Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-25
RUSHED To ATLANTA
FOR SAFETY, YOUTH
|. CONFESSES MURDERS
Albert Nix, Seventeen-Year-
Old Farmer Lad of MuSCO-
gee County, Lays Crime at
Door OF Uncle, Barlow Nix

In the candle-light of his cell at the
Fulton county tower last night, Albert
Nix, a seventeen-year-old farmer boy of
Muscogee county, between puffs of his
cigarette told the grewsome story of
how he and his uncle, Barlow Nix. muir
dered two men last Thursday night and
buried their bodies in a little patch of
pine woods a short distance from the
Nix home.
The murdered men were c. Les Alex
ander and Jesse Everidge. The latter
is brother of J. b. Everidse, of Co
lumbus. and both were well known IN
that city. Barlow Nix is a farmer
with a plantation on the Buena Vista
road. six and a half miles from Column
bus. Albert is his nephew and hired
man.
The bodies of Alexander and Ever
idge were discovered Friday morning
on the Nix place by J. L. Written, spe
cial bailif of the solicitor generals Of
flee of Muscogee county. Nix and his
nephew were arrested. When the news
spread that Albert had confessed the
crime, feeling ran so high in Muscogee
county that the two prisoners were
spirited away Albert Nix was brought
Nix was taken to Macon.
Lights Candle
According to dispatches from Macon,
Barlow Nix also confessed, although
when first arrested he is said to have
denied connection with the affair AL
bert Nix, to reporter for The Journal
freely told his own story.
The boy was sitting in the dark when
newspaper men were admitted to his
cell. He got up and lighted a candle
and very deliberately dripped some
grease on the crossbar and glued the
candle straight In the yellow spear of
flame he seemed a mere towsel-headed
youth. clad in a blue shirt and baggy
gray trousers and a pair of rough bro
ganS.
sit down." he said He took out
sack of tobacco and rolled a cigarette
and lit it from the candle flame. He
smoked while he talked, the gray
wreaths curling up in little spirals
through the candlelight.
81 didn't have anything to do with
this thing but what my uncle made
me-" he began. He paused for a long
puff But 1 reckon I'd better tell you
all about it from the beginning.
Uncle Barlow met this fellow Alex
ander in town early in the week. Alex
ander wanted some whisky and Uncle
Barlow told him he had four hundred
gallons out at his place. He didn't real
ly, but he said he would sell Alexander
four hundred gallons for four hundred
dollars. Wednesday night Alexander
came out for it, but he didn't bring
any money. Uncle Barlow told him he
didn't have the whisky.
Went in the Woods
They met in Columbus again Thurs
,str toll
Alexander to bring $500 Thursday night
and he'd give him the four hundred
gallons and four more gallons to boot.
Ii was pretty late Thursday night when
Alexander and a friend (Everidge),
came out in an automobile. They left
the automobile standing in the road and
all three of them-AleXander, his friend
and Uncle Bartow-came by the house
and got me and we started down in the
woods.
Uncle Barlow had a lantern and
hammer, and he had gun in his pocket.
We went down in the woods, Alexander
right in front of Uncle Barlow. We
went down in the piney woods and right
quick Uncle Barlow pulled out his gun
and shot Alexander in the back of the
head, right behind the ear. l didn't
know he was going to do it.
The other man turned around at the
shot, but before he had time to do 4
thing, Uncle Barlow shot at him. He
missed him. but then he hit him right
between the eyes with the hammer. He
drove the hammeT rightin and it stuck
there like his head was an egg shell The
man fell over. Uncle Barlow pointed
his gun at me and he said, Hit him
again: hit him again, or I'll kill you
l. was afraid he would. l had to take
the hammer and hit him again in the
head. He was already dead l think
Uncle Barlow took the $500 out of
Alexander's pocket and then we got a
pick and a shovel and we scooped out
a shallow grave in the woods and we
put the bodies in there one on top of
the other. The next morning early we
came back and put some pine straw on
them.
The Same Story
Uncle Barlow was nervous all the
morning. He kept walking around and
watching the road. l wanted 10 get
away. wanted to tell; but l was
afraid he would kill me. He wouldn't
let me out of his sight and he said if L
told he would kill me. When the sher-
If got there and they arrested us, l told
quick as I could. That's all, l reckon"
The same story Albert Nix told At
lanta newspaper men he told also 10
the foreman of the coroner's inquest in
Columbus, where a verdict was found
that Alexander was murdered by Bar
tow Nix and Everidge was murdered
by Barlow Nix and Albert Nix
The crime was discovered, dispatches
stated. when Joe Ellison, the chauffeur
who drove Alexander and Everidge to
the Nix home, told of waiting until ne
heard the two pistol shots. and when
Mrs. Alexander, anxious over her hus-
bands absence, told che authorities
that he had gone to the Nix place to buy
some whisky. Deputy Written put two
and two together. went out and search