The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-01-12
VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER
IN THE THOMPSON CASE.
Testimony and Arguments Concluded
Saturday Afternoon-Jury Was
Only Out Two Hours.

The third trial of j. Shaw Thomp-
son, of Citrus county. for the killing
of j. NJ. Tnlis, was concluded late
Saturday afternoon after a very
strenuous legal battle Of four days
duration.
The case has excited intense interest
in Citrus county and a great many
witnesses were in attendance.
Mr.. Thompson, the defendant. lives
on a game preserve near the Chassa-
whiska swamps and Mr.. Tillis was a
member of Il hunting party, and it is
claimed that he got lost from his par
ty and approached. the Thompson resi-
dence in attempting to find his way
back to the camps Of mis- comrades
and that Mr.. Thompson was put on
! notice that the man had been lost, and
! if he should see him to direct him the
way to the camps, but instead Of do
ing so he wantonly shot and killed
him. The presumption is that Thomp-
son thought that Tillis had an idea
| that he lThompson) was distillins
moonshine liquor and was hunting
| around for the still, and that it in
censed him and the shooting was the
| result. Mr.. Thompson and his friends
state that this man did not approach
| the house where the light was burn
| ing as a man who had lost his way
would have done, but on the contrary
! was prowling on the premises near his
stable with a gun in his hand, and
| that when hailed he refused to give
! a satisfactory explanation of his
conduct and indeed failed to make
| any explanation at all, that Thompson
warned him that if he did not give
an account of himself or leave the
premises he would shoot him, that he
| had ample time to have left but re-
| fused to do SO, and when warned
sought the protection of II tree and
when he reached it told Thompson
to fire and he did SO. This is a brief
| statement of the case
The lawyers began the argument of
the case at 8 o'clock Saturday morn
ing and did not finish until o'clock
! in the afternoon.
1t was our misfortune not To hear
the opening speeches of Colonel T. P.
| Lloyd of Inverness, for the prisoner,
| and acting states attorney, f. w. Da-
Wis, of this city, for the state. but
| those who heard them state that both
efforts were very fine.
Mr.. r. l.. Anderson was the leading
| counsel for the defense and spoke
more than three hours, and his speech
| is recognized by all who listened to il
as a great and finished production. 1t
gesture correspondent and harmonized
| with his utterances. and every word
| chosen carried force and weight with
| it, Mr.. Anderson's friends were par
ticularly pleased with his handling OF
the case and he was congratulated by
| many, and as a forceful. finished and
| impressive speaker increased the repu-
| tation he already enjoys.
Hon. Thomas Palmer. of Tampa,
| closed the case for the state. He
| enjoys the reputation of being one OF
the best criminal lawyers in the
state and most effective before a jury
| and his speech here Saturday made
plain why he enjoys this reputation.
He is much more impulsive and i'm
| passioned than Mr.. Anderson and had
given this case thorough study and
| great preparation and used all the
| powers at his command to convince
| the jury that wanton and unprovok-
! ed murder had been committed and
it was their duty as jurors to see
| that the good name and reputation Of
! the state did not suffer.
Mr.. Palmer did not mince his words
and although the aged wife Of the
aged prisoner was present he told the
| jury that they should not be guided
by sympathy but should let only the
cold facts in the case weigh with
them.
Mr. Palmer acquitted himself most
creditably and every one pronounced
his effort in every way equal to the
importance Of the case.
The jury was only out about two
hours when they returned a verdict
/ Of manslaughter.