The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-31
THE FATE OF A MURDERER,
FEARFUL FLYNCHIN0. NE CH0KEs
HIMSELF 10 DEiTH


Tempting his AvRrtcc- Vain Rctrets
nom ne Atlanta ConWttnon
In the Constitution of last sunday brief
paragraph appeared detailing the MYSTERIOUS
distruear uCc Of Mr.. A. j. Ihomuson. worthy |
citizen II Dekalb county, who resided IN l'rown-
ing's district near llendctson's court grounds, |
md the arrest Of Mr.. Y In \. Jackson on sus-
IclOn OF having ioullV de ylt win MI. lhoWp- |
son. since then the body Of Mr.. thompson mas
leon found. and TIE murderer has taken the |
law in Ills own hand aud elrr ,t'ed Himself
A. J. Thompson. the murdered man, was he-
tween 81 and Gl years OF age. and mad i've or SIX
children among them three grown danahters.
lie stood well IN the community ana lew
days before ms death han pad the last debt he |
owed. James A. JACK -on, the murderer anu
suicide, WIS between IS and 40 years Of aee, a
over 30 pounds. lie leaves wife and three |
children. one Of whom was born on Saturday
after his arrest. He lived near Decatur, on
rome land belonging to Col. W j. Houston.
Jackson had evidently been preparing for
such contamination as the killing of Thnmp-
BON for some time. lie told story OF knowing
n min at Walace's Mil who had lots Of gold
tha, he was inetoeAchangc at par Tor green
backs. As rea ON why this m,n was willing to
do so, he SAID that he v efraid to start to
Atlanta with It Tor fear OF being robbed, and
was afraid to keeu 1t at home for the same rea-
son. Jackson cduu1ned Thompson to say
nothing bout it, AS the owner uidn,t want 1t
known. Thompson became infatuated with the
scheme. Had lie obeyed the iniuncuons OF
Jackson as to secrecy j ackson might have es-
capped, "a suspicion would not have 50 clearly
pointed its finger AT him. thompson didn't owe
y doll ir, and consequently IT surprised several
from wnOm he attempted to borrow lie told
them what he wanted with IT, He succeeded on
Monday, the 18th, In borrowing 500 ana pistol
from MIR. ]. ~. NASH, tlx collec or OF DE kalb
county Mr.. THOMPSON went home with the
money and pistol. aud abOut3 o'clock Wednes-
day morning left home TO make the exch inge.
From that hour to sunday noon no more was
Reen OF him
When Mir. Thomson started from home he
Decatur that evening. Wednesday and Ihurs-
day passed, and no tidines OF his Whereabouts
coming to his family, they naturally became
alarmed. Hts brother X. NJ. Thompson, who
resides az stone Mountain suspected foul play.
Mr.. Nash went to see Jackson, Friday morning,
To know when be had seen Thompson. Jackson
replied that he hadn't seen hiu since sunday.
Mr.. Nash then remarked that Mr.. THOMPSON
left to see him about a gold transaction.
Jackson denied ever having any CONVEX
cation SS,s win Thomson on the sa6iec,;
against him, and accordingly on Friday night
y. NJ. THOMPSON procured a warrant for jack
cons arrest, and accompanied Dekalb,s sheriff.
James Hunter, to Jackson's house. They r.
rounded he house and effected the arrest. Their
appearance on the scene wa' timely, as II was
evident that Jackson was preparing for flight. be-
Ing already dressed and SWIFT horse being tied
no doubt alarmed him. He was carried to Jail.
On his ueisoo was found Spl In money and The
asserted his Innocence, though Offering no ex-
ON sturdy. Jackson's house was searched
10 find the missing money. when the ofhcers
approached a certain trunk, a female present
remarked. 81 don't want that trunk touched"
Capt. Hunter responded. "Oh, I'm married
man ana understand such things" The trunk
was opened and SECS in three rolls were found
~
rowed from Nash hv THOMPSON. Receipts were
found on Jackson for $40 Of deots paid by hun
at Decatur since Wednesday last, which add ID
10 the sums found make no the amount OF 500.
