The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-09-09
Large Fortune in Gems Kept
in House by Mrs. Elizabeth
Nichols Found Intact in
Safe This Morning.
HALLB0Y ALLEGED TO
HAVE CONFESSED CRIME
Asserted He Admitted Mur-
derous Thugs With Under
standing His Employer Was
Not 10 Be Injured.


New York. Sept. s.--Owney Talas
a russian Finn. Tor two ana one-half
months o hallboy IN the nome of Mrs
Elizabeth Nichols the aged widow
who met death last night at the hands
Z oi masked men who robbed her of
gems valued "a $4,000. wus arrested
today after he had confessed. the po-
lice assert. "a having played part
In the crime He was formally
charged with murder
Deputy Commissioners Lord an
nounced that Talas had made a con-
fession relative 10 the murder, details
OF which would be made public later
In the day
Detectives working on the case as
serted soon after reaching the house
that they believed the robbers prob
ably had assistance from someone ON
the premises Accordingly they
sought the friends OF the hallboy.
found five oe them In Harlem ana
sook them To a station house Tor In
terrogation.
The maid aud Taius told virtually
the sarne story. That masked men had
! forced their way into the house. over
powered them. tied and gased them
and then attacked the aged widow
! Mrs Nichols. In the opinion Of the
police. resisted the masked burglars
with an the strength her sixty years
permitted. Mr.. Lord said today that
preliminary examination Of the body
showed that she had died of fright
and that. Notwithstanding the cloth
drawn tightly around her neck when
/ the body was found. she had not been
strangled.
with Mrs. Nicholas lying dead 0n
/ the floor OF her room, the haliboy
apparently unconscious from a blow
ON the head from the butt OF a revoly-
er aud the maid bound and gagged In
, the servants quarters the masked
( robbers looted the premises. Appar-
emily their first act was To strip the
diamonds from their victims fingers.
The earrings also were taken. The
value OF these gems was placed to-
! day at about $4,000 By Mrs. Nichols
nephew. Maitland +. driggs.
The key tC the Nichols s-ronsbox
which she carried on string around
her neck was reported missing. The
strong box In a safe IN the house con-
tained, y was estimated, gems worth
from S250.0o9 20 100000.
Al first Il was feared the burglars.
knowing that she haa these jewels in
the safe. he'd rifled Il. but examinn-
tion OF the safe today showed that the
strung box with is contents WAS In
tact.
SIR Lord said that after the cook
and the butler. Ernest VITAL had ieft
the house Tnlas had been seen TO
leave the premises several times 10
converse with men In front Of the
house.
Mrs Nichols was the widow OF
James Edwin Nichols. founder OF the
wholesale grocery firm of Austin.
I Nichais and Company She was re-
I puted 90 be- worth about s2.ea0. .000.
and Il was known that much of this
was Invested in gems which she kept
in lhe house. she was 60 years ola
and quite stout.
Talas. IN what the police claim was
MS confession, Is alleged to have said
that for some time several men had
been eHdeuyoring 10 get him 10 "stand
in with them to rob Mrs. Nichols
but that he had refused such ad-
noes until Tuesday night when be
consented. upon the understanding