The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-30
SuOT DOWN IN OPEN COURT.
sroRy or KENTTCkT'S GRFi TEST
~" rRtGFDr. Br ~ EYE WITNESS.


,,a How Father aud Two Son. were Killed
W" Father and Three Sons, One OF Them
,.,eIy Nominatcd for tongre. - More
TnrIlllng Details OF the Terrible Duel.
,ortsytLLr. Ky. Sept. "a In my account
r,u NJ tho Harrodsburg Court House
s.,ely IN which Philip Thompson. Jr., re-
- nominated to Congress from the Eighth
,,,t,,ky District was ono OF the principal
i ..,rs there were some errors, due 10 the
'.s,,b u ,ine since that extraordinary event
/ .,,rra1 and to the fact that wrote entirely
s,r memory. The story was given me 10y n
1 ...dvinr son II old Theodore Davies tho
l v,rsr County farmer who. with two sons. was
.nel in olen court 10y Philip Thompson and
l r,es Of his sons. one OF them the nominee of
i a., late Convention. To-day had an inter-
1 ,.rwi,h a friend Of the Thompsons-a young
,,n who was in the Court House on that fatal
l Sov aulvas afterward one Of the witnesses In
l Mo trial Of the Thompsons for murder. His
1 ,,,pai Is substantially that upon which the
/ Tbompsons based thoir theory Of defence. and
/ mon which they were finally acquitted. As
1 ue story % an eye witness. II is even moro
| dramatic than that which. as published by you
pe other day. has again recalled public atten-
toa in Kentucky to the most dramatic Of her
rsny startling tragedies.
The newspapers here. in their comments
tpon Philip Thompson's nomination have not
r,,erroi 10 that tragedy. Tho Courier Journal.
which. as you know is the leading newspaper
| o,ho Southwest and which probably circulntes
more largely in Mr.. Thompson's own district
than DO all the local papers combined says OF
| hin Mr. Thompson is young. ardent and
ttye Sprung from honorod stock. the scion
/ 0! a noble family. he was educated in tho rude
| s,hoo Of war. He is a part Of the new South.
| omprehends it's wants and needs sympathizes
with is aspirations. and is not afraid either Of
ghosts or OF shadows. He will make a splendid
rce and we predict for him n brilliant career
10 the greater field Of national affairs to which
hewill presently be called to address himself"
PROFESSIONALLY he will make a strong canvass ;
should say that he will undoubtedly be
elected and even should n Republican COM
petitor use against him the circumstances Of
that tragedy 1t will probably only make his
majority more certain. unless. by bad chance.
the "reminiscences when recalled should lead to
another spilling Of blood. Such a reminiscence
could not be safely invoked even in tho best
ordered community and human nature being
human nature. think tho sad story will not
b. feature in that section whore the troubled
ghosts of the father and sons could bc sum
moned only for harm | quote 20 you what is
given herewith. that the mistakes u my former
letter shall not stand agains, Philip Thompson
In his struggle for place in that same govern
lpg body Of the nation in which his uncle once
achieved place s. honored
You will remember that the cause OF tho quar-
,el which led to the death Of old Theodore Davies
MI his two sons was note for some
y U1O, the payment OF which was in controversy
between the seniors Of the two families. That
hote as | am now informed. was for money
b'rrowed by Theodore Davies OF one Meux. n
Eell-to-do old Frenchman. who came to Har-
rolsburg from Missouri. He had no relatives.
And hsrgained with Isaac Pearson. merchant
n Harrodshurg 10 make Pearson his heir on
condition that Pearson should take care OF him
until his death
The loan was made through Philip Thomp-
son Sr.. then as now the foremost lawyer in
Harrodsburg He and Davies had been boys
Dgeiher. and intimate friends as boy and man :
Ind tho old farmer had but a little while before
named his youngest son-the Benjamin Of his
lons-ior the Old lawyer.
