Headstone Inscription:
MAY HIS NOBLE CHARACTER BE STAMPED UPON ALL OF HIS DECENDING GENERATIONS5653

Nicholas was the son of William Craig and Margaret Kerns. His family came to Pawnee County, Nebraska sometime before 1870 and probably shortly after the end of the Civil War. Little is known of Craig. He was married three times, first to Agnes Frances Taylor on 9 Nov 1878, secondly to Rosella Horton on 28 Dec 1885, and lastly to Lucella Caroline Bloom on 14 Jan 1892 all marriages taking place in Pawnee County. Craig left no children and has no known descendants. According to census records he was a laborer, according to research he owned at least four pieces of property within the Railroad Addition of Table Rock, and according to newspaper accounts he was Marshall Nicholas A. Craig when he was shot to death by an unknown "tramp" who was a suspect in a recent robbery.

From an article written by researcher Sharla Cerra, a researcher and writer for the Table Rock Historical Society:

"September 20, 1896

"It began at Falls City with thievery. It ended in Table Rock with murder.

"It was after midnight when three tramps arrived on the train from Falls City. One “showed the marks of the rough usage of the road. He was about 5’8” in height, heavy build, dark complexion, dark mustache, and his face was covered with a stubble beard of about two weeks’ growth.”

"Marshal Nicholas A. Craig had been alerted to the Falls City robbery and gotten a tip that the robbers were headed this way. He snagged a young man, Oscar Morgan, and deputized him, and together they went down to the depot.

"Marshal Craig with Morgan stopped in at the depot lunch counter – which was probably across the way from the depot. A young man by the name of Roy Patchin was at work.

"Marshal Craig figured he had his men, and acted when the one described above tried to trade an old revolver for food. Craig “stepped up to him and placed him under arrest. He began searching his prisoner, and discovered two razors.”

"Then the worst happened.

“Suddenly the prisoner drew two revolvers, one from each of his coat pockets and ordered Marshal Craig to throw up his hands. Without waiting for the marshal to comply, he fired one of the revolvers. The bullet entered the marshal’s head at the base of the brain.”

"The tramp “sprang for the door” before either Morgan or Patchin could react. Morgan tripped over the marshal’s body and the tramp’s escape was complete.

"September 21, 1896

"Marshal Craig was buried in the Table Rock Cemetery. The International Order of Odd Fellows, which lodge he belonged to, conducted a “largely-attended” funeral."

At the time of his death Craig was married to his third wife, Lucella, a widow with several children. Lucella died in 1898, with news articles hinting that the shock of her husband's death a contributing factor to her early demise as well.

In the years that followed there were a small number of men who were identified as suspects in the murder of Marshall Craig but they were either eliminated or already in prison for other crimes. No one was ever brought to trial for Craig's murder and it remains a mystery to this day who killed him. The last active investigation was in June 1902 and subsequent to that date the case became cold and as the months and year passed it was forgotten, and sadly it seems, Nicholas Craig was forgotten as well.

No headstone has ever been found for him. The Table Rock Cemetery Board records show burial plots for some members of the Craig family, no record is found for Nicholas Craig. He lived, died and was buried in Table Rock, and according to the funeral notice published for him he was buried in Table Rock Cemetery, but the exact location of his grave is currently unknown.