The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-09
Mrs. J. E. Nichols Killed In
Her Home Near Fifth
Avenue in New York
SERVANTS BOUND
BY THE INTRUDERS
Jewels to Value of $4,000 Taken from
Woman s Hands and Ears-Hall Boy
Under Arrest Is Said to Have Con
fessed a Part in Crime

NEW YORK, Sept 9.-1Irs James +.
Nichols widow of Il member of the whole
sale grocery firm of Austin, Nichols 4
Co., was murdered in her home at 4 East
10Th street, near Fifth avenue, late last
night by three masked men who carried
revolvers After the men had entered the
house at the point of their guns and had
bound and gagged two of Mrs. Nichols 5
servants they went into Mrs. Nichols 5
room.
When she was found by the maid who
managed in an hours time to free herself
from her bonds, Mrs Nichols was dead
on the bed in her own room and had been
strangeld by means of a tabecloth and a
dolly
Mrs Nichols was 90 years old and in
herited more than 1000 600 from the
estate of her husband who died in Aus
tria a year ago.
Inspector Faurot and Inspector Gray,
| who hurried to the Nichols home imme-
diately after the murder was reported to
them, were unable to find that anything
| had been stolen. Their first search was,
| however, haphazard.
| Later it was found that gems to the
value Of $4,000 had been stripped from
| the woman's fingers and ears. The state
ment was also made to the effect that
| Mrs Nichols's death may have beer
caused l5y fright instead of strangulation
| The story they obtained from a hallboy
| in the house, Owney Talas, and the maid
who was unable to talk inteIligently, st
distraught was she from her experience
| At about 10 o'clock there was ring al
| the basement doorbell. Pallis told the po
lice At that time Mrs. Nichols was IL
her own room on one Of the upper tloor
and he and the maid were in the base
ment.
Talas answered the bell He was con
fronted by one man, who stuck a gun Il
the hallboy's face, and stepped into th
lhouse He held the boy at the point o
the revolver.
In a moment the maid, who had hear
Talas answer the bell, thought that some
thing was wrong, as she didn't hear an
conversation. She stepped into the bast
ment hall to see what was the matter
The man with the revolver covered he
with the gun also.
Then, keeping them covered, he opene
= the door and two masked men, each carry
G ing a revolver stepped in. The three me
t bound and gagged the servants and wei
+ into the upper stories of the house.
: That is all the servants knew of IL
:. entry of the supposed burglars. They d
/ not hear the men leave.
Today Deputy Commissioner Lord a
; nounced that Talas had made a confessio
relative to the murder, details OF whi'
would be made public
1t is said that Talas admitted havil
played a part in the crime. He was a
rested under formal charge Of murde
Talas is a Russian Finn, who had be-
Il employed i'll the home Of Mrs. Nichols
hallboy 213 months.
Talas in what the police claim was
confession, is alleged to have said that f
~, some time several men have been endea
N oring to get him to stand in with them
I rob Mrs Nichols, but he had always
re fused until Tuesday night, when he &C
sented to take part in the scheme up
f. the understanding that Mrs. Nichols "
he not to be harmed