New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-09
Mrs. Elizabeth Nichols
Fought Hard for Life
AGAINST Masked Men.
srpVANTS' STORIES
PUZZLE POLICE
0,,cs Torn from Victims Fingers
Husband Founder of Firm
of Austin. Nichols & Co.

iEst SeitI1f ".--
VI light by burglars
,..r5ins to the story told by Onnie
-, yrs. Niohols's second man, and a
"a Who were alone with her in the
-, the murderers were three
-.,.,d men. who forced their way in
!, \, point Of revolyers, tied and
- them. stripped Mrs. Nichols's
-, fron her fingers. left her dead on
~ hrshold o. the sitting room on the
al floor and escaped; >,
=. servants assert Mrs. Nlchols was
-. SIled until 9:25, few moments
h, they say the burglars arrived. Or.
a.ssprt Of Flower Hospital, says the
80 was dead ninety minutes when
. irrived al $3.50. "
y,,lv this morning Tails was taken
q. g,riem 10 find three Of his friends
= we're seen outside the Nicnols
l,r.. Al $50 o'clock last night by the
osk when she went out
Il maid no attention 70 the men be-
,.se they were friends Of Onnie's," -"
,hs told the police.
Tsis at once gave their names and
.,,,ionej a poolroom in 125th Street
Tssy. they would be likely TO be
iesnd .
4, told BY Tails and the maid, Mrs.
yAols was reading in her sitting
roo. and they were talking in the but
hrs pantry when the door bell rang,
ud the second man, in the absence OF
he butler, whose night out It was,
cged the front door, where stood q
n,p with q package in his hand. Tails
vv. that as he stepped forward to
ale the package the muzzle Of a revol-
yer was pressed against his chest.
Al the point Of the gun the intruder
tsrced Tails TO step back into the hall,
shu, the door softly, tied Tals's hands
behind his back and backed him into
the corner near the umbrella stand.
Maid Bound and Gagged.
The servant girl. wondering what had
happened 10 detain Tails ct the door,
w.ked out Of the buffers pantry 70
ir,estigste She saw the first man
opening the doors again 10 admit two
companions. who wore masks and car
NED revolvers. Immediately she was
tied, gagged and roped TO chair IN
the pantry
She managed. she said, 10 wiggle
loose in what seemed 20 her about three
rinu'ss, and released Tails. Together
they made their way up two flights Of
ttsirs
Mrs Nichols then lay across the
threshold Of the sitting room. The mad
ran 70 the telephone and called up
Lieutenant Birmingham, OF the East
SIiy-seyenth Street police station.
b. sent IN & call for an ambulance,
which broJght Drs Delahunt and Kent,
Of Flower hospital, 20 the Nicholas
house a. 9:35-within ten minutes
tsie' the MURDER was committed, ac-
soIclng % the servants story.
When DR.. leishunt reached the third
hto, he saw the maid bending over Mrs.
NenCis, looyening q bunch of keys at
hehed 10 her mistress's corsets. The
mao jumved tack, surprised, as he ap-
Eoe,hed The body lie found that Mrs.
AthOls hed been dead at least an hour
ard a half in fact the body was cold
aid had begun 20 stlffen.
Victim Fought for Life.
Everything about the body indicated
sarly 10 the physicians that Mrs.
ehols, who was sixty years old, had
ruggled hard against her assailants
hsr clothes were forced up above her
: ees, sheet had been tied around
sr throat, and 20 make the s-rangula-
h,h complete, bureau cover had been
visited about her neck.
Hfr side ar~~ l- ra..~. kVaLaV n hi q
td her glasses were smashed, one
zee Of lens being found near the
sG and another fifteen feet away
Ssn the hall.
heF hair was disarranged, and there
wt no rings on her fingers. The maid
Nnitted that her mistress always wore
nsAble rings and that the keys she
enled with her opened boxes that con-
"aed her Jewelry.
~ tins time Inspector Faurot and
.Ntain Jones had arrived with detec-
q who met the cook as she came in
'hen she told her story duplicating
wee fritnds Of Tails Captain Jones
~n the second man in an automobile
y lzSth Street. At 2 a. m. they had
it returned.
After taking fashlight pictures OF
~ oody, showing the exact arrange
asa' Of everything in the house when
sae murder was committed, Inspector
degree.
Police Grill Servants.
ne fact that the second man and &c
ssac, the only persons in She house with
an Nichols. tell conflicting stories ir-
feseed the police 20 grill them for
'as'ner details.
VI the corner Of Fifth Avenue and
SeVenty-ninth Street, adjoining
~ Niehols residence, is the house OF
~ ~ snd Mrs. Isaac y. Fletcher. Mr.,
~ mrs William Frederick Stafford
NJ st No. 6, on the other side. and
~ ana Mss. Henry Schniewind, jr., AT
Ma Isaac V. Brokaw lives at No. l.
uae corner OF the opposite side OF
~ ,fest and Miss Alice Kelaltas at
w.. The residence of Harry Payne
S.nsy Is on Fifth Avenue. between
s,r'Iy-e1ghth and Seventy-niuth
a. ~ and James B. Dukes home is
az ne corner Of Seyenty-eighth Street
'hc nfth Avenue.
81 nichols was married in 1878
w s Miss Lizzie Griggs, daughter
sePh Grggs, Of Springfield, Mass
y.ass Eowin Nichols died in July last
IL shlle taking the baths at Marien
Scs nasIFia. He retired from active
~. vnss is u 1903. For many years h,
Bse' 'osetihed with the Irving Nationsi
"ls.president. ~'''' ""'
nssS n nome. where Mrs. Nichols wa,
hes,s.o last night, is filed with
sis.,ax trophies and memoirs Of hi
.ous outdoor sports.
N,et.aa her husbands estate Mrs
Al ooS Soo inherited the income from
x.s,,ssv and the house in East Seven