Evening star., 1938-01-09
FACING JA|L TERM,
"NUBBY NUCKOLS
COMMITS SUICIDE
Gaming Operator Ends Life
With Gun-Body Found
by His Wife.
HAD "BEATEN THE RAP"
SCORE OF TIMES BEFORE
Free on Bond in One Case, He
Was Arrested Thursday in An
other Gambling Raid.

Suicide was the "out" chosen
last night by Carroll Peyton (Nubby)
Nuckols to avoid the iron bars which
were closing on him at last after he
had beaten the rap" on more than
score Of charges during the last
16 years.
The gaming operators body, shot
through the head and sprawled across
his .32-caliber, pearl-handled re-
volver. was found about pm. by his
wife, Mrs. Mary v. Nuckols. when
she let herself into their apartment
at 1886 Connecticut avenue NV.
through a double-locked door.
The frantic wife dashed down four
flights Of a narrow, winding STAIR
way into the street, where she cried
Historically for help
Can I help you, lady?" inquired
. passer-by.
Not unless you're a doctor!" she
Sobbed
Neighbors, imbued by the woman's
excitement. made several telephone
calls for ambulances and police As a
result, the first comers had several
addresses to visit before they found
the right one.
Clad in Pajamas.
The 38-year-old gambler was clad in
pajamas and a lounging robe. He
lay in q hallway between two bed
rooms with his gun under his left
thigh, as if he had shot while stand
ing and crumpled down.
Nuckols had come up against q
rap" he could not beat. He was to
have appeared before Justice Jesse
c. Adkins in District Court tomorrow
to show why bond should not be re-
voked on a sentence of nine months
to three years for setting up gam
ing table.
The gambler had succeeded in
staying execution Of the sentence, but
while out on bond he was arrested
Thursday in another raid and
charged again with setting up a gam
ing table. At least two other similar
charges were pending.
Knew Jail Was Near.
Investigators were convinced Nuckols
knew he would have to serve time at
last. Relatives said he had been
drinking for several days and was in
a depressed mood. due largely to his
legal difficulties and partly to his
dwindling finances.
In pocket of the gamblers loung-
ing robe was note which addressed
his wife as darling and said in
substance that he was sorry for all the
publicity he had caused her" and
sorry for what he hac to do, but it
is the best way out
The note ended with thank you
for your kindness"
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
ordered the body removed to the
morgue for examination after he and
score of headquarters detectives
went over the apartment. He issued
certificate OF suicide shortly after
10 pm.
Powder Burns.
The investigation was more ex-
Nuckols' prominence In the gambling
world. and an early suspicion he
might have been murdered. There
were slight powder specks on his
right hand and powder in the blast
wound through his temple.
The wound was q contact" one,
the coroner said, having been made
with a gun held directly against the
right temple. The bullet passed
through the brain and was extracted
from the scalp on the opposite side
OF the temple
Nuckols had pulled the trigger twice
before the revolver exploded. The
hammer. had indented one cartridge
that did not fire. There was one ex-
ploded shell in the cylinder.
The apartment of the gambler has
front door barricaded with an iron
grillwork. 1t was explained, however,
(See NUCKOLS, Page A-l2)