The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-05-31
JURY VERDICT
THOMPSON TRIAL
CAUSES SURPRISE
James Thompson Guilty of
Manslaughter, Fined $3.50
for Death of VIM. Nabe.
DEFENDANTS LAWYERS
WILL NOT APPEAL CASE
Thompson Receives Jury's Find
ing With Smile-Will Remit
Fine Today.

The verdict imposing a fine &C S75p
upon James Thompson, who was tried
for the murder of William Nabe in the
Circuit Court at Jackson, caused con-
siderable surprise and comment in the
county and the city, when the finding
Of the jury which had been out since
midnight Thursday became known
during the day. Many believed the
verdict of the jurors was too lenient
Thompson, who accompanied by his
mother, had sat through the whole
trial, received the verdict with a faint
smile on his lips. After making an
engagements for the payment of the
fine, he left the courtroom, accom-
panied by his mother and two of his
attorneys, A. NJ. Sparkling and T. D.
Hines. Senator Thos. F. Lane, the
third attorney, was not present.
The verdict was returned shortly
after 10 o'clock yesterday morning.
Only few were in the courtroom to
listen to the reading Of the jurors
finding. The case was given to the
jury Thursday evening about IL
o'clock after the attorneys for the
defense and the States representa-
tives had finished their arguments.
Judge Kelly instructed the jurors that
they might find the defendant guilty
of murder in the first degree, as
charged in the indictment, or murder
in the second, or manslaughter in the
fourth degree, or agree upon an ac-
quittal.
1t was said yesterday that two
thirds of the jurors were in favor of
an acquittal, while the remaining four
voted to find the defendant guilty of
murder in the second degree and i'm
pose a sentence of 20 years in the
penitentiary. The manslaughter charge
on which Thompson was fined, is said
to have been a compromise in order to
prevent the case from ending in mis-
trial by chung" jury.
After receiving the verdict. ThOmp-
son was released on the old bond of
$4,000 on which he had obtained his
freedom after the preliminary hear
ing after which he had been bound
over to the grand jury.
The fine will be paid this morning.
the attorneys for the defendant an
nounced yesterday morning. There
will be no appeal. the attorneys an
nounced after the trial.
The speech made by y. A. Motley,
who assisted Prosecuting Attorney Ca
ruthers during the trial. according to
all who heard the noted attorneys ar
guments. was the most effective ever
made in the Jackson courtroom. One
of the attorneys for the defense said
yesterday that he never heard such a
splendid address before jury as the
one delivered by Attorney Motley
Thursday evening.
The attorneys for the defense said
they considered the verdict victory,
and would not appeal the case.
Thompson was charged with stab
bling Nabe to death during a Christ
mas celebration at the Cocker School
House last December. At no time
during the trial did the attorneys for
the defendant make any attempt to
dispute the fact that Young Nabe had
come to his death at the hands of the
defendant. They concentrated their
efforts on the attempt to prove that
Thompson had been forced to defend
himself after he had been attacked
by Nabe, because the latter had re-
sented a remark made by the slain
youth regarding the sale of some pies
during the celebration.