Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-27
PROSECUTION RESTS.
Defense Puts In It's Testimony in the Thomas
Murder Case,
ATTORNEY HUTcHESOES STATEMENT.


Ip-Mrs. MCAfee Accused OF tHhb
Threats Towards witness.
The prosecution In the Thomas MUIR
der trial rested It's case shortly after
the opening Of court this morning
when Attorney Hutchinson made the
opening statement to the jury ON be-
half OF the defense, occupying about
quarter of an hours time Immedi-
ately following Mr.. Hutchinson's open
ing statement, witnesses for the de-
Tense were called and examined. Inc
case will, 1t is thought, reach the Jury
tomorrow afternoon.
The sensational feature of today
proceedings was the testimony Of
witness called by the defense named
Walker, who said that on leaving the
court room today he was aocosted by
Mrs. Lizzie McAfee and threatened
with dire vengeance IL he testified
against her. Judge Norrell instructed
the witnesses at the outset not
TO converse with one another
on the testimony, and under TINS
order of the court, Mr.. Hutchinson
asked that Mrs. McAffee be dealt WIN
for contempt The statement u
Walker was corroborated by another
witness who was along with HIM Mrs'
AIcAfee denied the allegation, Attor
ney VanCott thought that A',o'n Ky
Hutchinson was making Il play 10 the
Jury. He commended that the incident
should have first been called TO ms at
tention. The court took similar
view of the situation and took the mat
ter under advisement.
After the News" report closed yes
terday afternoon the cross-examlna-
lion Of Mrs. Lizzie McAfee was con-
oluded by Attorney Hutchinson.
peputy County Surveyor Nilsson
identified plat OF the premises Where
the shooting occurred and said II was
Corporal John p. Williams of Com,
many II. Twenty-fourt Infantry, sad
he was at the McAfee house the night
81 the shooting. Mrs. Thomas came
i'm and fired two shots at her husband
who made his exit by tne phch ,ifo1
Police officer John Hempel testlneu
TINT he met Mrs. Thomas on the west
side of state street between Third ana
Fourth South streets the night OF June
Sth. She gave herself up to witness
saving she had shot her husband
J. II. Thompson said he met MIS-,
state street. She inquired of witness
where police headquarters We're
Police OffiCer John j. Roberts sald
he found deceased in hay yard at
the rear OF McAfee's. TOOK MN 10
uolice headquarters. He had bullet
wound In the breast and was bleeding
profusedly.
Or. c. A. Gerard, United States
army surgeon at Fort Douglas. SAID
Samuel Thomas died from the eiIects
of a bullet wound. The bullet had en-
tered the back below the shoulder
TIA,
coming out at the breast bone.
Detective George Sheets testified to
meeting Mrs. Thomas about 0 o'clock
the night OF the shooting, at police
came down from the Fort for the pur-
pose OF killing her husband II she
found him at McAfee's. Court ther
adjourned until this morning.
The first witness called this morning
was Detective George Raleigh. wit,
ness said he saw the defendant al
police headquarters on the night OF th'
shooting and that she told witness she
had gone to the house for the purpose
of killing her husband. Mrs. Thomas
had also admitted to witness that she
had fired two or three shots az him
Captain Brerton OF the Twenty
fourth Infantry, testified thst Mrs
Thomas was domestic in his house al
the fort. The revolver with which the
shooting was done was shown witness
He said II belonged to him and was
kept at his place.
THE DEFENSE OPENS.
The prosecution then rested and Mr.
Hutchinson made his opening state
ment TO the jury. He said that IN
defense would not attempt to deny thu
shooting, but would claim that 1t wa
done during a temporary fit of in
sanity The defendants husband OF
the night of the assassination was as
ISOLATED with a number OF lewd womei
H.. M. -.
would show that insanity ran In tn
defendants family II would be ais
shown that Mrs. Thomas was woman
of good moral character and OF stronl
religious convictions, and was not re
sponsible for the acts on the night .
the tragedy.
SAYS DEFENDANT WAS EXCITED
The frat witness for the defense wa
Mrs Sarah Parks (colored), who sat
she lived at Fort Douglas. Saw Mrs
Thomas on the night OF the shooting
She told witness she was going ava,
going down town. She was excited
and witness said she noticed tn
change, for she had always treate'
witness with welcome. She also toll
witness that her husband was down I
Mrs. McAfee's and that she was goin
to bring him home. Witness warne
her to be careful as there We're tw
sisters at the McAfee house and tina
there might be trouble,
In reply to Mr.. Van Colt witnes
said Mrs Thomas left the fort In tn
nelghborhood of O'Clock.
Mrs. Mollie Thompson resided Mt Al
State street, next door north TO wher
the shooting occurred. Remembers
the night Of June Sth. The defendan
came to her house that night about
o'clock, or may be later. Witness wa
sitting IN the front room when defend
ant entered. Looking up at her wit
ness said, why, Mrs. Thomas. wha
70 doing henh2 Then Mrs Thoma
said, rs this Mrs. Jones's?' and l sal
no. this amt Mrs, Jones's, and the