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The Sullivan, IL, newspaper carried the story of the tragedy resultingin his death: "MURDER AND SUICIDE SHOCKS COMMUNITY Nimrod Huff Crazed by Drugs and Drink, Kills Sheriff Fleming and TakesOwn Life Friday afternoon of last week trouble originated at the home ofPerry Bland that terminiated in double murder at the farm residence ofRufus Huff, west of Sullivan. Nimrod Huff, who was crazed by hard drinking and 'dope' after anattack upon Ada Sipe with a corn knife, eluded the officers and wentto the home of his father. Sheriff Fleming, being informed that Huff was at his father'shome in the country, got a car and accompanied by Deputy Sheriff C.H.Bristow and Chief of Police John Tolley, went to Mr. Huff's residencewith a warrant for the arrest of the son. Nimrod Huff took a bottle of whiskey with him and in spite of hismother's pleading and tears, he kept on drinking and kept a shot gunin his possession, insisting that he was going to town. The familytried to keep him at home. John Taylor was passing and Huff called to him and got in his buggy to come to town. Just at that time thesheriff and his deputy arrived, passed the buggy and stopped and theofficers alighted and walked toward the buggy. The lights wereflashed and a shot was fired which struck Sheriff Fleming, coveringalmost his entire body. He fell and expired in a short time. Oneshot struck Policeman Tolley. Deputy Sheriff Bristow dropped flat tothe ground and the next shot passed over his head. Nimrod Huff thenescaped into the corn field. After the elapse of about thirty minuteshe was heard to call and the report of a gun followed. His brother,Roger, went to him and Dr. Davidson and others went from where thedead sheriff was lying. They ascertained that Huff had placed themuzzle of the gun against his side and fired the shot that ended hisown life. The particulars are brought out in the testimony givenbelow: CAUSE OF TRAGEDY Friday about 4 pm, Nimrod Huff in a rage and intoxicatedcondition went to the home of Perry Bland on East Jackson street. Hewent to the kitchen as was his custom to call on Miss Ada Sipe, adomestic in the home of Mr. Bland. He was heard to say 'there's going to be trouble.' He carried in one hand an old, rusty, dull corn knife, with thathe struck at her face, she threw up her arm to ward off the blow andcaught the lick on her right arm. She was struck a lick on the backof the head and another on the forehead. She caught the knife in herhand, he bit her hand to force her to let go. Miss Sipe in themeantime ordered the police called. Mrs. Bland & Mrs. Fults bothphoned for the officers. After the attack on the girl, Huff left thehouse and went around the block swearing he would clean out the wholebunch, meaning those living in the block. On returning from his triparound the block, he went upon Mayor Pifer's porch and sat down. Mrs.Pifer remarked to him that the police were coming. He slapped himselfon all his pockets and said, 'I have got nothing. I can whip himwith my fist.' He also said 'Ada cut herself.' He saw the policeman coming and walked towards the Presbyterianchurch, when Tolley got south on Washington street to the house to thesoutheast corner of the intersection of Jackson & Washington, Huff wasabout 200 feet ahead of him by W.L. Hancock's. Ada Sipe's father lives near Cushman. She has turned a deaf earto parents and others offering her good advice. She worked for Mrs. Bland about 2 years ago, but at that time shewas out too much of nights and Mrs. Bland would not keep her. She went away, after being away several months, came back andbegged to be taken in, saying she would do better, which she did. Sheclaims that for about three months, she has been trying to get ride ofHuff's attentions, then he would become enraged at times and force hisattention upon her and make threats. The corn knife was found, after the trouble, behind a trunk onthe porch. Dr. Lawson was called and took 2 or 3 stitches in the gash on thegirl's wrist. None of her wounds were serious. The substance of C.H. Bristow's evidence before the coronor'sjury; information near 4 pm Friday came to the Sheriff's office thatthe sheriff and police were wanted at Perry Bland's. The Sheriffbeing out of town, his Deputy C.H. Bristow started there. At the street he got into a buggy and was driven to near there when they gotto Jackson street, they noticed people looking West, and also sawpoliceman, John Tolley to the west and drove to him. Tolley got inthe buggy, but Bristow alighted and got in one back of them and theparties all drove to the school house where a crowd was collected.They inquired if anyone had Nim Huff, and could get no informationfrom anyone. They drove around the school house, one going in onedirection and one in the other direction. As he disappeared, theywent back to Blands to ascertain what was the matter. The police and sheriff had been called there once or twicebefore, not to make arrests, but to quiet things. At the Bland house, they