About noon on sunday the body was discov r
cd In heid about $50 yards from Jack,on
house. Several men passing through corn
Held noticed spot that had grown up In pines.
They visited the pines and found where some
had been cut, aud mattock among the ulnes.
Not far from tins spot Il a deep wash
95 gully in nr this the L BODY was found
below the body, and dirt Ilaced upon them. A
hole about two 'eet deco mad been Dug IN the
gully. Ihe ooly Of Mr.. Thompson was frozen.
He was dressed in the clothes he wore Of when
he left home, The back and shoulders Of his
coat were ahtaded. as II he he had been drag
ged over rough GrOund, Abound nis neck was
bamestrine tied tightly. and between the string
and his neck were two corn stalks. His ueid
and face bore the evidences Of hard and tfuei
blows. His right jiwtone was fractured; on
was hole one could put three fingers in, while
another fracture VS. visible Ia his ioreneAd
From Appearances tue blows must have been
struck with the mattpck.
On SUNDAY afternoon J. b. steward. the ordi-
nary, called TO see jackson. He told him that
the BODY Of Thompson had been found, ana In
quired II he would like ~ see II. Jackson re-
sponde1 Yes" but eyi emily believed mat
few minutes Jackson Ikea steward where tho
body was found. steward ropded that Il was
found abuut 80 yards from MS JacA, ln's)
house, ia gully ms announcement mad "A
startling effect On jack u. lie seemed t. wilt
ana sink under 1t. tie expressed a fear # being
ynchod, but the ordn Z, told MN Mt T. b.
uneasy, as guards " uld be Ild ed around the
Jan. soon aiteI M stewart Itlt, y ttk7vn toll
some OF MS companions IA ti That "they
thought thew would have some fun out Of him
that ni.ht. tut theS would be mistaken"
Jackson tied two handkefchiefs together. and
In a single knot At the back u his NECK, ana *
ertlng all his muscular cover tied them N sew
knots under his chin, thus deliberately
choking himself 20 death.
!, Is sail that jackson wa n bushwhecket in
Tennessee duriu, the wa, W - sent to the peui-
teutiarN IA Alabama for crime, and T4n away
from White county for killing man. Ia - -
now to show that he was on the Lookout for
men " ltl sums u a. uUrN WHO were
guarded. An Id CttiZ-n # Decatur owed a rest
dent OF ~ h alb several thousand dlllrs.
Jackson went g. the 1rst man and asked when
he was 4 ing t. pay /, IS the latter hhd prom
lsed to tax" - TO fcN wn n he got
iafoftued y. When the
ain went g. money. be met
Ithetpaj WAS not Jack
10 come Fortunately the
- nldu had adOublo-tArrcliei
Perhaps tho las, fact saved MS life.
sdckson next visited the man VINO received the
money. and tried to induce him to 70 and ex
change II Tor gold. He fortunately refused.
Jackson never admitted the murder. H. told
X. NJ. 4 homl-On, brother OF tie deceased. tnat
he was as Innocent Of the murder as an an eel.
10 one Of the prisoners ~ jan he remarked he
would give ten yeats Of Lls life to bfng Jack
Thompson back.
So lar as known there + no living witness Of
the murder. The Theory Of the murder Is that
Thompson reached Jaca sons house about Il ~
light and that ia hsun started with him osten
IDLY to lnl he man AT Wdllace's Mn with the
gold. The lNi ituhfed man, slspectiug nothing
Iethap= walked with MIN IN the corn held. ana
when the two reached a point near the Ilues
IA ksnn, Wltn the Uhf'uck he had conceded
there Tor h" pu'u se struck ihomp-Ou on the
cad, and To stiNe M, voice, IN great haste tied
the hame sttiuE around ~, u'cS. and. IN dong
SO, gathered unnnticed the Two corn stalks. At
ter ruhhiug the bOdy Of the IN ney anl pistol,
PAID lis deut- and rlde around. oonHient that
his CRIME could not be detected. anl that lie