Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-10-24

Then he snapped the weapon once or
twice, unmindful that iis cartridges
were useless, and thea he ebacked slow
ly toward the door, still afargef as be
moved fortwo fresh pistols ia the hands
Of the two before him. II was after
ward urged that the Thompsons must
each have been armed with two o.
more weapons when they entered The
court. The nrmbcrofshoss fred would
prove this.
lAs..fr rrnrhea ffae esasnsEir ss's7f
Theodore Davies lnshAd flEli d IhousF
son, Jr., ia front ofhim, and both moved
out into the open air. Lying al the foot
OF the steps was the dead body OF his
Younger brother. Philip. The first shot
heard had been fatal to the boy-he
was not 90 yet--and he plunged for
ward like q log out of the door as the
bullet found its way to his heart. The
aim had been strangely true for both
the elder and the younger Davies
The boy had been wild and reckless,
but the elder brother had apologized for
the younger's faults, bad protected him
often from Punishment, and loved him
well. Theodore stopped down aud felt
his heart. II did not beat, and the
young man hitherto almost calm in his
desperate fghi, rose with the dead boys
pistol, not one load discharged, IN his
hand and rushed upon Philip ThomP-
son.
For q moment they struggled hand 10
hand furiously, neither using his weap-
on. Then the elder Thompson, who
had jumped through window Of the
courtroom, carrying sash and glass
with him, came around the corner Of
the house, pistol IN hand. Theodore
shook himself loose, moved as before
slowly up the street, but not firing, and
was perhaps hundred feet from the
court house door when heavy bullet
from Derringer held by the elder Phil
ip Thompson pierced his breast. 1t was
mortal wound. The young man fell.
There was now no one 10 return The
Thompsons' FIRE and his friends picked
him up, unassailed, and carried him 10
a room over a store near by. There he
died that afternoon, calm and steadfast
to The close. think you will call him
hero when you have heard all the
story / have 10 tell.
So father and two sons had killed a
father and two sons-rarely a more
shocking coincidence. SIngulaFly, no
other person in that crowded ball was
injured, although fifty bullets and odd
were afterward found imbedded in va
rious parts Of the room. When young
Theodore Dawes was borne, wounded
to death, to the room hard by, he sent
for his mother and youngest brother,
Eugene, boy in jackets. When they
reached him Il was evident that his time
was but short; but, taking the boys
hand, he made him promise that be
would pursue the quarrel no further
II had been too often the fashion in
Kentucky for the surviving members of
a family, after one Of these bloody al
frays, 70 declare vendetta against those
of the other side. In one case that OF
the Hills and Evanses, in the neighbor-
ing county OF Garrard, the original
bloody quarrel began fifty years ago.
aad since then il has been estimated
that sixty persons have been killed
relatives, more or less distant, Of the
two men who fought in 1925.
The dying man bad steadily refused
| TO Re placed on bed, for, as he said
the fast-fowing blood could do no harm
10 the bare floor. He turned TO friend
OF the Thompsons, who bad assisted in
bringing him in, sent word TO them that
he bore them no i'll will, and then drew
from has pocket closely written paper,
read IL slowly and thoughtlully through,
called for lighted match and set fire 10
il, holding il in his hand until consumed
almost 10 the last ash. That paper,
have since been told by the surviving
son, was statement drawn up the
night before by Theodore Davies. Sr.,
and intrusted TO the young Theodore,
prophesying exactly what happened in
ihe court room that day, and giving
proofs that let the old man TO believe
that the Tbompsons had arranged de-
tailed plan to murder him and bis two
sons the verdict promised TO go against
the defendant. That document, as rep
resented, would have gone far toward
eonvicting the Thomps ons Of dehber-
ate murder, and il il was as represen-
ted, you will agree with me that the
diving victims act in destroying il was
that Of noble spirit. A minister had
reached the room. Theodore talked
with him feebIy, bade mother and broth
er goodbye, and was dead.
The Thompsons were arrested, but,
I think, released on bail. One of the
accused being commonwealth or prose-
cutting attorney, the Hon. ]. c. $.
Blackburn was engaged TO conduct the
prosecution. He was then bot at the
beginning OF a career which had since
been remarkably successful. fou will
remember his strong, rugged face and
quiet determination as be sat with the
Potter investigating Committee lately
in session IN your city. The same quail
Ity was shown in the unearthing OF the
Belknsp fraud OF four years ago. when
the young lawyer was serving his FIRST
term in Congress. Just prior to his sp-
pearance in the Thompson trial be bad
been engaged in a case hardly less ex-
citing over in Woodford county. The
brother and sister Of old John Harper,
owner Of Longfellow, had been brutal
IL murdered IN bed, and an attempt
made the same night 10 murder the ye-
teran tnrfman himself as be slept near
by bis beloved horse in his stable a
Lexington.