The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-09-09
wealthy WIDOW dies Of FRIGHT
WHEN BURGLARS loot HER HOME
'ut and Bruised Body Of Dead Woman Found on Floor
With Fingers and Ears Stripped Of VaIuables-
Key toJewel Casket Taken From Neck.
HAD,JEWELG0LLECH0NI IVORTHSLOOO,O0O
fBy Associated Press0

tBy Associated Press)
NEWaYoRK. Sept. s.-Thes manner
IN which Mrs. Elizabeth Nichols, the
wealthy widow frightened to death
last night in her home by masked
men, who stripped her fingers and
ears Of gems valued at $4,000. came
20 her end, was described today, &C.
cording to the police, by ownie Tallas.
the hall boy in the'Nichols home.
Deputy Commissioner Lord an.
nounced that Tallas had made con.
fession relative to the murder. The
Nichols home is on East Seventy.
ninth street just of Fifth avenue in
the heart Of the millionaire resident
section.
The murderers took the diamond
rings from her fingers and tore valu.
able Jewels from her ears. It was re-
ported that they carried away a strong
box containing Jewels worth several
hundred thousand dollars. Regarding
this phase OF the crime the police are
feticent and no definite announcement
has been made as to the value of the
booty u was known, however, that
Mrs. Nichols collection OF Jewels was
worth nearly a million dollars, and the
key to the scasket that contained them
was missing from the place she had
always worniit, on a ribbon around her
neck. .fs8
The murdered woman was the. wild.
ow Of James e. Nichols, one OF the
founders Of the wholesale grocery
house OF Austin. Nichols and Com.
pany. She was so years old. When
her husband died a year ago he left
her property valued at nearly $4,000
BOO. n S: IT,: ;,:ss
Tho police OBJ tanned their first story
from a maid and Taiias: These SER
wants said that three masked men
bound and gag ged them then proceed:
led To- their mistress room. When the
maid and house boy freed themselves
from their bonds they found Mrs. Mich.
ols' body on the floor in her library.
A towel had been tied about her
necksand twisted tight. Hertfa was
cut and bruised and her clothing torn,
Indicating she had made a hard fight
for life. The police devoted most of.
tehir attention to Tallas, who said that
he had admitted the three men when
they rang the front basement door
bell. Tallas' confession is expected TO
be made public today.
NETWORK, Sept. 9.-owpeysTallas,
q Russian Finn, for two and one.half
months IA hall boy in the home Of Mrs.
Nichols, was arrested after he had
confessed, the police assert. to having
played a tpartfin the crime. He was
formally charged with murder.
All other servants in the house were
freed OF fSsuspicion, Deputy Police Com
missioner Lord announced.
Although the burglars stripped their.
Victims fingers and ears OF diamonds
and other Jewels worth $4,000, they
failed to rife the strong box OF her
safe. In which she kept gems valued
ut from $3.50, 900 to 100000.
Tallas In what the police claim was
his confession is alleged to have said
that for some time several men had
been endeavoring to get him to stand
In with them to rob Mrs. Nichols. but
that he had refused such addresses
until Tuesday night, when he consent.
led upon the understanding that Mrs.
Nichols was not to be harmed, He IS
Ifnrtherl alleged to have told the police
it was understood, that only the Jew
els his employer woreJ upon her per-
son wereyto be taken.