Arizona republican., 1917-12-27

boy, who arrived in Phoenix on Friday with his aunt, who had been visiting in Peoria, stated that he had slept on the back porch with the children and had entered his aunt's room on Christ mas morning. He believed that his relatives were asleep and did not care to disturb them as his aunt had com plained of a headache the night before and had not joined them at dinner. He had slight headeache, he said, which disappeared when he went out in the fresh air. When he returned from church he had decided to read until his relatives breallfasted but had only just prepared to read when Mr. and Mrs Selim J. Nicholson arrived.
 Mrs. Nicholson prostrated from the shock and the tragic death of her friend, was too ill to be present, but MT. Nicholson testified to what would have been parallel testimony He was interrupted by an occasional question from juror who wished to learn the domestic relations of MT. and Mrs. Nickels. MT. Nicholson said that the Nlekels had been happy together and spoke of their summer together on the coast. Mrs. Nickels eastern trip this fall had been to visit relatives and she had only just returned that she might have holiday at home.
 MT. Nicholson stated that Mr. Nick els had phoned him on Christmas eve asking him to secure their tree. He and Mrs. Nicholson had reached the Nlckels residence about o'clock with the tree and parcels and had been un- able toe rouse the family. The lights were burning and they had wandered about the house in the effort to make their presence known. The doors and windows were all closed and locked. They had then gone to the home of a nelghor, Martin J. Mayer, and tele- phoned from there but receiving no response concluded that it would be better to let them sleep if they were not well, than to disturb them. When they arrived the following morning. Mrs. Nicholson had gone directly to the bedroom and had been overcome. MT. Nicholson declared that the first thing he did was to turn off the gas and that in his mind gas poisoning was the cause of death.
 pr. Beauchamp was called by MT Nicholson and he testified that the first thing he did was to look for the rsace where the gas fumes were com ing from. He found Mrs. Nickels ly- ing on her side and on her pillow was small blood stain. She had been dead several hours when he arrived and MT. Nickels was breathing rapidly He carried him to the back porch and remained with him some time.
 Dr. Beauchamp, who performed the post mortem with Dr. Wylie, also tes- tified that until the finding were complete he had little to say. Dr Watkins of the pathological laboratory stated that t11n ir,a laI Il, started and that it would be several days before the report would be avail able.
 Dr. Sweek reiterated his statement of the day before that a possible eX- planatiOn for MT. Nickels being alive was his tolerance of the gas. He said that he had lived in the house for a week and had greater resistance fol the gas. The physician spoke of the mysterious headaches of MT. Nickels and of the fact that when he had beer removed from his home to the Adams hotel-the headaches disappeared. Coroner Wheeler asked frequent questions and the witnesses were sub- jected to d further questioning by F c. Struckmeyer, who represented the family. and George Purdy Bullard counsel for the Pacific Gas and Elec. tric company. The jurors too asked pertinent questions and seemed inter ested in the unusually pathetic case. The two small children of the Nickel! are being cared for at the home of MT and Mrs, Emil Gang. Too young tt throw any light on the case although
 ordered to appear at court they wert
 permitted to go before the hearing wal
 under way.