The Butler weekly times., 1893-05-11

of his life. He went to gun store,
procured a double barreled shotgun
returned to the hotel to await de-
velopments.
Hamilton soon appeared. The
quarrel was again renewed. Thomp
kins saw the climax was approach
ing aud started toward the corner
where he had placed his gun. AS
he did so he heard a warning cry.
He turned his head. Hamilton was
drawing a revolver.
With a quick spring and turn
Thompkins seized the shotgun and
poured both barrels of lead into
Hamilton's body. The latter fell
dead on the floor.
Captain Thompkins hoped that
the plea always SO strong with a
Southerner, that he had killed the
man for insulting woman, would
avail him at the trial. But it did
not.
The fact that he had deliberately
purchased gun and returned to
the hotel was urged strongly by the
prosecution and after one of the
NEST famous murder trials in the
south the jury found him guilty and
sentenced him to life Imprisonment.
General Luke Wright and General
Turner, the condemned mans coun-
sci, advised against tn. taking an
appeal as it was thought pardon
would be granted before All appeal
could be heard. And so, clad in the
stripes of a convict, chained and
manacled to the vilest and most
brutal of felons, this southern gen.
tlemap, this man of business, honor
and integrity, this brave soldier of
the civil war, was led away to slave
for life.
And yet he did not exactly regret
what he had done, He felt that it
had been necessary to kill his mar,
not only to preserve his own life.
His hopes were high that counssl's
efforts to obtain pardon would ma
.rialize and he determined to make
the best of it.
But months dragged into years
and there was no sign of the pardon.
The young man began to grow old,
the dark hair Began to whiten, the
head to bow down and the step to
falter. Petition after petition was
sent to successive governors, but
Hamilton's friends were working
against him and hope finally faded
away. He felt that be was doomed
! W ulS CONVEX.
/ But he had one friend, Major
Sparks, whom he had known in his
better days, who still worked on
a1d finally on the 18th day of Feb
ruary, Governor Buchanan, as he
was about to step down from officia
power. put his pen to the pardon
and the man was free
| He must start again in life at Tho
age of 64 His friends were gone
His brothers had lost their propert,
in speculation and they too had died
Where to 60 he did not know anC
so he drifted around, making shift
as best he could until he reached ST
Louis. He has been here some lit
tie time now, but fortune has no
smiled on him
Just the other day he thought
perhaps. fate had relented, for b,
met on the streets of the city
man to whom just after the war h'
had loaned $4,000. The man ha,
gcue west, invested in a ranch ant
become rich. Captain Thompkin'
told him of his plight and aske'
the man to aid him, but he was falls
and went away to the west agail
without turning a hand for his oil
benefactor.
The captain only smiled sadl.
when he learned this and trudge,
slowly back to his little Sixth-stree
clearinghouse, and here he sits ever
day wondering when and what th
end will be.
There seems to be but one brigI
spot in all the future outlook, an
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