The herald., 1895-09-12
PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAGEDY
Thompson and Martin
Drank and Are Dead
THERE WAS DEATH IN THE wine
A Colored Coward Compounds
a Cruel Cup
INTENDED VICTIM ESCAPES
The Negro Evidently Wished to Kill
Another Negro, But Failed
His Bottle of D0ctored Wine Falls Into the
Hands Of Two White Men
Thompson Died Half an Hour After Drinking,
While Martin Survived Him Less Than
Three Hours, Both Suffering
Greatly Before Dis.
solution
INTENDED VICTIM ESCAPES
The Negro Evidently Wished to Kill
Another Negro, But Failed
His Bottle of Doetored Wine Falls Into the
Hands Of Two White Men

evening in which two innocent men fell
victims to the successful attempt of a
fend to wreak vengeance on an unsus-
pecting enemy.
The method taken to be rid of this
enemy was one Of the most cruel and
barbarous known, and consisted of send
ing token of friendship in which was
ecreted poison sufficient to have ended
the lives of scores of mortals.
Through some unforeseen accident the
plan of revenge failed OF success in the
direction intended, but two men now lie
cold in death as a result of the attempt,
Their names are W. J. Thompson and O.
l.. Martin. Both were railroad men and
both drank from the fatal bottle OF wine,
and within half an hour the frst was
dead, while the other survived him less
than three hours.
Both of these men were the unsuspect-
ing and unntended victims of a scoun-
drel who had desired apparently to use
one of them as means to convey the
bottle of poisoned wine to the individual
who had aroused his enmity.
The name of the bastard who aent the
liquor to the men 10 unknown, but he is
a colored nan and the object OF his con-
suming hatred is another colored man
named Gardner, who is employed as q
porter on the Santa Fe road.
What aroused the enmity cannot be
stated. In all probability it was the re-
sui. of quarrel over woman, but be
that as it may, the crime is probably the
most monstrous that has ever come to
the notice of the local police department.
A clue has already been secured as to
the perpetrator of the double crime, and
it is expected that the murderer will soon
Oe apprehended.
The tragedy occurred last evening, be-
tween and o'clock at the Downey av-
enue depot of the Santa Fe railroad.
There were only four people there at the
time of the unfortunate affair, but Mar
tin lived long enough to relate all of the
circumstances.
Thompson was employed as the station
agent. and Martin was superintendent of
the cars that ht uled gravel from the bot
tom of the river. Both men mad been
living at the depot building for the past
few months, their families being absent.
The building consists of four rooms,
waiting room, ticket Office, store room
and baggage room. The store room was
in the middle of the building. and
there the men slept and prepared their
meals.
Shortly after clock little Frank Ec-
cles. a boy about ~ years of age, walked
up to Mr.. Thompson and handed him a
bottle and told him to give it to Gardner,
the negro porter who ran on chair car.
The station agent took the package and
the boy went away. AS all the trains
had passed, the two men started to get
their supper in the store room While
tuey were eating Thompson suggested to
Martin that they take drink out of the
bottle, and to this the latter assented.
Thompson removed the label and stopper
and took big drink of the stuff nearly
half pint, and without a word passed it
to Martin. The latter then took q mouth
full and at once said
THAT tastes as if it had quinine in it,"
Thompson replied: mo. 1 guess It's
poison" and almost Immediately after
fell upon the floor and began writh;ng in
agony.
Martin was also seized with pains but
had strength TO walk to the door in the
rear and call for help. There were two
ladies at the depot, one the wife of u con-
ductor and the other her friend. The
name of neither was obtained. They
ran around and saw that Martin, who had
come out on the porch, needed aid, while
through the partially opened door they
noticed Thorn pson lying on his back and
writhing in agony. The ladies ran out
screaming and hurried up on the vaduct
calling loudly for help.
Seated on a pile of lumber under the
bridge were Ed Eccles and Dennis
Sheedy, who at once ran to the depot, a
distance of about ten yards and went to
Martin :. Give me drink, I've been
poisoned. he gasped and the mon forced
some liquo: down his throat, after which
they laid him on the floor and began
working on him.
Thomas Eccles and his brother Robert
were standing at the walk acorss the
street at the end of the viaduct, but were
attracted by the cries of the two women
and they also hurried to the scene of the
tragedy. The boys at once saw that Mar
tin was undergoing great suffering and
while one started to assist the others in
rubbing him his brother ran after doc
tor.
Thomas Eccles went into the room
where Thompson lay, for the purpose of