Murder of William Nichols



Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK
7/17/1911
Man and Wife to Prison Together
Ashdown, Ark., July 16-- For the killing of William Nichols, a former state representative, John Ford and his wife, Lelia, must serve twelve years each in the state prison. They were found guilty of second degree murder by a jury in the circuit court here Saturday and the court passed sentence immediately after receiving the verdict.  Nichols was slain at Lockesburg last September.  A jury in the first trial found the defendants guilty and they were both sentenced to hang.  The Supreme Court reversed the case.




Arkansas Supreme Court Case: 
Event: 
John R Ford and Lelia (Wilson) Ford were tenants of W.F. Nichols and lived on his farm near Lockesburg in Sevier County, Arkansas.  On the night of September 30, 1910, the Fords quarreled with Nichols about him letting down a fence and driving through one of his fields, which they had rented.  J.R. Ford killed Nichols by cutting or stabbing him with a barlow knife.