The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-11-25
the Columbus Sunday Morning News
FRATRICIDE!
Killing Of j. &. Thompson BY his
BrOther-FdtaI Result Of a Fam.
fiy Rolc- CorOnr's Inquest and
Arrest Of AUeoed M,trdtrer

man of about iorty-6vo years Of
age, having q wife and four chil>
drcn, bis brothers single men,
bOarded with him. Tho brothers
own a very good tract OF land,
which they worked in common
For the last month they have had
teams engaged in hauling earth to
the new levee being built on the
west side of tho river by John W.
Russell and others, contractors.
They we're noted aS being indus
trious and intelligent men, one OF
the brothers having studied law in
Lancaster, and the others nantes.
ted in their conversation and de-
meanor the advantages of q iair
education.
On Friday evening, the two
brothers, John l.. and BENZ. +.
Thompson, quit work on the levee
earlier than usual, on account Of
the incIemency Of the weather, and
went TO their homo, whore a diff
Guilty occurred between them wbich
resulted in tho violent death Of
John, the father of the family, who
was found dead yesterday morning
under circumstances that led 10
tho belief that he was killed by his
younger blVthcr. Coroner Gaver
was notified, proceeded TO the
house, empanellcd u jury, and cx.
amlned u number OF witnesses, by
whose testimony the following
facts We're elected: Tho elder
brother, said to be u querulous and
irritable man, on coming home, Or
dercd his sou, lad about IA years
old, TO feed and clean ono Of the
horses, which the boy refused 10
do because the animal was known
to be vicious and in the habit oi
kicking. The father insisted, and
severely chastised his son, until
the mother intorfered TO save the
lad, and next the younger brother,
Frank. The brothers had u bitter
alteration, which terminated by
Frank knocking his older brother
down with swingIe tree, striking
him two blows, ono over the O. Q
and another upon the back part of
tho head. This part Of the tragedy
was witnessed by a ncighbor, who
happened to be passing at the time
The next that was heard Of the mat;
ter was that Thompson was dead
his body bearing the marks of the
wounds above described, and the
presumption naturally followed
that he had died of the blows in>
hieted by his brother. The Coro.
ner's jury, after careful examin.
alton of the body and the premi.
ses, returned verdict TO the effect
that John l.. Thompson had been
killed by blows of u club in the
hands OF his brother, Frank
Thompson. Clots of blood were
found upon the spot where the fra>
cas- occurred, q bloody swingle.
tree found, and the wounds about
the head seemed to have been
made by downward blows. In
view ofthese evidences developed
by tho inquest, Frank was arrested
by officers McEwen and Shufflln,
and committed to the county Jail
by the Mayor, in default OF 81, 900
bail, to await an examination to-
morrow.
These are tho statements of
those who appeared before the cor
oner'S jury. Tue family of Thomp-
son and the brother now in custo.
dy have q different story to tell.
They say that after the difficulty
in tho yard, John went to the sta
BILE to attend to the horse referred
to, while Frank was attending to
his team. Tho latter says that he
heard his brother fall and exclaim
"Oh," and that he picked him up
in tho stall of the vicious horse
and conveyed him to the house,
believing thai the horse had kicked
the unfortunate man, but not sup.
posing that there would be any fa'
tai result. Frank asserts that his
brother walked with him TO the
house, and subsequently conversed
about sending for doctor. In the
morning hc was found quito dead
and the family attribute his death
to tho kick of the horse, although
there are manifest improbabilitios
in their statements. When the
officers visited the house to make
tho examination and arrest, the
body was laid out, covered with q
sheet, while the wife sat by the
hearth, moaning piteously, but
saying nothing. The children
were about the house, evidently
sharing in the grief of their moth
er at the lamontablo occurrence.
Frank Thompson, lodged in Jail
seemed to- boTgreatly depressed
but firmly denied the accusation
brought against him, Ho convers
cd quietly with John Russell anc
Judge Pugh, his late employers
and othors, about, tho matter Ii,
is tall and rather comcly looking
young man, intelligent, and evi
IDENTIFY we'll educated. 1Ie will
havo an examination to morrow
when it is likely that moro factt
will be developed, and the mys
terry probably unravoled.
LATER, Tho accused waived al
: examination on Monday, and wa
bound over to court in the sum o
$4,000. Tho case is now betor,
the grand jury of franklin county
Itisan old saying thu 1t is the cheapest /