Iowa
Old Press
The Sioux City Journal
Sioux City, Woodbury co. Iowa
November 22, 1920
WOMEN QUARREL; ONE IS KILLED — MRS.
ELLA NICOLLS IS SHOT THROUGH THE HEART —
MRS. OXBERGER FIRES BULLET
Dead Woman Had Called at Home of Other in Grand Avenue
in Search of Husband — Argument that Follows Ends in
Tragedy.
Mrs. Ella Nicolls, 46 years old, 116 Grand avenue, was shot
through the heart and instantly killed by Mrs. Martha Oxberger,
920 Grand avenue, last night about 7:30 o’clock in Mrs.
Oxberger’s home, when Mrs. Nicolls and her daughter, Lettie
Richardson, came to the Oxberger home in search of the mother’s
husband, Henry Nicolls.
Mrs. Oxberger was arrested and is being held for investigation
without bonds. The dead woman’s husband was also brought to
the police station, but was released. Besides Mrs. Oxberger,
William Dingman, 203 South Iowa street, who was in the house when
the shooting took place, was arrested and is being held as a
material witness.
BODY REMOVED BY CORONER.
When the police arrived the body of Mrs. Nicolls was lying on the
floor in the dining room of the Oxberger home. Dr. J. P. Sheahy,
police surgeon, said death had been instantaneous. The body was
removed to Dickinson’s undertaking parlors by County Coroner
Dickinson.
According to the police, Mrs. Nicolls and her daughter went to
the Oxberger home about 7:30 o’clock in search of Nicolls.
At the time of the shooting Mrs. Nicolls, her daughter, her
husband, Mrs. Oxberger, Mrs. Oxberger’s sister, Mrs.
Oxberger’s daughter, and Dingman were in the house. A
quarrel soon started between Mrs. Nicolls and Mrs. Oxberger,
during which Miss Richardson struck Mrs. Oxberger in the face
with her hand, said Mrs. Oxberger.
The Richardson girl then started looking through the house for
her stepfather, whom she said she found hidden in a bedroom.
MRS. OXBERGER THREATENED, SAYS.
During the quarrel, which was still being waged between Mrs.
Oxberger and Mrs. Nicolls, Mrs. Oxberger says Mrs. Nicolls said
to her, “I’ll kill you.”
Mrs. Oxberger fired one shot at Mrs. Nicolls, with a revolver,
which she said she took from a drawer in the dining room, after
the Richardson girl had struck her. There was only one shot fired
and it was Coroner Dickinson’s opinion that it had pierced
the dead woman’s heart.
Mrs. Nicolls fell over dead into her daughter’s arms, who
turned around before the shot was fired to tell her mother that
Nicolls was in the bedroom. However, Miss Richardson said she did
not see Mrs. Oxberger fire the shot. Mrs. Oxberger, nevertheless,
told police it was she who fired the shot that killed her
neighbor.
POLICE GET REVOLVER.
After shooting Mrs. Nicolls, Mrs. Oxberger said she ran over to
the home of Henry Nicoll’s father, W. H. Nicolls, who lived
at 914 Grand avenue, and told him she had killed his
daughter-in-law. Mrs. Oxberger gave him the revolver and he came
to the Oxberger house, where the police took the gun from him.
Mrs. Oxberger was sitting in a chair beside the woman she had
killed, crying.
According to the police, Mrs. Oxberger is a former wife of
Nicolls. Mrs. Oxberger and Nicolls were divorced about eight
years ago. Later she married Oxberger, who left her a few months
ago. Mrs. Oxberger is 31 years old.
Both Mrs. Nicolls and Mrs. Oxberger have been married three
times, police said. Mrs. Nicolls is survived by five children,
three daughters and two young men sons, the offspring of former
marriages. Miss Richardson, 27 years old, is the oldest of Mrs.
Nicolls’s children. Ellen Darr, 13, is the youngest. Ellen
is an East Junior high school student, and when her mother was
shot Ellen was attending church services in the Wall Street
Mission. Mr. and Mrs. Nicolls were married about five years ago,
it is said.
[Typed as it was written, no corrections made of spelling - transcribed by L.Z., October 2015]
Sioux City Journal
Thursday, Nov. 25, 1920
NICOLLS FUNERAL HELD.
Murdered Woman Is Buried in Graceland Park Cemetery.
Funeral services for Mrs. Ellen Nicolls, 1116 Grand avenue, who was shot and instantly killed Sunday night by Mrs. Martha Oxberger, was held yesterday at 2 o’clock from the home of her daughter, Mrs. Viola Blanche Brienzo, 508 Steuben street. Rev. J. P. Hantla of the Wall Street mission, officiated. Burial was made in Graceland cemetery.
Besides her husband, Henry Nicolls, Mrs. Nicolls is survived by three daughters and two sons. They are Mrs. Brienzo, Lottie Richardson, Ellen Darr, Leo Darr and Ivan Darr.
[transcribed by L.Z., October 2019]
Sioux City Journal
Saturday, Nov. 27, 1920
WOMAN SLAYER BOUND OVER
MRS. OXBERGER CALM AND SMILING IN COURTROOM.
SELF DEFENSE IS HER PLEA.
Pistol, With Which Daughter of Dean Woman Alleged to Have Attacked Her, Is Exhibited by the Defense.
Mrs. Martha Oxberger, charged with the murder of Mrs. Ellen Nicolls at the Oxberger home last Sunday night, was held to the district court without bail by Judge Sam Page in police court yesterday morning.
As previously indicated, the plea of the defendant was self defense based upon the fact that Lottie Richardson, daughter of the dead woman, had in her possession a revolved with which she is alleged to have struck the defendant. An attempt was also made to show that Mrs. Ella Nicolls had threatened the defendant upon first entering the house on the night of the fatal shooting, and also had attacked her at that time.
The gun alleged to have been in the possession of Lottie Richardson at the time of the shooting and said to have been the property of William Dingman, a boarder and suitor of Mrs. Richardson was displayed in the courtroom, but was not positively identified as the Dingman weapon by Henry Nicolls, husband of the dead woman.
The defense also failed to show clearly how the weapon came again into the hands of Dingman, who, Alvin Carlson, declared, had given him the gun after coming through a window following the shooting. Dingman is said to have immediately reclaimed the gun and after emptying the chamber buried it beside a neighboring house.
Mrs. Oxberger, the accused woman, was permitted to take the stand in her own defense. She appeared to be perfectly at ease and overanxious to tell her version of the story. It was necessary for attorneys on both sides to frequently check her recital of past events and remind her to confine herself to the answering of the questions asked.
According to her version, both Mrs. Nicolls and her daughter had used vile language and attacked her prior to the shooting. Mrs. Oxberger also declared that the revolver exhibited was one with which Lottie Richardson had struck her in the mouth. Mrs. Nicolls had handled her roughly and she still bore bruises on her arms as the result, she testified.
The decision of the court was received by Mrs. Oxberger, without any visible display of feeling. It was not until time for her to leave the courtroom and she began to bid relatives and friends farewell that she showed any emotion. She appeared calm and composed throughout the hearing, occasionally laughing and smiling at statements of the witnesses. Her attitude appeared to be that of one confident of acquittal.