The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-05-02
For the Murder of Amos
Thornton, at Boonville, on
November 10, 1881.
AT Six O'clock Last Evening the
Jury Returned q Verdict
of Not Guilty,
d sSsr Being Out for the Brief
Period of Thirty Minutes
Great Excitement Prevails.
A Detailed Report Of All that
TRANSFERRED in the Now
Celebrated Case.

TRANSFERRED In 1n0 NOW
Celebrated Case.
The csse of the State vs.. L. H. T. Nc
t,ezrmon, charged with murder in the hr>t
,aesree, was called in the circuit court at
Columbia, Boone county, NJ precisely nine
clock on Wednesday morning. the 18th
rnst., the court room being densely crowd
ed No trial, perhaps, in the history of
Columbia, has created such profound in
Terest a. this. The jury is composed of
excellent maserisI. A more just. intelli-
rent and upright Eansl could not we'll have
Seen brought together. As the trial is VI
ceculixr interest, it will not be amiss to
give the names and occupations OF
THE MEN CHOSEN TO TRY THIS CASE.
Most Of them Are past the prime of life,
md not one Of the twelve is under thirty
~sars Of age Their names and business
are as follows: John W. Carter, farmer /;
Granham Hern. farmer T. &. Scrnggs,
carpenter Lafayette Carlos, farmer n.
5. Earring, farmer Luke Hern, farmer /;
r; II Bruce. merchant X. :. Belcher,
FARMER; J. l.. Cunningham, merchant /;
Sidney Hume, farmer r. HORNE, farmer:
fS0tert Shock. merchant.
The attorneys Tor the case are as follows:
I'or the State, Col. l.. l.. Bridges, OF Sc
.1aIia John Walker, prosecuting attorney
.or Cooper county, and J. DE. w. Robin
son, prosecuting attorney for Boone
county. For the defense, John Cos
grove, oi Boonville, Theodric Me
Elearmon. oi 1T. Charles. James III.
ssohstan, Boonville. \. G.. Dryden, Troy,
Squire Turner and Shannon {. Douglass,
af Columbia.
When arraigned at the bar the accused
'plead not guilty. Withis the bar we're
-s4ted
THE PRISONERS WIFE AND DAUGHTER,
the latter pretty child of five or six sum
.uers The mother was clad i'm deep
saourning, and her bright, intelligent coun-
1eusnce gave signs of deep sorrow. A
BROTHER and nephew Of the prisoner were
ALSO present. the former being one OF his
attorneys. The accused seemed thoroughly
seif-Possessed and deeply Interested in all
mat Vas said and done. He was vigilsnt
and prompt in noting the proceedings and
appeared to have fair conception of the
s:sse
After reading the indictment, MIR
Walker proceeded to open the trial on the
part OF the state by introducing Mr.. John
F. McCisnnahan, who testified IN sub
stance A. follows:
THE FIRST WITNESS.
reside in Boonviile. Am a physician
.y profession. Have been coroner
al Cooper county since 1880
Knew defendant; also Mr.. Thornton
Saw him Nov. 10Th He was living with
his head against Il tree on Main street i'm
BoOnville. He was dead when | got TO
aim. examined the body There was a
s,.i!.et hole in the forehead, another i'm the
areast, near the left nipple, and some
Hruises about the face The wounds in the
forehead, arm and breast were gunshot
~oands. They were burned and blackened
by powder. The one in the head was suffi-
lent TO have caused death instantly. The
sound In the breast might have caused
eieath, but not necessarily. The wounds in
me head and breast were made directly in
:ront and ranged backward. The balls did
not pass out. These wounds caused Mr..
Fhorntons death When / reached the
sesd BODY Messrs. OBrien, Nelson and
Or. Hurst were already there. Mr.. VBrien
handed me the pistol, saying:
TAKE CARE OF IT."
Don't know whether he picked up the pts
:oi Or not. Ii was four-barrel, self-cock-
ng pistol. Don't know whose pistol il was
&c Eas loaded and had blood ON il.
ibid not examine the pistol then. but after
cards did 50 at my residence I'm the pres
,.nce of several witnesses | took a broom
s;raw and measured the four barrels to AS
,srtain whether they we're loaded or not.
1t had been ia nv overcost pocket pre-
sious to this examination. On the follow
ng morning went to the office OF the
prosecute ng attorney, where | met Mr.
k,sgrove and Mr.. Johnson Mr. Cosgrove
asked to see the pistol. handed it to him
% look at. He cooked the weapon, but
alter springing the lock he did not know
now to get it back to its former position,
and as none of US knew how the weapon
should I've handled. We put it in Mr. Walk
FRS safe This was the last | saw OF the
.eapon until the preliminary trial, where
L was produced and identified bv me. The
,nistol being produced in court, witness ex-
snined il. think il is
he same pistol. l see some
PRINTS OF BLOOD on THE BARREL;
.es, that is the same pistol. The pistol
Sas not now loaded. 1t was handed
around among the iurymen. Thornton's
coat vas produced and shown to witness
Witness cOntinuedl have seen this coat
nefore; saw il on Mr.. Thornton and after
wards at the inquest and preliminary eK-
animation. Don't know how often l saw
deceased wearing it This hole in the
b.
remit is where the bullet passed that struck
Mr.. Thornton in the left breast Here is
The rent where the wound of the elbow
vas inflicted. Witness showed another
rent in the coat where q bullet had passed
n and out again without inHicting any
sound upon body of deceased Believe
those rents we're made by bullet, be
cause the garment was burned BY close
contact with the coat.