The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-06-21
A kentucky Vendetta.
The lawyers in the late Thompson

| The lawyers in the late Thompson
DaVless case III Kentucky were no ap-
prentices in criminal proceedings. The
career OF Thompson senior. embraces
not alone victories in desperate murder
cases. His own hands are not blood
free. Ten years ago, within these
same walls, Thompson senior and Thco-
dore DavieSS were at suit over Il prom
| slSory note. The suit was full Of spirit
and heat Crowds locked to hear it.,
and among those who went were the
three sons Of each Of the litigants. The
DaViess boy who bore his fathers name,
iTEh[eodore, III, proposed to young Phil
thompson that they go out into the
courtyard and settle the matter. On
the way out, in the hallway, before
reaching the yard, shot was fired.
Every mans hand in the court room
reached for his hip pocket. The Thomp-
sons and Daviesses all drew and fired
and old Theodore Daviess and his son
Iarue fell dead. Sharp work, mean
while, was going OH in the yard, where
young Theodore Daviess had clawed
young Phil Thompson's scalp like Il
tiger. Old Phil, his pistol still smoking,
looked through the window at the com
batants and, seeing his boys face be-
smeared with blood and supposing him
to have been knitted or shot, sprung over
the sill. Young Theodore ran out of
the yard and started down the street.
Thompson chased as far aus the gate,
when he fired at the retreating figure
and the undertaken made three collins
instead Of two that week for the
Daviess family. The preliminary heal
ing satisfied the community that every
body had had fair chance and the
grand jury refused to indict.
The blood and thunder stories told of
Joe Blackburn may be mythical, except
as illustrative Of kentucky principles,
but mythical or not it pleaSes the natives
TO relate how, when he was young at
the bar, it fell to him to prosecute a
case that had enlisted public sympathy.
The evidence went i'll and they SAY
blackburn got Us the argument when
llo was warned to quit under penalty of
trouble. The next day he appeared in
court and began the argument. lie
had not proceeded far when there was a
suspicious noise from the rear. lie
wheeled to find confronting him Il SYM
pathlZer with the accused in anger and
fired through his pocket or not mythol-
Would-be aSSailant was ready for an in
quest and Blackburn turned coolly to
the jury with "and now, gentleman, as
I was saying" No one seems to locate
this story rs to time or place or to have
personal recollection of its occurrence,
,"t i is told inst tl,-~ ,"4sc, ~. -,g --
tradition. 1t runs suspieiollsly current
with Il wcll-authcnticated experience of
Colonel Denny, of counsel for the pro-
secutiOn. When attorney for his
county some years ago it became lis
duty to prosecute his uncle. Certain
members of the family objected and
threatened him with violence, even in
court. The situation becoming critical
when the argumentative stage of the
proceedings was reached, Denny care
fully laid pair Of rcvolvcrs on the
table in front Of him and saying mildly,
81 shall now argue this case" proceed
ed without interruption through
snorting argument.
The closing day Of the trial was not
more cvcntful, except in it's consllmma-
ton, than had been the most ordinary
day. Thompson leaves for Washington
where he says lie intends TO spend most
of the summer. His daughter, Il child
of thirteen years, is at the Georgetown
Convent and is in utter ignorance of
the events of the past month. lie will
inform her Of everything and then they
will plan for the future. Mrs. Thomp-
son is at the GarnctC homestead, ad-
joining the residence of the Congress-
mans parents. She declares her inno-
cence Of the charge against herself and
Davis. Tho Congressman IS son remains
with his mother. lie holds out the
pleasing prospect Of another murder
trial growing out of this case by dcclar-
ing that he will kill Jessie Buckncr, to
whom he attributes the scandal and its
results, on sight, whenever and whcr-
ever he may meet her.