The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-06
JMURERED AND
THEN BURNED.
{ContInued From First Page.)

HEN BUknED.
CONTINUED From First Page.)
Thompson remarked that he was extrome-
ly utlucky; that his first wife and her
two children had died the same year..
Since he has been accused OF the murder
of his second wife. the circumstances utl-,
der which his first family died are re.
garded as suspicious. He was ploughing
ut Belmont when Jarman, the mail cay
rier, stopped In the road and called TO
him the news Of the burning. He went
to the fire.
''They tell mo family was burned UP
here last night he said TO those about
the smoking ashes II expected 1t.
Swears to Cruelty.
He did not manifest sorrow as deep as
his neighbors thought the circumstances
Justified and called for. Young Thomp-
son. the fifteen.year.od son Of Mrs.
Thompson by lier first husband, who
was also named Thompson, swears to
tho story of cruelty to his mother by
his stepfather Young THOMPSON works work.
FOR a farmer over the mountain several
miles from where his mother resided
and died. He is a boy Of more than tho
average Intelligence of youths Of his
class He says Thompson drove him
from home. and that he ciokcd and beat
Mrs. Thompson the Sunday before her
death.
The youth says ne went home on TINT
day to get some clean clothing. Thomp-
son had forbidden his wife to wash for
his stepson. Young Thompson was in
the yard with his mother when his step
father was seen coming up the road.
Thompson ut once began throwing stones
at his stepscn, who ran away. Young
Thompson says no came back when his
stepfathcr had gone and his mother said
he had beaten her The boy told a man
In the community he was afraid to tell
his wife had not separated.
Tle merchant ut Shadwell. Mr.. Smith,,
says Thompson used to buy family sup
plies and take them home. He has
bought nothing for home, 80 far us
known. for about two months.
It Is said Mrs. Thompson r1ore than
once brought her children two miles
down the mountain. through the snow
to their father and begged him to save
her and them from starvation. and that
no sent them back unmoyed to pity and
help. I could not confirm this abso-s
lutely.
The Woman in the Case.
IT. is time "the woman in the case
was appearing, I havo been searching for.
her.. She sis not definitely located.
There Is a family living over the noun
tain two or three miles from the site OF
the Thompson home. Thomps on used ito
spend evenings there playing cards"
he said. * s g4 55
Mrs. Thompson Is said TO have opposed
her husbands visits to this neighbours.
thought It is not known hat there was
reason for Jealousy, nor is anything
known against the character of the
family. 5s1f58 i,
have reason to believe that young
woman who works In Charlottesville can
throw a flood OF light on the tragedy,
X murder was committed. u have not
Keswick neighborhood, some miles from
babies died. could not even
seen her and told me this afternoon she
Is proba bly, tho most beautiful typo of
the mountaineer girl he has ever seen.
She has been In Charlottesville for some
time. There arc rumors linking her
name and Thompson's. The clue is q
slender one But 1t may be the most
important that Will develop. The fore
going outlines the case against Thompson.
1t is far from complete The prosecu-
ton will have to strengthen 1t very ma =
terlally In order to justify Magistrate
Williams IN holding Thompson at tho pre-
slininary hearing to be held at shadwe'l.
Tuesday. 4. st III sss5 v. sSs5SSi