Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-03-23


horses, farmers driving twenty miles
and more to be present OF the opening
of the trial. Boles has made no pub
lie statement, sealing his lips until he
is called to the witness stand on the
advice of his attorneys.
Boles viewed the proceedings with
manifest indifference, though he
would cough and vince when he would
hear the word murdered" uttered
by Judge R. F. Cochran, who is pre-
siding at the trial, during his interro-
cation of those summoned for jury
service as to their views on eircum-
stantial evidence and capital punish
ment.
Boles is mere boy; being barely
twenty-four. Mrs. Thornhill is not
yet twenty, it is said. She looks older,
however. She is comely woman OF
the brunette type with suggestion
Of masculinity in her features, un-
kempt in her attire, a typical back
woods woman. She can neither read
nor write. Neither can Boles. Mrs.
Thornhill, who has instituted suit
for divorce here against her first hus-
band, George Thornhill, alleging de-
sertion, AYERS that she did not know
that she was committing a violation of
law when she married Boles. She says
that when her husband went away
from her and did not come back she
supposed she had right to be joined
in marriage with another man.
Christmas day Boles procured three
cans of sardines. He brought them
home and told his wife they were to
be served at their Christmas dinner,
at which were to be present himself,
his wife and their baby. Two of the
cans were opened with the key that
is supplied with each can. The third
was slit with a pocket knife in order,
the prosecution attempted to show,
to distinguish it from the two other
cans. The can on which the pocket
knife was used was placed at the
plate of Mrs. Boles. Boles and child
ate heartily of their portion, but Mrs.
Boles complained Of bitter taste in
the sardines that she was served.
She ate few and then pushed the
box aside. DR.. Jeff McRae testified
at the trial that on Christmas day,
before noon, Boles purchased from
him a phial of styrchnine. In the af-
ternoon of Christmas day, few hours
after dinner, Mrs. Boles was taken
slightly sick. She was then visiting
at the home of her mother, Mrs. Me-
Donald. She had her child with her.
Mrs. Boles remained at the home of
her mother Christmas night. The fol-
lowing morning she appeared to be
entirely recovered from her indispo-
sition and returned to her home.
Mrs. Boles told her mother while
on her death bed, that on the even
ing of the Goth, when she died, that
she had been given a toddy. This
toddy, the prosecution endeavored to
convince the jury, contained the ia
tai dose, for directly after it was
drunk Mrs. Boles was seized with vio-
lent commissions, in one of which she
expired. On Dec. 9th Mrs. Boles
was buried. The husband and
his child went to the home of his fa-
ther, William Boles, a resident Of
Energy. Paul Boles, a brother of the
accused, is married to a sister Of Mrs.
George Thornhill.
One month and four days after the
death of his wife Boles was married
to Mrs. Thornhill, the ceremony hav-
ing been performed by David Gavin,
a member of the Board of Supervisors.
The couple went to live at the home
of Mrs. Martha Evans, the mother of
Mrs. Thornhill. Two days after the
wedding Boles and the woman for
whom he had so soon forgotten his
dead wife were informed that their
marriage was illegal and that Mrs.
Thornhill was guilty of bigamy, not
having been divorced from George
Thornhill. Boles made several visits
to Meridian, on one Of which he was
accompanied by Mrs ThornhiIl, to
consult an attorney in reference to
obtaining divorce for Mrs. Thorn
hill.
Feb. 5, Boles was arrested on sus-
picion of having taken the life of
his wife. Three days later the body
of Mrs. Boles was exhumed. The
stomach was sent to Starkville, Miss,
for examination by the state chemist,
Prof. Hand. The body was exhumed
by Drs. John Smith and William An
derson. Prof. Hand reported that
strychnine in sufficient quantity to
have produced death was found in the
stomach of Mrs. Boles body. Boles,
who was placed in the county jail at
Quitman on the day of his arrest, was
given a preliminary hearing on the
charge of murder on Feb. IL.