The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-12-28
Providence Man Murdered.

Providence, Ky, Dee 2S.-Henry
r. Thomson, president of the Prov
.idence department store and one of
the wealthiest and best known mer-
chants in western Kentucky, was
found murdered and robbed in des-
plate wooded hillside. The killing
Is the most mysterious that the Off
,ials here have ever had TO deal with.
There are two bullet holes in the
back of his head and one in the
tight eye. DR.. A. O. Williams, in
testifying before the magistrate, said
hat II would have been impossible
for Thomson to have killed himself
because any of the three shots would
have been instantly fatal.
The only clue 81 far developed IL
hat OF Mrs Mamie Benton who
leard the shots and saw three men
going toward the cemetery alongside
he woods. The killing is supposed
10 have taken place about 3 O'Clock.
rhe body was found by a searching
Jarty which started out at noon
when Thomson's absence from his
tore and home was noticed.
He was AZ years OLD and was said
o have good habits. He has a wife,
4 son and two daughters.
Thomson left home at about Z
o'clock this morning and went to his
tore where he inquired for his son
who had spent the night with boy
hum. Magistrate B. @. Sigler was
lne of the several people who saw
Thomson in the store and talked
With him this morning. The magis-
rate says Thomson looked at papers
md pronounced them correct. He
appeared normal in all respects.
Thomson is said to have left his
tore about s o'clock and started
through town. 1t Is said he was seen
going toward the cemetery. north OF
Providence, by Lige Williams a
negro livery employee.
About o'clock Mrs. Mamie Ben
on who lives 200 yards from the
wooded bluff where Thomson's body
vas found. heard shorts but did not
make an investigation. 1t is said
hat she and another woman saw
hree men, none of whom was recog-
lized. in that vicinity at that time.
At noon Thomson could not be
ound neither at his store nor his
rome. He had promised to be at
ZONE for dinner. the occasion being
, spread in honor of Mrs. ThOmson's
birthday. When he could nowhere
be located. searching parties were
formed and a hunt started.
At O'Clock VIII Langley and
Tom Baker. the latter being Thorn
sons son-in-law, discovered Thorn
sons lifeless body lying face down
ward on the rocky BLUM. beyond the
down hill from the cemetery which
is on top of the hill The place is
lhickly wooded. II Is accessible only
from the cemetery side. The burial
ground is entered from the south, the
side nearest the city, by road. II
was on this road that the women gay
they saw three men walking be-
tween 8 and 3 o'clock
Thomson's hat was pulled down
over his face. The ground was
trampled over. giving evidence of a
struggle There were three bullet
holes in his head. two from behind.
II is said that when last seen in the
store he had about 500 in his pock-
ct. This was missing when his cloth
ing was searched and less than IS
was found. His trousers were pulled
up knee high as II his slayers mad
searched his hose and shoes for
money.
After Thomson's body had been
removed and Magistrate Sigler had
assembled a coroner's jury, John
Wynn Is said to have discovered a
pistol not far from where Thomson's
BODY had been discovered.