The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-12-01
MRS. MCMAHON ACQUITTED
Court Says Grounds For Acquittal
Must be Determined

Mahon OF the charge Of mu der, is
still the chief topic of conve. sation in
this town.
The trouble leading up to the
tragedy was Of several months statd-
ing. Attorney Thomas had his Office
with Mrs. McMahon's husband during
Las lifetime, and the e had been more
or less trouble between Thomas and
the accused woman over the Office
building following the death Of Nc
Mahon, who for thirty years had been
a resident Of Sturgis and Meade coun-
ty.
1t was claimed that as the result OF
the trouble Thomas had tn eatened
Mrs. McMahon's life a number OF
times. She went to his Office about
8 o'clock on the morning of J ly 80,
last, and the qua rel was renewed.
At a certain stage In the proceedings
Thomas is alleged TO have reached
for his pistol, but he never succeeded
in getting it out. Mrs. Mcmahon i'm
mediately drew her own weap n from
the folds of her dress and fir d, the
bullet piercing Thomas head. He
ANN "a " lew bloliVhlos HiiHs M
Mahon was AIMED with a yS-call0er
Colts automatic revolver. The bull
let entered Thomas head over the
right eye, penetrating the brain.
There We're two eye witnes es TO
the tragedy. One OF these was Will
liam Curper, who testified that Mrs.
Mcmahon went into Thomas office
and said:
81 want you to vacate this Office
According to the testiTon o. Cur
per she then drew her reVo' e and
fred. When she entered tie Office,
Curper testified, Thomas was standing
with his back to the door taking TO
Curper. He turned and SIN led, but
made no answe" When sNo' he fell
and died almost instantly, &C ording
to the testimony OF Curper The otDer
eye witness was w. II. Anderson.
After carefully investigating the
tragedy, the co"oner's j ry retu ned a
verdict to the effect that Thomas came
to his death from a gus o. wound
Mrs. Nellie Mcmahon and fITthe than
that no mention was made Of the
probable intention of the m
Thomas refusal to vacate appeared
to be the only motive for the shoot
ing.
Thomas was about 80 years OF age,
and was considered one OF the best
attorneys in western South Dakota.
His father and mother es de at
O'Ne;ll. Neb. Mrs. Thomas father, G.
n. Hollingsworth. is a prominent dti-
zen of Hampton, Ia.
A big family reunion Of the Thomas
and Hollingsworth families hid been
planned for August. All Of the mem
bers of the two families who 90 Id do
so were to meet in Sturgls and enjoy
what would have been n Of the most
notable family reunions ever held in
the state.
On the morning Of his death Thorn
as before he left his home. Ta~ked a
small suitcase, as he expected TO a
the noon train for DeadwCod. On his
return in the evening he was to have
been met by his wife and children
and all were to have gone to Hot
Springs, S. D., to spend Sunday at that
resort.
AS a sequel to the tragic death OF
Thomas, Mrs. Thomas, his widow, re-
Gently Instituted a suit against Mrs.
Mcmahon by which she seeks to re-
cover damages in the sum Of $4,000
for the death OF her husband Mrs.
Thomas was left in nearly destitute
il circumstances, with five small chill
dren to support. The suit was insti-
tued for the purpose of compelling
Mrs. Mcmahon, who is a woman OF
considerable means to render all as
sistance possible in the caring for and
education of the five children who
have been left homeless and father
less.
Sturgis-In court this morning the
court passed judgment that Mrs. Nellie
Mcmahon, who was last night cleared
by a jury of the murder of Attorney
Thnnna rnmain In cuStndX of the