The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-24
INSANITY
 IS THE PLEA No Dgnial of Thompson's / Murders. Eyo oSENCE NEARLY ALL IN Efforts for Continuance Fail the ! Defense. The Prosecution so Certain of its Case That showings of Witnesses in
 Kentucky are Readily
 Admitted.
By win IT. sheehan.

By VIII ". Snecnan.
 Evergreen. Jan. 22.--(Staff Corre- spondence. )--'Not guilty by reason of insanity" said the attorney of Jack Thompson. standing before the jury which Is trying Thompson for his life in the Circuit Court of Conecuh Coun- ty.
 The compass of that plea holds life or death for the shrunken and miser- able prisoner, who, huddled in his chair. appeared not to hear the words. For the jury must believe that Jack Thomp- son was insane when he took gun in his hands and turned quiet Ever green home into shamble.
 The savage slaughter of his wife and his aged father-in-law was proven to- day. The defense made no attempt to throw any obstacle in the way of the proof. Their stand is upon insanity, which they expect to prove, to prove so conclusiveiy that the jury will not hold Thompson for the sudden and bloody work of tho September morning.
 Three times at least the defense sought a postponement before the trial began and three times 1t met disap- pointment. A final hope was in the showtngs of some Kentucky witnesses. all bearing strongly upon the question of insanity. But the State accepted these showings on their face, for the State was so ready for trial that 1t was willing to concede anything except the insanity of Thompson.
 Ten of BIeOdy sight.
 So witness after witness took the stand and told of the shotgun's bloody work at the Cooper home. The shots were heard, children screamed, and frightened neigi1bors ran in. Mir. Cooper was lying face downwards, his gray hair on the ground, with gaping wound in his body, In the dining room they found the wife and mother. the wife of. him who had done the slaugh- ter. found her dying upon the floor with her household duties about her half coflpiatea. Grrhapad 6hlidran were screaming in the yard. and there was the murderer with tho smoking gun ir his hand. s&5
 Sane or insane, tie prisoner is . mis- erabie, pitift1 object. He sits huddied and indifferent in his chair. apparently caring no more for the life and death drama being played out in the court room than if it were a game of chess of which he knew nothing. From prison life. from rennorse and trouble or from disease, his face is forbidding and repulsive. His matted, uncombed hair hangs low over his face in irreg- ular points and angles. His complexion has the sodden, moist pailor of the drug slave. His nose is large and fieshy. His eyebrows are heavy and his eye Iashes thick and dark. His eyes con- stantIy seek the floor. His soilcd hands with the long. black fingernails, are now and then feverishiy rubbed to- gether.
 Result of Leap for Freedom.
 One eye Is black and bloodshot and red bruises tattooed the left side of his face. Such are the marks that Jack Thompson has on his face from his leap from the court room window yesterday. At supper tonight In a jury room he broke down and moaned and cried. There were some standing around whom he had known before the murder.
 'If I could just turn back as I was a year ago this thing would be wiped out" he moaned. T wish ] had never done it. Won't you all come round and shake hands with mel"
 At his urgent request the authorities have written for a priest to come and see him. Every member of the jury trying the case is farmer. The jurors are: J. W. Guy, s. S. Kendrick. c. A. McLendon. J F. Turner John J. Lang ham, J. M. Ballard. E. D. Johns. Geo. J. Davis Turner Warren. Alex Autrey. John T. Mitchell, L.. A. Hall
 Contention O1 Defense.
 The attorneys for Thompson threw out their first line of defense when the case was called at the opening of the court. This was a sort of an outpost engagement, but the defense had some hope in it's outcome.
 Colonel Hamilton moved continu- ance of the trial because of the phys ical condition of the defendant after his fall of yesterday. The defendant, Your Honor" said Colonel Hamilton, "is in no physical condition to undergo a trial In his condition he Is not able to assist or advise with his attorneys. We. therefore, ask your honor to con tinue the case.
 Introduce your evidence as to his physical condition said Judge Rich srdson.
 "The mans own condition, his ap- pearance, is-the best evidence we could introduce, the strongest evidence we could introduce" said Colonel Hanltl- ton.
 Dr. McCreary was, however. called to the stand He was asked by Judge Richardson to make an examination or Thompson, ascertain and report 10 the court whether he was physically able to 20 on trial, whether he could give aid to his attorneys, in the selection of the iurv and advise with them during inc progress of the trial. Dr. McCreary asksd to he excused from serving alone. Four other physicians were then called to assist him in making the report and the examination. They were Drs. Newton. Beck, Tatom and Haygood.
 Examination of Thompson.
 The defendant was taken 10 jury room, by the Sheriff and deputy. He srooned. 70. Lordy; oh, I4ordy.' loudly ss they carried him. with his feet bare iv moving along the floor At the re- nuest of senator Powell, the attorneys for both the prosecution and the de- fense were admitted to the jury room while the examination was being made
 In fifteen minutes the physicians were back in court and ready to report The report was made by Dr. McCreary, who said: Tt is our unanimous Opin- ion that the defendant is able to go on with the trial"
 The physicians were closely ques- tioned by MT. Powell. They had found his temperature normal. but his pulse was high, being between 120 and Is0. There was no evidence that Thompson was suffering from any internaI inju- rfse az result of his jump from the