NUTT HOTEL
NUTT HOTEL
Source: Weekly Argus News Jan 20, 1894 p 6
The Nutt Hotel will be reopened in about six weeks to assist in the reception and entertainment of the traveling public. The deal was consummated this morning whereby J. B. Fruchey of Cincinatti, assumes the management on a lease for one year with the privelege of four. The leasee is an old and experienced hotel man. Mr. Fruchey was for years at the helm of the Hatfield Hotel at Troy, Ohio where he successfully engaged in the business at WInchester and other cities. The house will be refitted from top to bottom and will be thrown open to the public about March 1. Mr. Fruchey will remove his family here in a few weeks -- kbz
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 23 May 1891 p 1
TB Millican is a young gentleman from Wabash Indiana and agent for a well known Chicago publishing house. Several days ago Mr. Millican arrived in Crawfordsville and began to engage the unwary students into taking agencies to sell his company's publications during their vacation. Mr. Millican is a jolly young fellow and leaving his room at the Nutt House would frequently saunter out in the evening and enjoy himself. Incidentally he became acquainted with Miss Annie O'Neil and her companions, the Misses Sullivan who are sly young creatures who frequently slip into the saloons and have a good time and who often have to be "shooed" out by the police. Mr. Millican and two companions who reside in this city got to fooling with the girls the other evening and a ten cent bank containing about one dollar was taken from one of the girls by Millican. He laid it aside for a moment and when he looked for it the bank was gone. Who took it is a question but at any rate the girl demanded pay for it which Mr. Millican refused and continued to refuse. The matter so rested until this week when two of the girls appeared before the Mayor and wanted to have Mr. Millican arrested. He was brought up from the Nutt House by Officer Brothers and told his story which differed materially from that of the girls so materially in fact that the Mayor excused him. Mr. Millican was very sore over the affair and designates it as a blackmailing scheme of the girls. "They wanted to get even with me because I paid attention to another girl, " said he "and just thought they would bulldoze me out of a little money." The girls are well known characters and the police complain bitterly of their unseemly actions. Annie O'Neil one of the young ladies mentioned above as being connected with the Millican affair at the Nutt House called at The Journal to give her side of thes tory. She says she was in no way connected with the affair. The 10 cent bank belong to Nora Sullivan and Miss O'Neil had no proprietary interest whatever. Concerning Millican's story she says it is untrue. They were not out walking with him but were simply standing on the Nutt House corner and Miss O'Neil had not spoken more than two words to him. Furthermore she says that Millican is not the real name of the man but it is Wallace.
Source: Crawfordsville Weely Journal 24 Nov 1893 p1
The Nutt House is in a peculiar condition. Landlord Winn has given it up and proprietor Nutt will not receive it. So there it hangs between the two with JH McCoy in charge. He offered his keys to Mr. Nutt but the latter with a knowing smile declined them. The cook with one porter are staying with Mr. McCoy and a few guests get lodging but no meals are served. Mrs. Winn is still there and is improving some, but not enough to be moved.
p 6 - The Nutt House is again without a manager. Wm. Winn and his son, Hord Winn who have had charge of the place since Sept 11 quietly left town Sunday morning at 2 o'clock going east on the Big Four. Mrs. Wm. Winn is still at the hote, being too ill to travel. The Winns took seveal trunks & boxes full of their household goods with them but have paid nearly all their debts in full. A few small bills around town amounting to less than $50 they left word would be paid. What, then is the reason of their sudden midnight departure? Their friends say it was to escape the terms of their contract with William Nutt, owner of the hotel by which they were to pay $150 a month rent for one year. In the time they were here a little over two months, they lost aobut $1,300. Business was bad and although they conducted the place in the very best style it could not be made to pay expsnes. They had paid the rent up to Nov 11, and besides Mr. Winn holds Mr. Nutt's note for $500 borrowed money, Mr. Nutt evidently suspected their departure for about 10 o'clock Sat night through his attorney GW Paul he filed suit against the Winns for $150 rent from Nov 11 to Dec 11 and also for $20 a day for each day the hotel is closed beinning with today. There was a clause in the contract Mr. Nutt says by which the Winns agreed to pay $20 a day for every day the house should be closed. He will let it remain closed for 25 day which will amount to $500 the sum he owes Wm. Winn and thus satisfy the note. He also expects to get about $250 more out of them in the same way. The otel was in charge of JH McCoy the day clerk all day Sunterday (sic). Mr. Nutt not appearing until late in the evening. The guests were given their breakfast Monday and turned out in the cold, cold world.