Thence onward the stories Of the two old
neh varied by tho difference between truth
and ialsehood Which told the truth and which
parurel hmselinO man can ever know. for one
Of them won't 20 his sudden grave with either
Thompson said that Davies came to his office
ons day and paid $500 on the note that after
endorsing the payment. he showed IL back
hos ly among other papers in his desk and
then that he won't nway with Davies leaving the
desk unlocked His client aiterward pressed
MN % see that the overdue note was paid. He
called upon Davies, and the old farmer snid
ua lie had paid the note in full. The
paper THOMPSON said. had disappeared
Il Davies insisted upon the fact Of "A pay
Esll n iuil. Thompson accused him oitaking
| " note. Davies retOrted with the charge that
| thompson had mlsappiied his clients money
| ll- deadly quarrel was begun. and was brought
ioeont by suit for the alleged balance un-
PAD SJlemniy the old farmer had his three
Ieaf-pll son rechristened. and to-day the boy
+ alI q Hardin Davies. for another lawyer OF
harr Iishurg while the name Of Philip ThOmp-
| sin Dawes given him nj BAPTISM can now Be
| ylly reminder 10 his widowed mother of the
gay that az once widowed her and cost her two
'ns 100 ilelr first manhood.
,Phhp Thompson charged that Theodore
L ua'lrs meant io XIII him before the suit on the
le 81 via ever ie decided Theodore Davies
W., WIN ms oldest son and namesake. the night
.-lle lhe case was 10 come on for trial. paper
,Niminf his story Of the full payment Of the
l'i' an giving the details Of what he believed
WIS o c. piracy planned by the ThOmusons to
murder him. Ia the event that the Jury S verdict
ln Sod to 60 against them. There Is Ger
Ne oli man proved To- be an exact prophecy Of
sna i1llwed. Theodore Davies had been
| W' '-l prosperous farmer in the county. He
..u i.t'lis nut thr remains NJ this once hand
me rnp"flyto his widow and minor children
n pHi"t "'s b Is last testament
~ "n7 Whispered throughout the community
a..N3 lrlNuNiy moved by the circumstances
w. 4TNrirI ihlt mutual threats had been
nY' - nri House WAS througed and ma
~ WI .' ) Nu, TIE "a-e was nearing its end
u 'Iu u4Sl -}iAtilm ~ trouble appeared.
NH, 1,Nn' ~ hv" N''H dNirS from my other
bnN;. ~ ihe lhirL- t} ui tne description. for |
49, p'I'rl li1n the vivid memory Of not
s'sa." 'l'',alNr there, lie stood beside the
sst s" WIT. fmhp Thompson. Jr.-now candi-
1rrtD ~ c',sI ~ ahd tho commOuwealth's At
i.,..l t1I M'i rr lnuufy-wna earnestly talk
..s nit young lHrur Davies Theodore Davies's
s,li S'N lhr'dore Davies Sr was in the
pi'nes7 loA anl WAS iust charging the elder
| na,,,p 'y,,p lnYul7'h with having ro0eivod tho full
itt. st.Vi w "" y te- m ney that he had apprO-
/ btyios. snI @ Aller"lrl .pcut. Young Theodore
y,,,n.,rs sN M near Is 'atller and beside him his
ihe w1tne..1 1.,f s,nf caldwell. boy Of l5 Behind
WIS J,i', + s,RHnd ora little to tho right OF it,
Phi nv ,o ~. 4upintsou, twin brother Of Little
Is calleJ 10 .alilllae IN the Eighth District
Davies IT, iougIUui kentucky. Near Theodore
l pljer bIc,rtr X sht III. Dayess NJ. Thompson the
| fhomnsonn ana his father. the elder Philip
hind H.. Nas among the other lawyers be-
| bavias "o oar and facing tho elder Theodore
distrifnuuS 10 ne uslliled from the stand. This
srwsTd ddHn d2no OF The TnOmDsons. 1t was after
"A obar,in narRed by the State WAS proooncerted
ienee - 'hw could not be sustained by evil
AesrIi' ATIi' as Tas The luneture when my informant
| Ibm,ni Lurue Davies say 10 young Philip
faff ~ - 81 ~,