Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-30
Blacksmith Charged With Muir
dering His Wife Ap-
pears in Court.
HIS OWN CHILDREN SHUN HIM
Liulc Ones Fight When lie Trys to
Kiss Them. Hc Grins Dcmoniac-
nllS-CJntinurd Tomorrow.

The preliminary hearing of Thomas
I Vance. ,hc BLACKSMITH charged with
thc murder of nl- wife. began this
morning before Justice OF the Peace
Dana q. Smith. Vance is charged vltn
hrst degree murder. The complaint
ALLEGES uat ON Sow 25, Dc beat ana
kickc0 Mrs Vance muicuug fatal In
juies. ID is further alleged that he
placed biehloride of mercury Ia a
glass of water which Mrs. Vance drank
HISTORY or CASE.
Jbe death of Mrs. Vance was the re-
suit of her husbands brutality, It is
claimed on the day mentioned she
poured cup oI conee for Vance and
because the COTE oNcrhuwcQ Vance
became curaked and IL Is a.
legged threw tne cup at his
wife. struck her several vicious
blows Knocked her down and kicked
her several times. The following day
she drank the water alleged To- com
tain bichiorioc of mercury. Mrs. Vance
was removed TO "a hospital where she
died after many hours Of intense suf-
fcring. Vance had been arrested Tor
battery and later with assault with
intent Co KIN, and after the death Of
his wife complaint was filed against
him charging murder in the first de-
gree. The complaint was drawn up
10y Assistant County Attorney Farms
worth. Vance retained Judge W. s.
Magiunis of Ogden TO defend him.
CHILDREN TURN AWAY.
Vance was brought into Justice
smiths court "a few minutes before 10
o'clock this morning boy Deputy Sheriff
Emery The prisoner was handcuffed
and appeared nervous and il az ease.
lu the courtroom were "a number OF
witnesses. among them being three
children Of the accused, two little girls
and "a hoy. Vance spoke 90 them but
they refused To answer him. lilo kissed
each OF them, but the eldest girl and
the bo. turned their faces away with
a look Of disgust. Vance was Wsibly
affected by the rebuff
THEY ARE WITNESSES.
AT IO.i0. County Attorney Willard
Hanson arrived and Immediately called
The three children into another room
for private consultation with them.
The children are witnesses against
their father. charged with a most afro
cious and brutal crime
sTAREs AT OFFSPRING.
owing TO the fact that counsel for
defendant was late I'm arriving. Il was
1915 bsfore the case was called. Mean
while the prisoner sat Immediately ina
front of and facing his children, al a
distance OF about s feet. His eyes
were almost constantly upon them, and
often a smile, almost sardonical. was
upon his face. The boy looked Ia ono
direction, the girl In the other, 70 avert
their fathers gaze. and only the young
er child, a girl of about six year, could
be induced to look into his face. The
boy Is about 10 years OF age, and al
most from the time he entered the
courtroom until the noon recess, his
eyes glstened with teaTs.
WITNESSES ARE SWORN.
When Judge smith had completed
the reading of the complaint which
charged Vance with murder in the FIRST
degree. and contained three separate
counts, the prisoner was asked 10 plead,
and in a loud and decisive voice Vance
answered moi guilty and resumed
his scat
Tho following persons were called by
County Atty. Hansen and sworn as
witnesses: Cora +. Relpening. clara
Muudcrlick Amanda Vance. Helen
Abraham. Lent Vance and Florence
Vance. the last three beng defendants
children. Mrs. Abraham rs an aged
Syrian pedlcr and as she is unable to
speak the English Language. George
John WAS sworn as an interpreter
YOUNG WOMAN TALKS.
Mrs. Cora H.. Ralipcning. a prepos-
scssing young woman. was the first
witness examined. She lived next door
io the Nances, and testified that on
Nov. 20. between the hours OF ~ and
she heard rather loud talking I'm the
Nanc, home. the husband was saying
90 his wife, y told you not to-
hut the remainder was not understood
by witness Mrs Vance replied. III you
told me not 60. ! did NOT hear you
Immediately after this there was "a
sound as though some hard missile had
struck the wall or floor then another
sound. as some one falling 10 the floor,
followed by the scream OF children.
THAT BRUTE VANCE"
Winners went inside her own house.
and again heard c0mmollon IN the
Vance home Soon Mrs. Vance APP
peared at the back door and calling
t0 a Mrs. WunderIlch flid. Get po-
llcemnu. he is trying to XIII me-
who is trying t0 Rid your asked |
Mrs Wunderlich. t0 which came the
.eply. Tom Vance. the brute that |
can husband
witness saw Mrs. Vance after the |
.atter's husband had gone back to I
work. Mrs. Nanco.s shoulder was cove /
ever with coffee and she complained /
if suffering from the vicious blows /
he had received from Vance Next /
lly she was very ll. and her condition /
became such that she could rotalL /
othiLg upon her stomach Mrs Rah- /
anlng was in and out of the home ol
Dee Vances until ihe sick woman wac
AIKEN Go The hospital ON Che afternoon /
+ Thanksgiving day
The testimony of Mrs. NuudorlIch /
.as COrrohoratlNc of chat given De- \
rs. Rehpcning While calling upon /
Ere. Vance next day after The assault /
frs. Wunderlich was asked hy fho /
Hk woman to get her "a drink ol fresh
alter. aud she emrtied our the water
rst was in q glass hy me bedside. the
up afterwards supposed tn have cone Il
Iuri the poison. GOT clean glass aud
400 Mrs Vance "a drink
Tho CROSS uuosfi0u'ur 0f these two /
Illnesses by Judge Marnnls was very
1leuy conducted. and both held nrm-
t0 the stories fold.
SYRIAN PEDLER TEsTFIEs