The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-05-25
MISS EDWARDS DYING.
Captureof the Assassin Bill Thompson.


With view to learning and giving to
the readers of The BULLETIN the full par
ticulars of the terrible tragedy which oc-
CURED at Hodges Park on Tuesday evening,
of which mcager account was published
yesterday, a reporter OF this paper visited
the scene OF the deplorable affair yesterday
morning. Upon arriving, our reporters at
tention was Immediately challenged by Il
large crowd Of men and boys, black and
white, standing on II corner OF the village
but Il few steps from the depot, engaged in
what was evidently conversation of much
interest TO them, and he at once made his
way into the assembly, confident that the
topic which seemed to absorb the minds of
the throng was the same subject that had
called him among them. On conversing
with Il number of men who seemed to pos
scss the most knowledge Of the tragedy,
our reporter CLEANED the olowing particu-
lars; which, among the people Of the vii.
lagc, are accredited with being the facts
surrounding the deed, though several other
reports as to the cause are in circulation.
Bill Thompson, or Niger Bill, as he is
called, Isl youth about nineteen years of
are, five feet eight inches high, smooth
faced and with dark copper colorcd skin,
He is Il rather intelligent, good looking
dar key, and to look at him, one would not
be likely to think him as great a ticnd as
the inhuman deed which he perpetratcd on
Thursday stamps him with being. He is
the son Of an inoffensive, hard working
widow woman, who lives near Redwood
school house, about two and half miles
tromI Hodges Park. Mrs. Thompson has
on many occasions tried to induce Bill to
stay at home and help her at her work Of
raising and selling vegetables, etc, but he
refused to comply with her wishes, prefer
ing to stay about the village of Hodges
Park and Unity, and living by petty
thieving, and by the aims given him 10y
the people of the locality.
His is accredited with being most dis
reputable character, and it is said has been
mixed up in nearly all the pltering, disturb.
anccs, etc, that have taken place in the
ncighborhood since he was child. The
last job that he is supposed to have had his
hand in, was the robbing of u trunk, the
property Of Miss Lizzie Wcimcyer, who
lives with her parents at Unity and it was
because Agnes Edwards, the young girl
who now lies at the point of death at
Hodges Park, (who has been the intimate
friend and lady companion Of Miss Wei
meyer for a long timc,) remarked one day
recently that she believed BIZ robbed the
trunk, that the tend tried to take away her
| life. When the fatal shot was fired, Miss
Agnes was standing in Il shed adjoining the
house Of Mr.. Ben +, Curtis. Bill, who is
well known by everybody in the village,
had gone into the house, and, taking up
Mr.. Curtis baby, began playing with 1t,
when Mrs. Curtis entered the room He
gave the baby to its mother, and going To a
window fronting the shed where Miss Ed
wards was standing, stood gazing at her,
Mrs. Curtis called To Agnc, 10 take the
basket and 90 over to the warehouse and
get some potatoes, when Bill remarked IF
you don't mcaning if She did not obey
Mrs. Curtisy-Ill thoot YOU The
young Girl, with no thought
of the scoundrcl's intention turned around,
| SAYING as she turned her face to him, swell,
shoot when lac lcvcled IA revolver at her,
and taking deliberate aim, fired. The ball
struck the unfortunate girl on the left side
of the nose, and passing backward around
the check bone lodged in the neck just
back of the left ear: Nil, Edwards was
removed TO her fathers house, about one
hundred yards distant from the spot where
the shooting took place, and DR., Mott, Of
Villa Ridge, was called. Upon cXamina.
ton lac found her wound to be OF character
that would not permit probing for the ball.
When our reporter left the Park yesterday,
at eleven O'Clock, Miss Edwards was suffer
ing terribly, and was beyond all hope OF