The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-12-30
LEXINGTON MAN MURDERED mi
CHRISTMAS EVE CROWD.

LEXINGTON, ky, Dec. 29.-1
With Main Street, between Upperi
and Mill Streets, crowded with
Christmas shoppers Wednesday after!
noon, James Welch, farmer, of
Donerail, Scott County, shot and al
most instantly killed j. S. Thomson,
so years old, travelling salesman,
who lived at 400 Woodland Avenue.
The tragedy took place in front
of Kresge's 5 and 10-cent store in
the midst of Christmas Eve rush Of
belated shoppers.
Seated in an automobile which
stood near the curbing were Thorn
ason's wife and two children who
saw their husband and father sink
to the ground MORALLY wounded. He
died within a few minutes after he
had fallen to the sidewalk.
WEIGH was arrested before he
could make an attempt to escape,
had he planned to do so. Almost be-
fore he had ceased firing he was
seized by Patrolman Jackson, who
rushed from the corner Of Main and
Mill Streets when the first shots
rang out. 'r----
Welch fired six shots in all, the
mechanism of his revolver jamming
after tire sixth shot. Two more car
tridges undjscharged were found in
the magazine of the revolver after
it had been examined at the police
station.
All six Of the shots fired by Welch
took effect. Three of the bullets
entered the left arm, the other three
taking effect in the left breast. Al
most any of the three which entered
the breast would have been sufficient
to have caused death, according to
those who viewed the body at the
undertaking establishment of John
Milward, at Second and jefferson
Streets, where it was moved shortly
after the shooting.
Hundreds of people rushed to the
assistance Of Thomson as he sank
to the sidewalk, and owing to the
crowded condition Of the many stores
and streets it was only with the great
est difficulty that the crowd was
kept under control by police. Thorn
ason died within few minutes after
he fell to the sidewalk, according to
police who were the first to reach
his body following the shooting.
One of the bullets fired by WEIGH
penetrated the body of Thomson
and struck the machine in which
Mrs. Thomson and the two children
were seated breaking the windshield.
Neither Mrs. Thomson nor either of
the children were injured.
The shooting took place shortly
otter q Atn1ooE o~A hor ~1-~s
directly in front of the entrance to
Kresge's store which was crowded 10
capacity at the time by Christmas
shoppers
Within five minutes after the last
shot had been fired more than five
hundred people had gathered about
the scene ard it was only with the
greatest of difficulty that the police
were able to prevent them from
crowding IT, about the dead body IF
Thomson.
WEIGH was charged with murder
wher taken to the police station. he.
gave his age as SO years and stated
that he was farmc- living at Doa-
Grail, KY, about six lies from Lex
ington.
Coincident with Ike killing %
Thomson We !nesda afternoon it
was recalled by mary persons that
almost two months ago Thomascn
suffered from poisoning said to have
been CAUSED from WHISKY which he
drank while near Richmond, KY.
At the time this occurred Thorn
ason said he had passed man walk
ing On the road and had invited him
to ride with him. During the ride the
stranger offered Thomson a drink
of whisky, which he took and which
afterwards was said to have been
the cause of his poisoning. A search
was made for the man who Thorn
ason had picked up on the road, but
he was never apprehended. The
poisoning of Thomson was not seri-
Gus and he recovered within a few
days.