The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-01-31
BRUTE TO.BE HANGED.
Ehe Law y9;;as;isated in the Case Of An
drew Thompson, Who, Within Five
Weeks From the Commission
OF tie Crime. is Tried and
Condemned to be Hung.
Condemned to be Hung.

There has scarcely ever been 30
nmuch interest shown in any criminal
trial In Gree2vllle as is shown in the
trial Of the rapist, Andrew Tho'up.
.son, who is charged with asSaulting
Mrs. Frank James, the wife OF a
farmer, near TsYlor's, December Is,
1906, which was begun in the court
syof sessions Wednesday morning at 10
O'Clock, says a special dispatch to The
State. A verdict Of guilty was re-
turned Wednesday afternoon.
According to the testimony OF Ben
Smith and Charlie Mossley, both col.
.ored, they were with the defendant as
:sundown on the Gay the alleged crime
was committed, about quarter Of q
milo distant from the James home.
They parted at that point, after
having partaken of whiskey from a
mint bottle which the defendant had.
Before they parted this bottle was
emptied. Thompson went In the d.
rection OF the James home, they to
their homes In al opposite direction.
This bottle figured prominently In
the trial. an empty bottle was found
at the place WHARF Mrs. James was
assaulted, which, when presented to
these witnesses, brought forth the
statements tnat If it wasn't the
same bottle Thompson carried and
from which they drank, it looked very
much like It,"
Mrs. James testimony was pathetic
sand caused no little interest. There
was no disorder among the crowd,
which was silent to catch the words
of the witness. She was visibly az
fected as she took the stand. 1t was
q trying ordeal, and If the courts had
amy way TO shield woman from such
publicity it would undoubtedly be
done. Her voice was faint when she
answered the first few questions OF
Solicitor Boggs, but she became more
confident as the examination prccsed-
ed and it was not necessary for the
solicitor to PROFOUND questions to Sc
cure her evidence. She testified that
negro giving his name as Andrew
Thompson came to her house about an
hour by sun and went away. About
dark the same man returned and asked
where her husband was. She told
him that he was in GreenYille. She
suspected the negro was up to no
good and picking up q lamp, started
out at her front door for the home OF
Mrs. Phillips, a few hundred yards
away. The negro turned and went
toward the back Of the yard. After
she had gone only a few yards the
negro ran up behind her and taking
hold of her jerked the lamp from her
hand. a terrible scufls ensued. She
made superhuman efforts to repulie
the attack, but was oVerpoWered- and
the crime was committed, from which
she suffered greatly.
At this point in the testimony So.
licitor Boggs asked: is the defen.
,tlant who sits there the man who as.
suited you, or is he not, Mrs. james,"
The silence which prevailed over the
crowded court room WAS deathlike.
The spectators had listened for this
question, which was the most i'm
portant to convict the defendant
Mrs. James looked straight at the
nrisoner. who sat by the side of his
attorney ''That is the man." said
she in strong voice, that did it,
and after slight pause, THAT'S the
dog!" This testimony csused a con-
siderable stir and the deputies moved
about among the crowd.
Constable Rainey testified to the
capture of Thompson in his home and
his Identification by Mrs. James the
next day. He was in a drunken
stupor when arrested and made differ
Sent and conflicting statements to the
magistrate.
To show that the defendant was
not at the James home when the crime
was committed and that a strange
negro was in the neighborhood is the
sole defenca of the negro Thompson
and upon this the defendants case
rested. Attorney McSWain for the
defense in the cross examination CT
all witnesses for the State, sought to
bring out testimony showing there
was strange negro in the vic nifty
where the crime was committed.
Such q strange person was enere-
.abouts the afternoon of the crime.
The positlvs Identification OF tue &C.
fendant by Mrs. James and the chain
OF evldedce which clings about the
bottle are strongly contradictory TO
the theory Of the defense and are
questions which swills be decided by
the jury.
The State closed its case at the noon
hour, all the testimony being heard.
The defense put up no witnesses and
arguments were at oncs begun. The
defence by not introducing any evil
dence secured the last argument to
the jury. Mr.. ALVIN b. Dean assist
ed the prosecution and made the
opening argument for the State.
Always logical and eloquent, he made
one of the strongest speeches ever
heard in a Greenvtlle court room. He
was followed by Solicitor Boggs, who
made short argument and analysed