The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-07
TOLD .P|7|EUL
TALE OF: CRUELTY / |. Il !
Mrs Thoinpson's Letters From
Song-Digger Country
Heartrcnding.
WAS WELL CONNECTED
Governor Nelson an Ancestor
Was Preparing to Come
.toSRichlnond.
WELL CONNECTED

WI. THOMPSON, who Is now in j. SAM
,lel M Cues coil inlthe jail at Charlottcs-
yi,le,b charged with the murder OF his
wife and two children, Is n typical noun
tairecr. He comes from the mountains
OF Bath county back of the Hot Springs,
where the sang diggers dwell whose
manners and morals smack of prehistoric
times. Many OF these mountain people
inhabt caves In the hills and live ron
roots 1t is said that the marriage SER
vice is almost a rite unknown, and that
the will OF the strong man is law. Those
who have ridden In the mountains near
the Hot and the Warm Springs know TINS TINS
manner Of people. d s.
,rhompsor's mother still lives In TINS
section, and 1t was there that w. d.
Thompson first took his wife to i've.
He kept a small store and was reputed
TO be well off, 81 " j5s y
Mrs Thompson, who was Miss Carrie
smith, OF Richmond. first married Mr..
6. G.. Thompson, q widower, who was
tho father Of Superintendent Thompson,
Of the fro alarm service. Charles Thoinp-
son Is tho son OF this union
After the death Of Mr.. c. 2. 3Thomp-
SON his widow moved to Waynesboro'
where she lived with n family by tiic
name OF Duncan. Here 1t was that sne
met w. j.. Thompson, whom she rlarrisu
at Staunton, VA and with Y she
went TO 1.-Two In the mountains lin OF lsath
q cnllnty.fs For two years after her mar
riage Mrs Thompson did not write 70
her relatives in Richmond, and, indeed,
they did not know that she was 'n ar -
When letters finally began to come they
told OF cruelty and neglect anu Z espe-
ciallyf of the cruelty of the mother OF
". j. Thompson. Not only was the wife
made to suffer, but her son, Chari 'e
was beaten and III used to such an e,
tent that he finally was forced to come
to Richmond to find protection q IN tho
house of his grand pal rents at y Q. ~ ~ -
West Cary Street, In this cl
Life at Shadwell.
Thompson next moved with his VIE
\ to the vicinity Of Shadwell, and shorty
thereafter his brother e. w. Ihfolnpso1li,
followed him. The brothers are sun NJ. -
havc united In the i'll treatment Of Mrs.
THOMPSON. whose letters to her family
we're most pathetic. She told OF now
4 O.. w. Thompson, the brother, had hela
her while her husband beat her or ucliy
with a stick, and had continued MS bloWs
until she was unconscious. IN ano oN
communication she told how her HUSBAND
had kicked and misused her because sshe
used food from the store-rooln.
The letters tell n tale OF hldeous lone
liness and of cruelty increasing
& "a feg, ilaysE before the awful tragedy
Mrs. Thompson determined TO leave her
miserable home and come to \ Rtchmondl:
Her husband refused to aid her. and SO
her son. Charles, who works son6a farm
some miles away from ShadWell. gave cav
her the money to purchase clothing " ana
( a railroad ticket to Richmond. she "h h ;
to have left on the Monday that followed
the burning. gg
IT is a brutal picture that is told by
Mr.. William Butler, of W. J, Thompson
visiting the charred cabin on Monday and
scratching with his fingers amongst the
ashes OF his wife and children IN the
attempt to discover money on the fioor---
the very money that she had begged
from her son to take her away from the
prosecutions Of her brutal husband.
twas like the twenty pieces OF silver
of Judas lscariot.
Mrs. Thompson WAS well connected IN
Virginia, being descendant OF Governor
Nelson 4; IA "a Z,
She was for many years member Of
Park Place Methodist Church, under the
pastorate or DR.. Harmon and DR.. Evans.
Her name still remains on the rolls OF
the church,
The published statement that Mr.. r.
II. Lee Smith, Jr.. brother Of Mrs. Thomp-
son, made second journey!6to Char
$lottesvillc is without foundation Mr..
Smith, accompanied by his parliamentary,
MI. Butler, Went to charlottesville and
shadwel on last Saturday night. but
returned to the city on the following
Monday.
One Charter Granted.
The State Corporation Commission yes
terday granted n charter to the Carpen-