The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-03-08
TO PAY PENALTY
ON THE GALLONS
MAN WILL BE HANGED FOR MUIR.
DER OF ROOMMATE TWO
YEARS AGO.
WERE BOTH MARINES
In United States Service and Had
Been DISCHARGED Some Time
Previuos to Crime--killed
With an Axe.

Norfolk, Va, March 7.--Unless Gov
ernor Swanson interferes with the
sentence, which Is not considered
likely, tomorrow will be the last Sun
day on earth for Leo p Thurman, who
is TO be hanged here next Friday fol
the murder CT his roommate, Walter
P. Dolson, more than two years ago
The convicted man, who is not yet
thirty years old seems resigned to his
fate and is said to have made a full
confession of his crime.
Both the murderer and his victim
were marines in the United States ser
vice and had been discharged a short
time previous to the crime. Dolspn
was en- route to his home in Michigan
when he picked up with Thurman
The two young men became friends
and together they secured lodging In
an East Main street boarding house
in this city. Thurman was practically
penniless, while Dolson had abou.
$500, which he had saved from his pa
In the marine corps
While Dolson slept enc night Thur
man CHOPPED the defenseless man to
pieces with an axe, robbed him, pack
ed the body in trunk and tied tae
on it ready for shipment to Edenton
N. G. The crime was discovered al
most Immediately. but not before
Thurman had eluded the police and
left the city. He went south, and aft
er wandering across the continent
he finally located in Vancouver, b. c.
where he was captured, The passing
Of bad checks, which was an old prac
tice of his. proved his undoing. He
was arrested as result of a check
transaction, and when taken TO police
in Vancouver a detective
With good memory for faces recog
lized in the prisoner the man who
vas wanted for murder in this city.
Thurman, after the murder CT Dolson
lad travelled under the name OF Gould
The police of this city verified the de
of the prisoner, and hat
which he wore bearing the name of d
Norfolk halter completed the identifi
,ation.
Detectives OF the Norfolk depart |
nent were at once sent to British Co |
umbia to bring back the prisoner
i trip of six days across the cont |
ent and the much-hunted man wa
lnded behind prison bars. almost tive
ears after the murder had been com
1itted.
A speedy trial with verdict OF
iurder in the first degree and the las
HAPPIER in a career that was punctua
I'd by many misdeeds was completed
thurman was never placed on the
tand. His attorneys argued that If
heir client killed Dolsen he was in
ane at the time There was not a
fitness for the defense. except to
y to prove that Thurman had been
partly insane at times.
Thurman was bern in West Point
y, and In his youth was newsboy
/ Cincinnati and several other Ohio
tiles. Prior to enlisting in the ma
ne corps be had been in several
,rapes of more or less serious ma {
ire. After his arrest on the mur
sr charge his family gave him what
ID they could. A brother came from
entucky, and a lawyer came with S
i'm to assist in the defense. 1t dii
Of take the jury but a few minutes
)wever. 70 arrive at a verdict Of !
nifty. The first trial took place last Z
INNER, and Thurman was sentenced
hang the latter part Of September
n appeal to the supreme court re
lied in a stay. The higher court de
med to interfere in the case. where
'on the young man was sentenced r.
y the death penalty on Friday. tn
irteenth day OF March, :