The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-02


oand were recalled, 80 also her ssser-
aon that ehe would never be- happy
hesrt's blood.
The gossips told Of Mrs. Tho .nton's
psst, and the dark spots In her career
we're magnlhed until she was made a
neno In human shape. The more thev
TAXED lax, me moro hrmiy convinced were
other theory was considered and no
other clew was sought. Her guilt was
fully established, according to ell &C.
cepted theories, and on Monday q war.
rant was issued for tho arrest O. Mrs.
Thornton on tho charge of murder In
the fret degree. In some reepects the
case resembled the great Maybr
murder sensation, but merciful and
mysterious spirit or power revealed
the truth and saved Mrs. Thornton
from the awful fate of Mrs. May brick.
| In jail charged with her husbands
murder, Mrs. Thornton seemed as.
founded and unable to realize the situs-
ton or to understand why sbe shouid
be accused OF murder. But her pro.
testations OF innocence and expressions
OF astonishment were all accepted as O
part OF the tragedy which q fendish
woman had committed. Her guilt was
regarded as certain and the unfOrtu-
nate woman had no defenders. She
soon found that her only hope was In
higher power than man, and that in
order to prove her innocence she must
find the murderer.
In her adversity she had lost her
friends. She felt Rs II all the world
had deserted her, and in her wrotohed-
| 81
ploring Almighty God to be merciful
and reveal to her tho murderer of her
husband and free her from the charge
OF guilt and open her prison door, the
detected woman feel asleep and dream
ed that her dead usSand had returned
to her. Whom he appeared before her
che asked him II he could not tell her
who killed him. He bowed his head
and told her to send for her cousin,
George Kay, and accuse him.
The dream seemed 80 real to the i'm.
prlsoned woman that when she awoke
she could not control her emotion
She was sure that what her husbanG
told her was true, and whether what
che had seen was spirit or only thu
dream of q disordered mind, che coult
not tell, but she was 80 fully convinced
that George Ray was her husband'
assassin that she could not rest until
he was brought before her.
Day finally dawned, and the anxious
prisoner told her jailer her dream
So firmly was he impressed by it
George Ray. A deputy sheriff visite,
Ray and told him Mrs. Thornton
! wanted to see him at the Carriage jail
! He went with the officer, and togethe
a they entered the woman's quarters
where she met them. After o fey
commonplace remarks were passed be
y tween them, Mrs. Thornton turned +
4 Ray with q look that seemed to pene
= trate his very soul, and said:
q y: George, I'm In prison, charge,
;. with terrible crime, aud II you hav,
any Idea who murdered John Thorn
q ton for Gods sake tell me, for dom
! want to suffer for this crime"
Nay sat motionless and almost dunn
!, founded. The woman's earnest end
impressive manner completely un.
nerved him and tho abruptness of the
D question threw him of his guard. For
! several minutes he WAS silent, but the
. woman's eyes were riveted upon him,
, and he seemed pOwerless to turn his
eyes away from her penetrating gaze.
he laas5a al hor pissdfnSiv snd
plteously, and then broke down and And
began crying.
II done It," were the only words he
said, until the deputy eheriff began to
question him, whom he msde a clean
breast OF 1t and told oil. He said he
won't TO the engine room and found
ihOrnton aeleep In q chair: then he
shot him. When the bullet struols
Thornton he opened his eyes and
seemed to recognize his assassin as he
, leil from the chair. Then Ray drew
razor, and, to make sure OF the lob,
cut the dying man throat from ear to
ear, almost covering tho head from
the pody. He then took Thornton'e
returned to Thornton's house, srsivino
at $40 O'Clock. " '''e
Ray gave as his motive for KILLING
r !hornton the hatred he bore the
, latter for repeatedly cursing and abus
ing MIN for losfing about tho hous.
and living of him Instead OF going t.
3 WORK. lay 10 consumptive in o YER,
t feeble condition. His feet are swollei
with rheumstism, and he felt unable
TO work. On the day preceding the
night OF the killing, Thornton had
been very abusive to Ray, and the con.
eumptive boy, driven to desperation,
determined to kill him. He took the
money and ring to give tho idea that
robbed by trsmps.
Ray told whore tho roll of bills WAS
concealed In an old stove, and whore
the razor had been driven into the
ground, In tho stable. Tho money
was found az he described It, 1t being
roll OF bills amounting to 876, and
the razor was dug up In tho stable,
Ray showed tho officers IN old mining
shaft, into which he had thrown the
pistol, but az It contained several feet
OF water, and they were convinced OF
tho accuracy Of his confession the
officers deemed further search unneces.
sary.
, Ray was committed to prison and
Mrs. Thornton was released, her In
nocence having been proved by the
discovery of the murderer OF her hus-
| band. aa reYenlad 10 her In a dranm