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Show WEALTHY WIDOW IS STRANGLED IN I NEW YORK HOME Mrs. Elizabeth Nichols Keeps Jewels of Great Value Val-ue in House and Becomes a Victim of Robbers. FRENCH MAID FIRST TO GIVE THE ALARM Stupid Policeman Fails to Notify Headquarters and Murderers Succeed in Making Escape. By International News Service. XEW YORK, Sept. Mrs. Elizabeth Eliza-beth Ni.-.hols, widow of James E. Xk'h-ols, Xk'h-ols, one of the founders of the wholesale whole-sale grocery house of August Xichols Sc Co., was strangled to death tonight in her home at 1 East Seventy-ninth street by two armed robbers. Mrs. Nichols bad $500,0 W worth of jewels in a strong box in her bedroom. She carried the key to this strong box on a ribbon about her neck. Inspector Faurot said the thieves got the key, but he refused to say if they got the jewels. The large five-story dwelling is next door to the corner of Fifth avenue. On the corner is the home of Isaac D. Fletcher, which is closed and through which one of the murderers is believed to have reached the Nichols home. At 6 East Seventy-ninth street, adjoining the yichols home on the east, is the home tff William F. Stafford, ink manufacturer. manufactur-er. Across the street are the homes of Isaac V. Brokaw, Charles M. Kahn and other wealthy families. Strangled in Library. Mrs. Nichols was in a library on the second floor of her home at 9 o'clock wheu tbe front doorbell rang. The butler but-ler was out for the evening. M rs. Nichols's persouu! maid, a young French woman, went to the door. A mac was there with a package, saying he had to have Mrs. Nichols's personal receipt for it. Not suspeotiug that this man was a robber, the maid showed him upstairs and into the library. There tbe maid, according to her story to the police, found Mrs. Nichols in the grasp of another an-other man. The aged woman had been attacked as she sat at a table reading and the robber held bis large hands about her throat as he pulled her backward, back-ward, be was powerless to move or utter a cry. Tt is believed that the man who was strangling Mrs. Nichols entered the house through an open bay window that juts out on a narrow courtyard in the rear of the Fletcher home. Maid Gives Alarm. .lust what became of the inaid at this juncture was not explained by the police po-lice in their first reports. One report said that she. too, had been overcome while the robbers sea rched the upper rooms of the house. Tt is quite certain that she gave the first alarm, but not until the men had escaped. Their method of escape was not clear at first. ,A rope was found dangling from the open bay window into the Fletcher yard. They may have slid down that and then climbed a fence. The first alarm of the tragedy was given by the maid, wheu s)he ran screaming scream-ing down through the house and into the basement. The second butler, who was downstairs, and who had not heard any noise made by the robbers, hurried to the street, and after a search of several sev-eral blocks found a policeman. He said Mrs'. Nichols had been seriously hurt by robbers. Sent for Ambulance. Instead of reporting to police headquarters head-quarters at once this policeman sent to Flower hospital for mi ambulance and much time was lost. Dr. Delehuut went to the house in an ambulance from Flower hospital and found Mrs. NieV ols was dead. He made no report until he returned to the hospital, and then reported to the coroner that Mrs. Nichols Nich-ols probably had died of fright when confronted by robbers in her homo. Tbe coroner's office notified police headquarters and quick notion followed. Inspectors Fnurot and ('ray and dozens of detectives hurried to the large dwelling. A fiolico photographer was sent to the place and while detectives were questioning everyone this photographer photog-rapher took many flashlight pictures inside in-side aud outside the house for police purposes. Finger-print experts also (Continued on Pa;e Tbee.) WEALTHY WIDOW IS I STRANGLED 10 DEATH1 I (Continued from Page One.) j took impressions and reproductions of .ill finger prints found in the house. Inspector Faurot. in charge of detectives, de-tectives, placed policemen about the house and no one but. detectives waa permitted to approach. The servants were placed in separate rooms and the long process of questioning them separate" sep-arate" and collectively was begun. Other detectives were sent out to find the butler, who was taking a night off, to see if he could throw any light upon the crime. Servants Questioned. j As soon as Inspector Cray, in charge ! of the homicide bureau, reached the house, he marie a minute examination of Mrs. Nichols and discovered the deep impressions of fingers on her throat-He throat-He then said she had been strangled bv a man 's powerful hands and had not died of fright, as Dr. Delahunt. had said. Questioning of the servants developed devel-oped the fact that Mrs. Nichols had ! been Twisted out of her chair in the ! struggle she had with the murderer, and when unconscious she had dropped to the floor. Bv the time Dr. Delahunt Dela-hunt reached the house servants had placed her bodv on a couch and her head and neck were in such a position I that he did not see the marks of the j strangler upon her throat. Robbers Took Their Time. j - How much time the robbers had in ! which to search the rooms was not i known bv the police for a long time. 1 it was believed, however, that after Mrs. Nichols had be.en silenced and had' i dropped lifeless to the floor and the i maid had been subdued bv threats and ! force thev went from room to room. particularlv the bedrooms. Not until ; thev bad finished their search did they : release the mad. and bv that time : thev were on their way to escape. ! Mrs. Nichols was the chief bene-ficiarv bene-ficiarv under the will of her husband. ! James E. Nichols, who died at Mar-ienbad. Mar-ienbad. Austria, on Julv 22, 1014, at I the age of 153 vears. She received the income of a trust fund of $1,000,000 and half the large residuary estate outright out-right The estate was estimated to be I worth more than $2,000,000. |