Clay County AlArchives News.....Tragic Shooting of Nichols & Reaves by Marshal Moore May 8, 1914
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Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 February 12, 2023, 10:20 pm

Ashland Progress May 8, 1914
A tragic shooting affair occurred at Lineville Sunday morning between midnight 
and day as a result of which two men were killed almost instantly, the shooting 
is alleged to have been done by night Marshal J. H. Moore and the victims of the 
tragedy were Alonzo Nichols and Gaines Reaves. The report is that the two men 
had been drinking and were mixed up in some disturbances earlier in the night 
and had been carried out of town. About 1:30 o'clock Officer Moore met them near 
the Citizens Bank where the fatal shooting occurred. Officer Moore is well known 
in Ashland, having once lived here for several months and engaged in business. 
He is a middle-aged man and has a family. Nichols was about 40 years of age and 
married, but Reaves was a comparatively young man and single. Immediately after 
the shooting Moore reported his deed to citizens of the town and asked to be 
brought to Ashland where he gave up. He is being held in jail here awaiting 
trial. It is said that he will plead self-defense in justification of his act.

Lineville Headlight:
On last Sunday morning at 1:30 o'clock while the citizens of Lineville were 
wrapped in peaceful slumber, a tragedy occurred which startled almost every man, 
woman and child in town when the deplorable affair became known. At that hour 
Mr. J. H. Moore, the town night-watchman, shot and killed Alonzo Nichols and 
Gaines Reeves near the Citizens Bank corner. Trouble had been brewing during the 
evening, but it was thought to be over when Mr. J. Z. Griffin, the day 
policeman, got Nichols and Reeves out of town. He thought they had gone home, 
but it developed that soon after he left them, they returned to town to meet 
their end.  Three shots were fired by Mr. Moore, one shot each taking, effect in 
Nichols and Reeves while one shot; alleged to have been the second fired, went 
wild and stuck the Citizens National Bank. Immediately Mr. Moore telephoned the 
sheriff and later went over to Ashland and surrendered himself into the hands of 
that officer. The bodies of the two dead men were not found until after daybreak 
Sunday morning. The body of Alonzo Nichols was found by his youngest daughter, 
who was sent to search for her father on. his failure to return home during the 
night. This little girl found the body of her father, cold in death, in the 
alley in the rear of the Lineville Cafe. After he was shot, he had staggered to 
this place and died.  The body of Gaines Reeves was lying on the sidewalk in 
front of Denman Bros. Piano Co. on Main Street a short distance from the scene 
of the shooting.  Mr. Moore has not made a statement for the public other than 
that he acted in self-defense and was compelled to shoot the two men.  All day 
Sunday the streets of Lineville were full of people, many of whom had come from 
a distance, to view the scene of this deplorable tragedy and to learn the 
details of the affair that cost two men their lives. The body of Alonzo Nichols 
was interred in the Lineville cemetery Sunday night about 10:30 o'clock, while 
the remains of Gaines Reeves were interred Monday morning at 10:00 o'clock. 
Alonzo Nichols survived by a widow, two daughters and a son, while Gaines Reeves 
is survived by a father and mother, several brothers and sisters.  Much sympathy 
is felt and expressed for both Mr. Moore and his family and the relatives of the 
two dead men.

Nov 13, 1914, Ashland Progress:
The special jury term of the County Court of Clay called for this week, convened 
Monday and continued through Wednesday. The chief cases of interest1 tried were 
those of J. H. Moore, night marshal of the town of Lineville, for the killing of 
Gaines Reaves and Alonzo Nichols last spring. The jury in each case rendered 
verdicts of acquittal.


Additional Comments:
May 23, 1913, Lineville Headlight:
Alonzo Nichols was shot by a Mr. Otwell Thursday afternoon at Malone and 
dangerously wounded.  A pistol was used and two shots took effect, one in the 
neck and the other in the shoulder The cause of the difficulty could not be 
learned at the time of going to press.

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