The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-01-18
DIDN'T DIE BY
HIS OWN HAND
Latest in Thompson Muir
der Mystery.
GUN FOUND BESIDE HIS BODY
Hadn't Been Fired for Months
Officials Can't Find
the Motive.
THOMPsON'S son Is ARRESTED

Providence, Ky, Jan. 13-The
inquiry authorized by the county
and conducted by the county judge
'and Attorney Bennett into the MUIR
der on December 20 OF H. T. Thomp-
son, prominent merchant, has ended.
1t was stated by the county attor-
ney that the hearing had developed
a clue which would be followed fur
Their, but that evidence would not
warrant an arrest. u was learned
that the theory of a woman in the
case" is the new development of
greatest interest in this murder
which is without a parallel in West
ern Kentucky.
/ The close examination of the pis-
toll found beside Thompsons body,
evidently left by the murderer 70
| strengthen the suicide theory. shows
I that this weapon did not cause
/ ThOmpson's death. The gun is rus
/ ~, the three empty cartridges in it
/ arc widowed, and the burn powder
/ is hard. The barrel is dirty inside
and full of rusty projections and
dust which have not been disturbed
in months. County Attorney Bennett
is emphatic in stating that, although
the pistol belonged to Thompson and
was found beside his body, yet it was
not fired on December 90, the day of
his death, and had not been dis
charged for probably three months
to year previously.
That the pistol was merely placed |
near the body in order to avert sus-
picion, seems beyond question. Rea- /
soning from this fact, it seems GER
tain that the shot which killed I.
Thompson was fired from in front
and struck above the eye That this .
was the first and fatal shot is proved .
by the fact that his hat was pulled |
below the bullet wound, but there
was no hole in the hat.
1t appears reasonable that when .
the murderer found that Thompsons .
pistol had three empty chambers, he |
decided to fire two more shots into .
the head of the already dead man.
AS Thompson's face was lying next .
to the ground, the murderer did not /
take the trouble to turn it over, but .
fired twice into the back of the head. /
at close range. This was where the |
slayer bungled, and in his haste to .
make suicide appear, left indisputa-
Bile evidence of murder. For, the /
pistol was held so close in firing the |
shots into the back of Thompson's |
head that the hair was powder burn
ed. There is, however, no powder .
burn visible about the wound in the .
forehead.
While the murderer left three bull /
let holes in ThompsOn's head. to cor. |
respond with the three discharged |
cartridges in Thompson's pistol. the .
manner of making these wounds in .
itself is proof positive of murder. |
Every official who has investigated |
the case proclaims the undoubted .
fact that Thompson was most foully
murdered
The effort made to throw the hint
of suicide over the death of Thomp-
son is regarded as important. 1t
shows that robbery was not the mo-
tive. It likewise shows that there
was some hidden reason for the kill
ing, reason which the officials have
not yet been able to ascertain. Ar
guing from all these facts, the Off
Gals believe that the criminal was
some one close to and in the conf
dence of the murdered merchant, and
that the slayer is still in Providence.
There has been no one missing from
here since the tragedy.
The widow of the murdered man
has offered a reward of $3.50 and
citizens are also raising a purse to
be offered. The county, city and
State will also post rewards. Before
the end of the week at least 81. 800
will be posted for anyone who can
bring the criminal to justice.
Asked tonight If he was satisfied
as to the innocence of Thompson's
son, who discovered his fathers
body but did not go to him. Coun-
ty Attorney Bennett said that in the