Charley Cadwallader, the night clerk said he noticed nothing peculiar until about half past 10 when an officer served papers on both the WInns. He thought nothing aobut it, however until a short time before 2 o'clock when he saw a baggageman husting a lot of trunks down stairs and aw Hord WInn empty all the cash drawers and the safe and in a few minutes got in the bus with his father. After the train had gone the bus backed up and Howard Nicholson, the bar tender came in and took away all the cigars and liquors, saying he had orders from Mr. Winn. Part of the goods will be sent back to the wholesale houses and rest will be sent to Mr. Winn.
Mrs. Winn, Mr. McCoy and Howard Nicholson all received letters from Mr. Winn Monday dated at Cincinnati. McCoy was instructed to say that all their honest debts would be paid and their address would be Huntington, West Virginia. During their short stay here the Winns made many friends, all of whom regret they were unable to succeed in their business. They had never had much experience, Mr. Winn being a retired banker of Ashland, Ky and Hord having been in the cigar business a long time. Mr. Nutt says the hotel will be opened with a new landlord in about one month.
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal 29 April 1893 p 3
Dr. RH Walker has decided to remain in our city until Monday with his local anesthetic Odotunder for painless extraction of teeth. You will find the Doctor at the Nutt Hotel at all hours.
Source: Crawfordsville Review 24 Feb 1894
The examining physicians of the Champaign Medical & Surgical institute will be at the Nutt Hotel on March 10th. Their examiner, Mr. McKee has been in the county for the past 10 days and has secured a large number of contracts with people afflicted with chronic diseases of various kinds. The amount of business already contracted indicates the institute has a good standing.
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal 27 March 1894 p 3 – The suit of SS Burrows vs. Wm. Nutt has been dismissed, Mr. Nutt surrendering the saloon fixtures of the Nutt House which were in controversy.
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 1 Feb 1895 p 5
The case of Preston V. Eagleson against the Nutt House came to a close in the circuit court Tuesday morning. Eagleson is a member of the husky football team which IU sent against Wabash last fall and Eagleson who is a negro was refused entertainment at the Nutt House because of his color. That is he was refused the entertainment accorded the team, although the clerk offered to let him eat in the ordinary. Eagleson, accordingly, went to the Sherman House where he was received with open arms and a sunny smile by Mine host Nolan, who is out for coin rather than pink and white etiquette. Mr. Eagleson was more deeply grieved at the treatment given him by the Nutt House than by the everlasting skinny his team received in that memorable football game, the difference being in the case of the game the whole team went down together while in the case of the hotel he was singled out. The Nutt House was sued, therefore and the case came up Monday, the plaintiff being represented by Jere West and by John B. Wilson of Bloomington and the defendants by Davis & Vancleave. There was some trouble in selected a jury good and true and the way Jere West fired several unterrified brethren of his political faith caused them to snort with mingled terror and surprise. The case was continued until Monday afternoon the Nutt House people offering as a defense the fact they had agreed to allow Eagleson all the best the house had except the privilege of eating in the dining room. This they said they could not do as their white patrons, traveling men, vigorously objected to eating in the room with a negro and threatened to leave if he was brought in. After arguments by counsel the case went to the jury and much time was spent in the jury room, the business relative to the case not being completed until late at night. On the first ballot the jury 9 for plaintiff 3 for defendant. Four ballott unanimous for plaintiff. A long contest for the amount of damage to be assessed the followed. 8 jurors voted $100 and two, Messrs. Allen Robinson and Sam Long voted for one cent. Finally, it was compromised at $50 and then considerable time was taken up in the answering of the special interrogatories of the defendants. Tuesday the sealed verdict was opened and read in the circuit court. The jury were about half Democrats and half Republicans and rendered a verdict according to the law and the evidence as they appeared to them. The case was a peculiar one and has attracted no little attention.