The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-09-10
BOY CONFESSES
TO MURDER OF
AN AGED WOMAN
Jewelry Valued at $4,000
Stolen, But Has Not
Been Recovered.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

b
a Russian Finn, hall boy in the
home of Mrs. Elizabeth Nichols, the
aged wealthy widow who met death /
last night at the hands of masked /
men who robbed her of goods valued |
at $4,000 was arrested today after
he had confessed, the police assert,
to having played part in the crime.
He was formally charged with muir
der.
All other servants were freed OF
suspicion, Deputy Police Commits
sioner Lord announced.
Preliminary examination of Mrs.
Nichols body revealed the probable
ity that she had died of fright and
not of strangulation as at first sup
posed, Mr.. Yord said. An autopsy
to be performed late today viii dis
close the exact cause of death.
Although the burglars stripped
their victims fingers and ears and
diamonds and other jewels worth
$40 900 they failed to rife the strong
box of her safe in which she kept
gems valued at from $3.50, 900 to $780,
1000.
Talas and the maid were kept up
virtually all night by detectives who
made them repeat their stories again
and again. Commissioner Lord said
today there were many minor dis
crepancies in their accounts. Signif-
icance was placed by the police in a
statement attributed to the cook,
Leona Tiovonen, that on leaving the
house she met former employee of
Mrs. Nichols who had frequently
called at the house, after leaving 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 had been seen to
fleave 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
Iwholesale grocery Arm of Austin,
& Nichols & Co. She wss reputed to be
worth about 100000 and it was
known that much Of this was invested
in gems which she kept in the house,
She was so years old and quite
stout.
In an effort to recover the stolen
jewelry, and perhaps thereby obtain
clue to the burglars, detective
was stationed in every pawnshop in
New York city. A general alarm
and a description of the valuables
We're telephoned from headquarters
to every city as far north as Buffalo
and as far south as Philadelphia.
Talas, in what the police claim was
his confession, is alleged to have
said that for some time several mer
mad been endeavoring to get him 'tc
stand in with them," to rob Mrs
Nichols, but that he had refused sucI
advances until Tuesday night wher
he consented, upon the UNDERSTANDING
that Mrs. Nichols was not to be harm
ed. 1t was understood that only tn,
jewels his employer wore on her per
son were to be taken.
The police version of the confessio,
quotes Talas as saying that the me1
arrived at the Nichols home at
o'clock last night BY appointment an,
IN response to a double ring at fl,
basement door, he admitted them. n,
told Of being backed into a corner b,
the men and the finding by them i
the maid in the buffers room. Tb
maid, he is alleged to have said. wa
tied up. One man was left to stan,
guard over her while the others hur
RED to the apartment of Mrs. Nichols
Talas is said to have asserted he wa
entirely ignorant of what happene,
In the apartment as he heard NOTHING
He did say, however, that the me-
were upstairs ten or fifteen minute,
leaving by the basement door an
passing him by without comment.
Inspector Faurot, chief of the de
tective bureau said the men ha,
ample time to enter the strong box
but that contrary to reports, the kew
of the box and various jewel case
were not taken. He said they wer
all at the end Of a ribbon about he
neck.