Headquarters to
every city as far north as Buffalo and
as far south as Philadelphia
Quote Alleged Confession.
Talas. in what the police claim was
his confession. is alleged to have said
mat for some time several men had been
ehdeaVoring TO get him TO stand in with
them to rob Mrs. Nichols, but that he
had refused such advances until Tuesdav
night. when he consented. upon the under
standing that Mrs. Nichols was not tn he
EARNED. He is further alleged to have
told the police 1t was understood tina, only
the jewels his employer wore on her per-
son were to be taken.
Tn. nolice version of the con fess;or
quotes Talas as saying the men ar.
rived at the Nichols home at o'c,ocl
last night by appointment and in re-
Spouse to a double ring at the base
ment door he admitted them. He told
OF being backed into a corner by the
men and of the finding by them ~ W.
maid in the buffers room. The maid
he is alleged to have said. was threat
encd and tied up. One man was Ief.
TO stand guard over her while the 9TH
ers hurried up stairs to the apartment
of Mrs Nichols.
Talas is said to have asserted he w.s
entirely ignorant of what happened In
the apartment, as he heard nothing
lie did say. however. that the men were
upstairs ten or fifteen minutes. leaving
by the basement door and passing him
by without comment Other details of
the alleged confessions Inspector Fan
rot. chief of the detective bureau. said
he was not at liberty to s.lose al This
time.
DIDN'T Get Strong Box Key.
He declared the men had ample time
in which to have opened the strong
box. containing small fortune in
jewels and securities, but that. con-