The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-26

l6SltTQdg morning IN lue CTiInlndl
division of the Third district court be-
fore Judge NfrreH the trial of Mrs.
Cora Thomas flor the murder OF her
husband, Samtel Thomas. was begun.
The information charges that the de-
PENDANT on June g. 1897, premeditatedly
and with malice aforethought shot and
killed her husband Samuel Thomas.
Thomas and his wife were colored
people, the former a member OF the
band Of the TwentY-fourth infantry,
stationed at Fort Douglas, and the lat
ter lived at the fort With her husband.
She was an industrious, hard working
woman and by her own labor aecumu-
lated quite a comfortable sum of
money, said to amount 10 $4,000.
Her husband was Of dissolute habits
and frequently went on a spree and
Kept company with abandoned women.
Mrs. Thomas often demonstrated with
him, but without producing any good
results. Several days before the kill
ing Thomas went on a debauch and
his wife, hearing that he was consort-
ing with ieMd women. armed herself
with a revolver and went out in search
of him She found him about & o'clock
on the evening Of June 8. in house
OF Ill fame kept by a colored woman
named Mrs. MCAfee on State street.
SHOT HER FLEEING SPOUSE.
Thomas was sitting at the supper
table with a girl named Emma Hat
field. Mrs. McAfee and other inmates
of the house. The wife opened the door
of the apartment and was perceived by
those within, who Immediately scat
tered in various directions. the husband
fleeing with the rest Mrs. Thomas
leVeled the revolver and fired several
shots at her retreating spouse. One
took effect in the lower part of the
back inficting wound from which the
man died on June IL
Mrs Thomas was arrested and after
preliminary hearing was held for trial
for murder in the first degree. For seN-
eral months she remained in the county
Jail. but six weeks ago was released on
$1,000 bonds, which she put up in cash
in the hands of Justice Sommer. The
bond was placed low on account of the
e1tenuating circumstances in the case
County Attorney Van Colt and AS
Sistant County Attorney Putnam pros
eeuted and Mrs. Thomas is defended
by Attorneys w. x. Hutchinson and G.
P. Rhead.
JURY EMPANELED.
a jury was secured by : o'clock in
the afternoon composed as follows:
O. n Despair, 3. A. Rid, J. B. Fagg,
G. A. Carlquist. Lewis Hoagiand, Ii.
W. Proctor, Charles Plant. Thomas
johnson. w r. Jones, jr, James Sod
frey, James NIcGee and Robert Fisher.
Five of the above, Q. y. Despair. C.
4. Carlquist. Lewis HoagIand. Thomas
johnson and Robert Fisher were on the
% jury which acquitted Mrs Hamilton
The jury being completed the taking
o. testimony viii be commenced at 10
O'clock this morning.
The defendant who is quite a
buNom and good looking specimen OF
her race, occupies a seat next 10 her
attorneys, ard next to her sits her
brother. Thomas Posey. who follows
the occupation of q barber at Cheyenne
He but recently learned of the trouble
his sister got into, and came TO Salt
Lake for the purpose of attending the
trial and giving her what aid and COM
fort he could. he and his sister We're
born il Indiana, and have resided AT
various places throughout the country
Mrs. Thomas. who is woman of about
so or 30 years, married the soldier and
followed his regiment to Texas. where
II was stationed. and thence TO Fort
Douglas.
The line of defense, it is expected
VIII be emotional insanity, caused by
the great proYocation of finding her
husband under such circumstances as
WAS proof conclusive of his inhdelity.