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Murder For Money

Murder For Money image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
August
Year
1898
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Valmore C. Nichols, a Pittsfield farmer, well known in tbis city where he rao a milk route, was fonnd in the Detroit river last evening with his feet tied and his body weighted down with stones. He is beleived to have been murdered for his money. He left home a week ago last Wednesday for Detroit, buying a return ticket on the motor line. As he did not return, the Detroit pólice offioers were notifled and made eff'orts to find him. He is beleived to have had about f400 in cash in his pookets when he left hoine. Nichls was a spiritualist and firrnly beeived in olairvoyants. For ruonths be lad been oonsulting thern in regard to usinass matters, and information reeived by the polioe was to the effect hat when he left his farm last week he )ronght $400 to Detroit with hirn to onsalt a spiritualistio medium, who had assured him tbat a rich find of oil Jay underneath his farm, and was to indioate favorable spots for striking oil. He oonsulted a medium named Robert Lang a week ago last Satarday in Detroit about the advisability of selling his butter in Detroit. Lang, who is now attending a apiritualist camp meeting at Island Lake, said yesterday that Nichols had oalled npon him on the day of his disappearanoe but had not oonsulted him aboat business questions and he did not know of his whereAhn-nta. It is known that Niohols farm is mortgaged and that befoie he left lome he seonred $300 on a ohattel mortgage on his stook. Niohols' relativee and friends feared fonl play and made eveiy efïort to traoe him. Tbe ast they heard from bim was Wednesday afternoun when he telephoned rom Detroit that be would return home Tbursday morning. Niebols frequently oonsnlted tbe mediuin Donovan, who was driven out of Detroit by the newspaper esposares, and through bim he beeame aoquainted with Lang, who wrote Niohols his address telling him tbat he was only dong private work as he oonld not adverase. The body of Mr. Niohols was disoovered at six o'olook Jast evening abont 600 feet north of tbe Detroit Boat Club bouse on Balie Isle. The legs had been :ightly bound together with copper wire and two large stones had been curely fastened tn thern by the same iind of wire. The stones weighed 31 pounds. The $400 whioh he had when be left home was missing. In his pookets were fonnd two Belle Isle tiokets with the date Ang. 10, stamped on them. This was the day he disappeared. On the rigbt side of his bead was a large wonnd whioh Connty Pbysioiau George eaid looked as if it might have been prodnced by a blow. A poEt mortem esamination was ordered for this morning, and the inquest was set for 2 o'clook Monday afternoon Mr. Niohols was abont 45 years of age and leaves a wift), two daughters and a son .