found that Ada had a cut on her arm, herwrist bitten, a bad place on the back of her head, and she told themshe was cut on the top of her head with a corn knife. Ada Sipe told them she would swear out a warrant for Nim. Mr.Bristow got a warrant of Atty. J.K. Martin and taking Justice of thePeace Siple with him where Ada Sipe was, she acknowledged it andBristow took it to the Sheriff, who had then returned to his office. The corn knife was also delivered to the sheriff. Ada Sipe in the meantime told the officers that Nim Huff hadcalled her up 3 times but would not tell where he was. She asked theCentral girl she said, and was told that she thought he was on Line49, the same line VanGundy's are on. The Sheriff, the Deputy, and theChief of Police went to VanGundy's residence and learning that he hadnot been there, and that they know nothing of him; the officersreturned to Sullivan. It was reported that one of the Van Gundy boyswas taking their car out of the shop to take Nim Huff out of the county. The officers then hired another car and driver to start inpursuit. Before they got started they heard he was at his father'sresidence in the country sitting on the porch. 'We went there andjust before we got to the house, we saw the buggy in the road. Ithink Mr. Fleming said to throw the lights on them so we said stop andhe stopped the car and he and I jumped out about the same time. Hewas in the back seat and I was in the front seat; we started backtowards the buggy; we had the flash lights and had them lit. We tookthree or four steps and the first report Mr. Fleming said, 'Oh, myGod, I am hit' or a remark to that effect. Just that quick I droppedto the ground and held there. Mr. Fleming staggered back and died; myopinion at first was that he laid down to keep out of the way of theshooting. I found out differently afterwards; the second shot wasimemediately after the first and about that time there was severalhallooing. Mr. Huff and Roger were both hallooing, not to shoot, andMr. Huff ran to Mr. Felming and I got up and went back to where hewas, and we worked with him for quite a while.' Mr. Bristow had Mr. Flemings gun and the two shells they found inthe road in his pocket. He testified that he had heard three shotsfired, two at the wagon in the road and one in the corn field later. Mr. Bristow was about three feet from Sheriff Fleming when theshots were fired and didn't know Nim had a gun until the first shotwas fired and never saw anything when he got out of the car, nor hearda word spoken by any of the other parties, until after the shots werefired and they hallooed, don't shoot. It was dark at the time. Mr.Bristow gave as his opinion that they were about 50 feet from thebuggy where Nim was when the shots were fired, and thought herecognized him by the light of the car, but did not notice a gun. The sheriff did not say anything after he was shot and lying inthe road. It seems to me he lived about one-half hour after he wasshot. 'I was trying to get through over the telephone and Centralwouldn't answer; we could't get any telephone service at all.' Mr. Bristow says there were two men in the buggy when they passedbut did not know where the third one was. He did not know whether theshots were fired from the buggy or the ground. Ben Cochran testified that after he had worked with Mr. Flemingsome time, he turned his car and started to town for a doctor. He metDr. Davidson at the railroad and they went back to the scene of thetragedy. A couple of minutes after he got back he heard a shot to thenortheast of them, someone said, 'Nim has shot himself.' He calledjust before he shot. Roger Huff asked for a lantern and went to him. Roger Huff testified that Mr. Van Gundy told him that Nim was introuble with a girl. That was just as the 5:30 train was goingthrough. 'When I got home at 6 pm, Nim was on the porch with somewhiskey and a shot gun. Mother was there crying, trying to get thegun from him. I tried to keep him from going to town, just then JohnTaylor came past, Nim hallooed to him; I pinched my father saying,Keep Nim while I talk to John Taylor. We, Taylor and I tried to keephim at home. His mother snatched the whiskey but he got it again. Thecar came up and I tried to get the gun. He leaped over the horse'shead and jerked the gun to this shoulder.' Roger, his father andmother soon after the shooting went to Mr. Fleming and helped care forhim. The Jury in the inquisition over W.M Fleming were Dr. J.F. Lawson, C.E. McPheeters, F.A. Reese, John A. Webb, M.S. Mattox and W.S. Harris. VERDICT The Jury found that Warren M. Fleming came to his death by a gunshot wound fired from a shot gun in the hands of Nimrod N. Huff. Saiddeath occurred about 7:30 Sept.5, 1913 in front of the residence ofW.R. Huff. The Jury that held the inquisition over the body of Nimrod N.Huff was F.E. Pifer, W.L. Hancock, A.N. Woodruff, Grover Hines, DennisLanders and A. Gifford. They heard that he came to his death by shooting himself." |
| Nimrod died of a self inflicted gun shot wound. |