The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-08-30
Says Son Fired When the
Father Approached,
Then THREW BODY TO GROUND
And Walked Away-Trial of
Young ThOS. Thompson
at Dixon.
ACCUSED TELLS SAME STORY

Dixon, KY, Aug. 23.-With the
placing of Thomas Thompson on
the stand in his own defense on the
charge of murder, for which he is
being tried for the alleged murder
of his father, at Providence last
December, the defense began its
testimony this morning, and by the
time court adjourned this afternoon
six of the defendants witnesses had
been heard There are forty or fif-
ty more witnesses to be heard in
the case and it now looks as If it
will be several days before the jury
will be charged with the case.
The most important witness for
the Commonwealth was Henry
Brown, who resumed the stand this
morning, who alleges to have been
the only eyewitness to the murder.
Saw Shots Fired.
Brown claimed he was passing
through the woods near the rock
house and saw Thomas Thompson
and Kerney Benjamin sitting on a
log reading a newspaper; that Hen
ry Thompson came up, and after
few words with his son, attempted
to chastise him, and that Thomas
coat pocket and shot his father;
that they grappled; that Thomas
threw his father to the ground and
that two more shots were fired, but
that he could not tell who fired
them. Thomas then placed a hat
on his fathers head and he and
young Benjamin started away, re-
turning to town by different streets.
Other witnesses testified that
about 4 o'clock, after Henry Thomp-
son was reported missing. Thomas
Thompson borrowed a horse to look
for his father, and was gone twenty
or thirty minutes and when he re-
turned he said he thought he had
found his father. Owen Barnhill,
bookkeeper at the Thompson store,
stated that about 2 o'clock young
Thompson wanted $50, and that he
let him have $40.
When young Thompson took the
stand the large crowd in attend
ance at the trial became perfectly
silent, and almost every word of the
accused could be heard throughout
the entire courtroom.
Defendants Story.
He testified that the night prev
ious to the murder of his father, he
stayed with Kerney Benjamin, and
young man by the name of Chap
pei; that they played the phono-
graph, drunk some beer and played
several games of cards before re-
firing, and that they set an alarm
clock to awaken them at 7 O'Clock
the next morning. When the alarm
clock sounded, Chapel arose, and
by the time he left, Thompson arose.
according to the testimony of the
accused.
Thompson claims that he went
to his fathers store and worked
until late that morning, when he
was informed that his father was
looking for him. Upon learning
this he went in search of his father,
but could not find him, and return
ed to the store, where he encount-
cred his brother-in-law, Thomas
Baker, whom he took to dinner with
him.
After dinner. young Thompson
claimed he returned to the store
and not finding his father, borrow
ed horse and went to the ice |
plant, and while in a field, heard a
shot, near the rock house, in the
ravine. Hearing the shot, he
thought it was some hunters, and
went in that direction, he claims,
and came upon the body of his
father.
He stated that he returned to
the store and notified his brother
In-law and one of the clerks of his |
find and they secured the body.
Young Thompson claimed to |
have had nothing to do with the
murder and that he had not seen
ais father since the day previous.
Pleads an Alibi.
Dixon, KY, Aug. 24.-The testi-
nony for the defense was continued
o-day in the trial of Thomas
Thompson, charged with the MUIR