Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Nickerson, James 1886
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net July 14, 2010, 2:21 pm

The Ionia Standard, Friday, February 5, 1886
A few days ago the startling intelligence reached here that James Nickerson, a 
young man well known in this vicinity, had been killed in the pine woods.  
From Mr. N. D. Koutz, brother-in-law of the deceased, we have learned the 
following particulars of the affair:  It was a case of accidental shooting, 
and happened in the pine woods of Missaukee county, last Saturday afternoon.  
The snow was 22 inches deep.  The unfortunate man and a friend named Ingersoll 
went deer hunting.  When they arrived at the woods the men agreed to 
separate.  Nickerson soon found a deer trail, followed it up, and shot the 
deer.  He then reloaded his gun, set it up against a tree, and proceeded to 
skin his game.  In the meantime Ingersoll also struck a trail, and followed it 
up to where it seemed to stop.  While his dog was hunting around Ingersoll saw 
an object within easy range of his gun which he supposed to be the deer, and 
fired.  No sooner had he done so than his companion sprang into the air with a 
cry, and the terrible fact dawned upon Ingersoll that he had shot his fellow 
hunter.  He hastened to his side, took him in his arms, exclaiming, “My God, 
Nick, have I killed you?”  It was even so, for the unfortunate man breathed 
only a few times more.  

Nickerson was 27 years old, and leaves a wife,.  The funeral will take place 
today (Friday,, Jan. 29) from the residence of his brother-in-law, Frank 
Hornbeck, a few miles north of Muir.  Interment at Palo.  

James is the third member of the Nickerson family that has come to a sad and 
untimely death.  His oldest brother was killed in the pine woods some years 
ago, and his sister (Mrs. Long) was murdered near this place about two years 
ago.—Muir Tribune.

James Nickerson will be remembered by all who witnessed the celebrated Muir 
riot in the summer of 1884.  His sister, Mrs. Long, was brutally murdered by 
her husband, who pounded her to death with a club, as she lay sleeping in bed, 
spattering her brains and blood all over the bed and walls and window.  When 
Long was taken to Muir for examination, Nickerson and a few comrades 
determined to lynch him.  As Long came out of the office of the justice of the 
peace in charge of Sheriff Toan and several deputies, they charged the 
officers and but for the most determined resistance would have strung up the 
murderer.  The sheriff’s posse ran their prisoner in to the Hewitt house, 
taking him to the third story.  The doors and stairways were closely guarded 
by armed deputies, while the mob outside quickly increased from a handful to 
several hundred.  The crowd kept the squad of officers closely invested all 
day, or till 3 p.m., when the Ionia light guard was ordered out by the 
governor, and coming on a special train, released them.  Nickerson followed 
Long to the train, and was kept back only by sharp prodding of bayonets, and 
he afterwards attempted to Long in the court room but was disarmed by the 
sheriff.

The funeral of James Nickerson, who was accidentally shot by his companion 
while hunting near Lake city, was held in the Baptist church last Thursday.  
Rev. Mr. Jacokes preached the sermon.


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