Horatio Nixon Palmer

     Horatio Nixon Palmer was born on 3 March 1850 Lincoln County, Missouri. or Montgomery County. He was the son of John Henry Palmer and Catherine Nowlin Graves. Horatio Nixon Palmer married Eleanor Elizabeth McGrath, daughter of Mary Hickey, 7 November 1883 San Bernardino, California,

Marriage: San Bernardino, California; 07 Nov 1883; Horatio Palmer; age: 33, native of Missouri, resident of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, bachelor and Elanor Mcgrath; age: 23, native of Los Angeles, resident of Los Angeles, divorced. Page: 124.¹ Horatio and Marsell Lilley (Wilson) were married 15 August 1894 Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Registration of Marriage
Horatio Nixon Palmer
father John Henry Palmer
mother Katharine Graves
Occupation of husband, Mining, residence, Arizona, birthplace, Mo.
Full name of wife Marsell Lilley (Widow)
father Albert Wilson, mother Almira Contrey, birthplace of wife, Mo.
Marriage contracted 15 Aug 1894, Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Religious ceremony, witnesses Mr A Jacson, Emma Wilson.
Parties sworn. Sabin Halsey, clergyman


In the probate for John Henry Palmer, there was a petition from Marcell Lillie Palmer, widow of H. N. Palmer, dated 03 Aug 1896 and certified in Wisconsin, accompanied by Registration of Marriage giving info.

The full Marriage Record states that Horatio Nixon's parents are John Henry Palmer and Katharine Graves, Marsell Lilley, widow, father Albert Wilson, mother Almira Contrey. The marriage was contracted 15 Aug 1894, at the Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee. Witnesses Mr A Jackson, Emma Wilson.^2,3 Horatio Nixon Palmer died 1 April 1896, Matabeleland at age 46 years and 29 days. He died 30 March 1896 at age 46 years and 27 days, As listed on "Pongo" memorial.⁴ H.N. (Nick) Palmer
Toppy Johnson
Arizona Silver Belt
April 23, 1896

General Roskruge received a dispatch from Victoria, South Africa,
April 16, saying "Palmer, Johnson and Hammond killed." The
dispatch was signed by Enoch Kenyon, a friend of Mr. Roskruge,
and a well known Arizonan and member of Tucson Lodge No. 8. Mr.
Kenyon is in charge of a mine in Mashonaland, and the fact that
he wired the killing of the three men as above noted is evident
that they too were Tucson men and known to Mr. Roskruge, but
inasmuch as the dispatch contains only the surnames of the
parties killed, it is not easy to locate them. It is, however
thought that Nick Palmer and Toppy Johnson are two of the parties
mentioned as both are believed to be in South Africa but the
identity of Hammond is still a question of doubt. A year or
so ago Toppy Johnson was in British Columbia, later he was in
Prescott and is just as liable to be in South Africa as he is
to be in any other section of earth. Palmer has not been here
for many years--Tucson Journal.

The Journal Miner also believes that the Palmer referred to is
undoubtedly H.N. Palmer. He left Prescott the South Africa
gold fields some time last fall being joined in the trip at
New York by W.H. Johnson, a Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix
railroad conductor. Letters from Mr. Palmer recently received
stated that he and Mr. Johnson were together near Buluwayo so
it is reasonable to assume that of the many killed in that
section Mr. Johnson is included in the list. It was at Mr.
Hammond's request that Mr. Palmer was urged to go to
Matabeland and the coupling of both names in the horrible
fate which the above dispatch leads one to believe as true
gives to it a verification of truth. Nick Palmer had many
friends in this section and all over the coast and the
tidings of his death will be received with sincere regret
by all.


June 17, 1896

W.J. Martin, the mining man, has received a letter from James
Cassidy, giving a few more details of the murder of H.N.
Palmer and W.H. Johnson. Cassidy writes as follows under the
date of April 19:"Palmer and his party were murdered while
going to look at a mine and he was one of the first that was
killed. He wrote me a letter the day that he left for the
mine. They were ambushed at the Shangani River between
Buluwayo and Pretoria. I saw the official list of the killed
and there is not mistake that Palmer and Johnson were two of
the victims."

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