The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-02-02
HE WILL DIE
On the Gallows For a Most Helm.
Gus Crime.
BRUTE TO BE- HANGED
The Law INDICATED In the Case of An.
drew Thompson, Who, Within Five
Weeks From the Commission
of the Crime. Is Tried and
Condemned to be Hung.
Condemned to be Hung.

Condemned to be Hung.
There has scarcely ever been sc
much interest at own in any criminal
trial In Gree1ville as is shown in the
trial Of the rapist, Andrew TiO'up
son, who is charged with assaulting
Mrs. Frank james, the wife OF q
farmer, near Taylor's, December 18
1906, which was begun In the court
of sessions Wednesday morning at 10
o'clock, says special dispatch to The
State. A verdict Of guilty was re.
turned Wednesday afternoon.
According to the testimony of Ben
Smith and Charlie Moseley, both col.
ored, they were with the defendant at
sundown on the day the alleged crime
was committed, about a quarter Of a
mile distant from the James home
They parted at that point, after
having partakeD of whiskey from a
pint bottle which the defendant had.
Before they parted this bottle was
emptied. Thompson went In the d..
rectiOn OF the James h' ma, they TO
their homes In an opposite direction.
This bottle figured prominently in
the trial. An empty bottle was found
at the place where Mrs. James wae
assaulted, which, when presented to
these witnesses, brought forth the
statements that IF 1t wasn't the
same bottle Thompson carried and
from which they drank, 1T looked very
much like It,"
Mrs. James testimony was pathetic
ard caused no little interest. There
was no disorder among the crowd,
which was silent to catch the words
of the witness. She was visibly af-
footed as she took the stand. 1t WAS
/ o trying ordeal, and II the courts ha1
!: any way to shield q woman from such
publicity i6 would undoubtedly be
done. Her voice was faint when she
answered the first few questions Of
Solicitor Boggs, but she b, c ,me moro
confident as the x animation pre- esed.
cd and 1t was not necessary fer the
solicitor to propOun6 questions to Sc
cure her evidence. Sne testified that
q negro giving his name as Andrew
Thompson came to or house about al,
hour by sun and W n5 away. About
dark the same maj. returned and asked
where her husband was. She told
him that he was In GreenYille. She
suspected the negro was up to nc
good and picking up lamp, started
out at her front door for the home OF
Mrs. Phillips, few hundred yar1s
Hn tr,x I'D 4
toward the back of the yard. After
she had gone only few yards the
negro ran up behind her and taking
hold Of her jerked the lamp from her
hand. A terrible SCI I'll, ensued. Shf
made superhuman effJrts to rtpul {
the attack, but was overpowered anc
the crime was committed, from Whicl
she 81 fl sred greatly.
At this point in the testimony SO
lioitor BogRs asked: Is the defen
dant 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 im.
portant to convict the defendant
Mrs. James looked straight at the
prisoner, who sat by the side Of bis
attorney. "That is the man." said
she In strong voice, that did it,
and after slight pause, that's the
dogl" This testimony caused con.
siderable stir and the deputies moved
about among the crowd.
Constable Rainey testified Go the
capture OF Thompson In his homo ant
his Identification by Mrs. James tht
next day. He was In a drunken
stupor when arrested and made differ
emit and conflicting statements to th'
magistrate.
TO show that the defendant wa
not at the JameR home when the Grim,
was committed and that strang
negro was in the neighborhood Is tn
sole defence Of the negro Thompson
and upon this the defendants cas-
rested. Attorney McSwaln for tn
defense In the GROSS examination o
all witnesses for the State, sought Il
bring out testimony showing ther
was d strange negro In the vicinit
where the crime was committed
Such strange person was there
abouts the afternoon Of the crime
The positive Identification OF the dc
fendant by Mrs. James and the chai
OF evldedce which clings about th
bottle are strongly contradictory t
the theory of the defense and ar
questions which win be decided b
the jury.
! The State closed It's case at the moo
hour, all the testimony being hear(
The defense put up no witnesses an
arguments were at once begun Th
defence by not introducing any ev
dence occurred the last argument I
the jury. Mr.. ALVIN II. Dean asss
ed the prosecution and made tl
opening argument for the Stat.
Always logical and eloquent, he mac
one Of the strongest speeches ev,
heard In o Greenville court room. 4
was followed by Solicitor RIsgs, wl
made short argument and analyzt
the testimony. Eloquently the 8
licitor appealed for Ghe protection
helpless women and the suppressic
OF mob law by the petit jury doing |
duty. His speech was forcible al
delivered With characteristic earnns
ness.
John j. McSwain made tho closil
argument. He was appointed by u
court to defend Thompson, and