South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-04-26
Story Told by S. w. Evans In
dictates Murder at River
Park Was Committed
After 6 O'clock.
TWO ESCAPED CONVlCTS
ARE SOUGHT BY POLICE
Charles Hull and William
SChray Fled Michigan
City April $500
Reward Offered.


clues in the murders of Mr.. and Mrs.
George w. Nickel, who died from
the result of blows inflicted with an
.,dz and a single tree in the barn in
the rear Of their home, 174O Misha-
waka av.. River Park. early Wed
nesday morning.
Mrs. Nickel died shortly after the
body was discovered. Her husband
died at o'clock Wednesday after
noon, at Epworth hospital.
Report has come TO the detectives
working on the case that a neighbOr.
$ W. Evans. living at 1920 s. Sixth
ST.. saw Mr.. Nickel at 8 o'clock on
the morning OF the murder. only an
hour and a half before a number Of
workmen in charge of Cornelius
Taylor. having stopped at the barn
for shelter from the rain. heard a
moaning. and on investigation found
the bodies of the old people. Evans
says that ne has often seen his
neighbOrs. especially on fine morn
ings. working about their home and
barn shortly after daylight. lie did
not see anyone prowling about the
house either before or later.
Reward of $500 il offered.
Stories of fabulous rewards that
are 90 be awarded either at present
or i'm the future 10 persons giving in
formation leading 20 the capture of
the criminals. have been branded as
false by the authorities. Reward of
S2O0 is offered but there have been
no further offers by relatives or
friends OF the murdered couple
Deputy Sheriffs Ray Barley.
Mike HaBley and Frank Niedsgodski
spent the afternoon and evening
investigating and found a small
straw suitcase or grip. In it was
an old sock tied up at one end.
and the other torn open. a receipt.
from "a y. NJ. q. \. i'm Chicago was
also found. This latter proved OF
more than ordinary interest and
VIII be investigated
Police Doubt Money Stories.
Stories of large sums of money
supposed to have been in the house
less than n week before the murder
we're discredited 10y the police. Mrs.
Marian Hankin of Portage Prairie,
sister of Mrs Nickel. said that on
last Saturday Mrs. Nickel gave her a
check for $4,000 with Instructions
that she deposit II with the bank at
her earliest opportunity. This is,
no doubt. the sum which she re-
ferred 10 when she told another sis
ter. Mrs. Louisa Ray. of south Bend,
who visited her on sunday. that
there was enough money in the
house at that time TO build another
home.
The MeixeIs were in the habit of
banking their money regularly i'm
two South Bend banks and ono
NIishawaka institution No deposit
had been made for some time and
IL is Just possible that there was
enough money about the persons Of
the couple and secreted about the
house to warrant mention OF the
fact that il was time 10 make de-
,nosit. perhaps in the hearing of the
mu-derers
Suspect Escaped COnvicts
Suspicions OF the police are cen
tering about two escaped convicts
from the insane division of the
Michigan City prison. Charles Hull
md William Schray. Two compa1-
sons of theirs who escaped at the
same time a week ago last sunday
were unprecedented later in Elkhart
and IL is probable that the two who
are stn az large are bound in the
same general direction.
A beaten-down spot i'm the hay m
the barn loft al the scene of the
murder points TO the fact that Tor
some time one or more persons
have been sleeping there. Circum-
stances OF the crime seems 10 point
10 the fact that IL was committed
Us a man or men % similar insane
OF criminal tendencies.
II ha0 evidently not been premed-
itated believe the police. judginE
from the instruments used in the
assault None but an insane man
would have attacked an ola man
and woman, say authorities. and no
one mentally balanced could have
struck such blows as came smash
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