Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-05-20
JESSIE BUCKNER,
And the Part She Played in the
Thompson Trial.
The Verdict Not Entirely Satisfactory to
All Kentuckiaas Future
Intentions.

Special Letter from sap Correspondent.
CGNCINNATI, May 18.-"Sweet Kentucky"
has almost monopolized the attention of
people in this quarter Of Ohio for a week
or more past. The Thompson murder
trial at Hsrrodsburg, Mercer county, and
the Democratic State convention at Louis
vile, have given 1.-The dark and bloody
ground" an uncommon prominence.
The AequiItal OF CONGRESSMAN Thomp-
does not meet with ths general approval of
Ohio people and the test information is
that only aOout hall of the community in
which Thompson lives is in sympathy with
the verdict of the jury. The declaration OF
Thompson that he will go before the peo-
pie of his district in 1854 for reelection TO
the House, for the purpose of completing
His Social yindieation,
is regarded on this side of the river as q
bloody I'M pertiuence, and unless eighteen
months shall prove long enough to wipe
out or dim the crimson stains on the hands
of the homicide, he will not have walk
over at the polls. Had the man killed been
obscure Thompson would have been relteV-
ed of trouble Immediately after his acqult-
tai; probably he would not have been in
dicted. But DAVIS, the man killed, had
hosts of friends. lie was as popular as
Thompson himself, and the division OF
opinion III Mercer countyAs to whether
the accused should be convicted or aCquit-
ted was mere ranging of the friends OF
Thompson and Davis on their respective
sides. The events OF the case had nothing
To do with the verdict. The skill Of the
defense in obtaining
A TnOmpson Jury
was more effective than the eloquence OF
Dan Voorhees, and Joe BlaCkburne. lntelll-
gent reporters Of the trial say that Judge
HarGin's rulings were nearly all favorable
to the defendant, but the chsrge to the jury
was a cold cspitulation OF the law, and left
no reasonable groove through which the
accused could be pushed to liberty.
Emotional insanity was the tlimsy pre-
text for verdict OF mot guilty Even
from a sentimental standpoint-the stand
point Of family hOnOr-even the stand.
point Of "a Kentucky gentleman, sah;'
there is grave doubt, and always will be,
ae TO the justification of Thompson in his
bloody deed. The manner OF the killing
was far from Chivalric. II the grave OF
Davis should be opened decade hence,
the bullet hole in the back OF his head
would be grim evidence that there was
not q fair fight. And Thompson's feeling
Family Honor
is brought in question by his conduct in
leaving his wife, knowing her conTlylal
weakness, in the keeping Of woman who
ha1 been through the divorce courts, and
whose reputation, if not assailable under
legal technicalties, was at least not sweet
in society. 1t must be acknowledged, how
ever, that there are two sides TO this as
neI
KeutuCky has q murderous reputation and
there is very little home consumption OF
the States hemp crop. There is popular
de mand for estOppal of the flow OF blood,
and thousands OF people selected lhomp
son as the man whose death on tbe gallows
ur ipCar ce ration in the terrible peritentia.
nv would turn the tide IN favor OF law and
rider. But the congressman was too strong
for this sentiment. The people were
Used 20 Blood.
At Corpishville, a village Of three hum
dred inhabitants in Mercer county, there
lave been Ihirty.three hOmicides since the
Hose Of the civil war, and not man has
been hanged in the county In much
,orger period. There is now negro IN
iail AT HarrodsbuIg, awaiting trial for kill
lng his wife, and the people OF the town are
Inditlrrently Of the opinion that he Will
stretch a rope 1t will take something OF
more note than the capital punishment OF
a 'nigger" to regenerate and redeem Ken
rucky. There was disposition somewhat
widespread in Kentucky, and approaching
unaniniry IL Ohio, to make Thompson
the Scape gOat to wipe out long series OF
bloody pages in the history Of the State,
and 10 this extent, at least, he was unfairly
treated. The testimony OF
Miss Jessie Buckner.
Miss Buckner. by reason OF reSuming her
maiden name after her divorce from NllI
TOml,usOn, IN Louisville. to the effect that
Ex-Governor Bishop and Sir 4. I. Goshorn
Werp her friends and advisers in Cincinnati,
created quite a sensation here, especially
~ both e tntlemen conSricuously aad some.
what swkwardly repudiated the idea oil
familiarity With the female lago. Bishop
has waded through the political mires ot
the State. and nobody takes much account
of the association Of his name with the Sc
ductiye woman: but the fact that
Gosborn's Name
has been dragged down in this manner has
shocked arisiocrafic society 10 the core.
Goshorn was director general OF the Cen
tennial exhibition, and had title confer
red OF hia by some foreign potentate. de
bel, ngs to the spade-tail fraternity ana
smells of colosne. The appearance OF
man in cutaway coat at swell dinner
would throw him into raging fever. 1t
aas unfair, however. 10 single out Bishop
ard Goshorn. Half a dozen other men OF
wealth and social prominence in this city
have been
AssiduousIy Polite
and attentive To the fair Jessie, and though
Ne have no right to assume that their at
,eniions were improper. they are thanking
their lucky stars that the writers for the
press have not technical Justification for
printing their names in this association,
and they are obliged tn Jessie for not pab'
Iisnirg their friendship on the witness
stand.