Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-02
CONVICT DIES RICH
Detailed Story OF the Life and
Crime Of Andrew
Thompson.
Sent to Penitentiary for Life for
Killing Woman and Three
Children.
Died Worth $4,000. But His
Body Was Given to Medical
School.
Special to Times-R Republican.

mantle and interesting chapters in the
larger history of the state of Iowa, for
convict tho he was. Andrew Thompson
was one whose life was varied to a re-
than any other convict III an Iowa peni-
Tertiary; he had made C good prison
record, but being a ljfer couldn't get any
good time credit; he was rich and
prosperous, but his body, like that OF u
,,auper's. went to the dissecting table
and not to the hillside where he had
fondly hoped to rest at last.
The correct story OF his crime is now
so old that it is fresh to the public. He
lad come from Indiana or Ohio and set
tied in Clayton county in the beautiful
| Turkey river valley, where he owned q
farm of $50 acres. He had a wife n
family and ought to have been content
| with his lot. But he became entangled
| with a grass widow named Maria Hag-
erty who lived not far away, and in a
| rash moment he thought ne could end
his troubles brought upon himself by his
own wrong acts by placing her out of
lnS Way III bSCGIiUGl, loOc, liLJlIIlIsoii
induced the widow to go with him in a
sled for Il ride. Her three children ac-
companied her-two boys and a young
| girl. Thompson was desperate and de-
| termined thai all should perish. He
| either killed them in the sled or smoth-
cred them in sorne way, AND drove on
| toward the Mississippi river. The river
was frozen over and he crossed a short
distance below Cassville, Wis, where he
found an air hole in the ice. He cast the
| bodies of his victims into this hole I'M
| DER the ice, then burned the bows of his
sled and the straw and blankets. and re-
turned home. 1t was an ali-night job.
but he was not detected directly at his
pefarious task.
The family was missed from the
reighborhood and great was the wonder,
but not until the bodies were found in
the spring and recovered was 1t known
that a murder had been committed.
| suspicion fastened upon Thompson be-
cause of his known intimacy with Mrs.
Hagerty. Circumstantial evidence ac-
cumulated and Thompson was indicted
for murder. His trial was In West
Union. the case having been transferred
from Clayton on the ground Of preju-
dice against the defendant. 1t COM
menced on June q and lasted nine days.
Thompson was found guilty and SEN
fenced to be hanged. He was AIKEN to
Dubuque. Appeal was had and a de-
feet in the trial found. But there was
also some talk of taking the case over
into Wisconsin, inasmuch as the BODIES
were sunk in the river neal the Wiscon-
sin shore. At my rate, Thompson pre-
ferred, rather than to have another trial,
to accept Imprisonment for life. He
dreaded hanging and escaped it mar
rowly.
The case was a notable one in the law
annals of northeast Iowa. The trial
nudge was Milo McGlathery. Charles T.
Granger. late chief justice OF Iowa, was
the district attorney and prosecuted the
case. He was assisted by Judge Muir
dock and John T. Stoneman. The de-
Tense was by eS-Congressman Tom Up
degraff. Judge Noble, e. Odell and l.. l..
Ainsworth. Thompson finally admitted
the crime and gave the details. He was
sent to the Fort Madison penitentiary
late in 1870, about thirty-one years ago.
Thompson's family continued to live
on his farm and his children grew to
maturity. He had a small bank ac-
count which he kept in his own name
when he was at Fort Madison. When
the new penitentiary was opened at
Anamosa sixteen years ago Thompson
was removed to that place. He had
$500 in the bank and he wanted it taken
to Anamosa and placed in the bank
there. Business transactions We're US
ually transacted by the clerk of the
prison. The money went n the
bank of Niles & Waters, on certificate
of deposit for $500. This is the money
over which a controversy was had
which was finally carried to the SUI
preme court. Clerk Gllbrath a
drawn the money out on his own ac-
count for 1t to the prisoner. Thcmp-
son sued the bank for the money.
claiming that the clerk was not his
agent and had drawn the money with
out his authority. The bank resisted
and in the lower court won he case.
But Thompson was persistent n took
the ease to the supreme court. At the
term just closed his case was finally
disposed of, and the supreme court
took his side and reversed Judge Rem
ley. The supreme court held that the
convict has the same right to his pri-
yate property as the free man. that the
bank should nc more pay out money
belonging to a convict without the ex-
press order of the convict than 1t
should deed away lane without his
signature, that the clerk having no
right to the money the bank will have
to pay it again. The rule laid down by
the supreme court was sweeping and
final. Thompson nae won his case.
But less than two weeks before this
happened old Andre Thompson had
ceased to be pointed out as the Oldest
prisoner and the wealthiest life con-
Wet in the Iowa penitentiaries. He had
died at the ripe age of rs. He was
fully resigned to his life and never
caused any trouble. In his later years.
so it is said. he had shown signs of
mental weakness.
Vi story does not end here, how
ever, for it's most pathetic chapter fol-
lowed death. The body was claimed
by the medical department of the state
university for the dissecting table, ana
there being no protest from the rel
atives the body was sent to the doc
tors. Then the will was opened and
read. He had made a request in the
will. which was to the effect that the
body should be sent to his own farm
in Clayton county and be buried there,
the expense OF such removal and
burial should be paid by the estate be-
fore any money should be paid to the