The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-07-02
bloody tragedy in which he plsyed SO promi-
neut u part.

nent part
HIS TRIAL.
Adam Thompson was first tried 10 1876.
shortly after the murder, and was convicted.
ssd the death penalty assessed BY the jury.
he appealed his Case aud the court of sp-
peals reversed and remanded the case for a
new trial, becsuse OF some error committed
by the court below, promine1t among
which was the failure OF The clerk to sign
the charge, aud have the same marked flied
by the clerk. Toe case after 1t came back
stood on the docket for u long time without
ever being tried again. When our present
county attorney, Robert B. Sesy was elected,
to office in the fall OF 1878. no found the case
in an almost hopeless condition. all the
important witnesses we're scattered about all
through northern Texas, and their whereas
bouts utterly unknown to the officers. Mr..
Seay set to work, and for months patiently
traced the witnesses from point to point, and
developed other testimony which was un.
known by the officers up to this time. At
length he considered the case in condition
to rick a trisl, although the result was very
doubtful. The exact whereabouts of two
very important witnesses were unknown,
although rumor located them in adjoining
counties. Mr.. Moon, who was then the eff,
Gent sheriff Of Dallas county, told the
county attorney that as soon as il was known
| positively that tho case would be tried, he
would start two deputies in search Of those
witnesses, and if They could be found he
| would have them here before the state closed
| with her testimony. Shortly after ward the
state and defendant both announced ready
Tor trial. Instantly two deputy sheriffs 10
NM vra-n In. Al
by Tue'day evening. at sdjourning hour,
the state had useu all the wi nesses that W. re
present., and had developed a ca o that
astounded the defendant ana his attorney,
who had never known of the discovery of the
new testimony. Mr. Sesy announced to the
| court that unless the witnesses he had sent
for appeared the next morning he would
close on the part of the state. That evening
both witnesses were brought in, and
next morning the chain of circum.
stances against Adam Thompson was made
so complete, that no oge who beard the testi-
mony would for one moment have doubt rs
to his guilt.
THE EVIDENCE
| developed on the trial showed that joseph
| Schumacher, the murdsIed mar, wss an old
and feeble German who kept country store
on the Clsburne road about seven miles
south~e-t from the city of Dallas, and that
ne slept alone in the store Ut night. About
half an hour after dark on Saturday night.
July the LIST, 1876, two Witnesses passing the
store saw light and heard the old man
moving around. This was the last ever seen
or heard of him on earth. About mile this
side OF the store these gentlemen met two
negroes III the road Vt was not light enough
Tor them to recognize the negroes, but cir
cumstances point unerringly to the fact that
they were Adam Thompson and Yves. Pol.
lard passing on under the cover of night, on
their double errand of r.bbery and murder.
The darkness was not intense II had rai1ed
In the evening and the moon seemed strug>
Cling to shed her soft rays through the dark
clouds that interviewed, ard to throw some
light if possible on the black deed about to
be committed by these two black villains.
They arrived at the store, and finding ali
quiet bursted open the door with two large
stones they carried In their hssds The
finger marks upon the throat of the poor old
man, the wounds on bis head, and the blood
and hair on the poll of his own axe, ss
found the next morning, show too plainly
that he started from his sleep, only t, be
seized by the throat by one OF the tends
and held in his strsnging grip while tn Q
other dealt him the sickeniog,
BLOODY BLOW
on the back and top of the head, crushing in
the skull and destroying bis life. One al.
most sickens at the thought of what this
poor, helpless old man must have endured
during the few moments that consciou,ne
lasted. Having taken the life of their helm,
less, unoffending victim, they threw his
bleeding, msngled corpse upon its face in the
mud out in the road, and then piled bis bed
ding on top Of him. Having sccomplishe d
THIS part OF their terrible deed, they took
the money drawer from its place, carried i, a
hundred yards or more back in the field, and
roobing 1t OF it's len,s, left ii. A part OF
the contents of this drawer was counter
felt half dollar, marked, afterwards found or
the person OF Adam Thompion, and a KEY
found 10 trunk jointly owned BY rhomn
son and Pollard. Both of these dumb ~,
nesses were used effectively on the tr;, 70
secure the conviction If the mr rer
County Attorney Seay and bis assis'a Mr.
u. ID. Morrow. represented the St. " On this
important trial, and it is to their I'll >, ts, ably
backed by Sheriff Moon and his deputies,
that the county owes the conviction of this
murderer who, 1t was believed for a long
time, would escape all punishment for his
terrible crime.
| SKETCH OF THOMPSON,
Adam Thompson Was born in the state of
Tennessee, about the year 1854 He was
taken to Springfield. Mo-, when quite young,
and from there to Washington county, Ar.
kansas.
The first thing he says that he could re-,
member was that at the close of the late war
he was catching sheep for his master, a man
6y tho name of Blddicks, in Arkansas.
When about ten years old he was seld to
Frank Robinson, Of this state, who brought
him to Denison and turned him over to Red
X 'oinson, who Is a citizen of this place.
Robinson put him 10 herd.
ing sheep In Cooke county.
He appeared 10 enjoy telling of mule and
human saddle. When asked what he meant
by human saddle, he said IL was an Amer.
lean saddle, with no horn on II, Robinson
sold him, the mule, saddle and sheen 10 a
jumping trade to a man BY the name of Dave
Elmen. Elmen gave him to his fa,her.in.
law, named McGraw. McGraw put him 70
work, and he proved 40 worthless that he
run him of his premises, and from that time
on no went about from one county TO an
other, and flo lily hired out as herdsmau on
the frontier firing Of tbs life, he came back
into the settlements. A negro named Yves
Pollard lived between Dallas and Cleburne.
al that time He was daring, dishonest
| and desperate man, and between MIN and
Adam Thompson there sprung up a friend.
nj hl nNn mt Oh. TN