Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-18
LIEUT.. THOMPSON
HANGED|NM MANILA
First Officer Executed in
Peace Time Pays Price for
Staying FianCee.

BY the Associated Press.
MANILA, March lS.--Second Lieut.
john :. Thompson OF the United
states Army Was hanged here today
fgn The murder OF his l7year- old
I,anrcc. whom he said he could not
i've without or marry because Of his
j1tSntlicient salary. lie was the first
american officer To be executed III
l"tce time.
CALMLY and without making a
statement. the young officer, who
Mas - years old. walked to a seat
told Ill Il warehouse at Fort Mci>ln-
10y after a day spent With his spirit
llnl adviser and his attorney.
Thompson Killed Miss Audrey
Eurlei4h at Manila in the cary morn :
in4 OF April 8 49,. she was the
stcpdaughter Of capt. Hamilton T.
cannes. Medical Corps. and they
were engaged 10 he married.
Became Desn0nslent.
Thompson became Respondent be-
cause Of his inability to marry the
girl. ana said he decided suddenly to
L i'll her and intended to end ms own
life.
lie feared that il the wedding was
behaved he would never he able to
make Miss Eurleigh his wife.
The killing occurred after Thomp-
son had driven from Fort Mckinney
t. the Army and Navy Club where
Miss Burleigh had danced at an
Hmateur entertainment. inviting
Miss Rurleigh 10 take a short drive,
Thompson mad his Filipino chauf-
lali, drive tow ard old Fort san An
tonic Nhad and Miss Burleish pro
tested against driving in that direc-
1jnm the chauffeur said. Thompson
fired five revolver bullets into the
srl and then compelled the chaui-
fur 10 drive to Fort Mckinley. There
inc officer informed the corporal OF
HE guard that Miss Burleigh's body
Mas III the car.
lie requested that he be locked up.
Claimed Insound Mind.
Thompson was tried by court mar
ttal on 4 charge OF tirSt-degree muir
der. \ plea Of not guilty was en-
tered. although Thompson admitted
that he had killed Miss Burleigh.
His counsel sought to prove absence
Of malice or reconciliation and OBJ
tanned a continuance TO introduce dep
pSitionS that Thompson was OF I'M
sound mind
The prosecution. however. produced
several physicians. who declared that
after an observance OF a month tneN
were of the belief that Thompson
did not at any time suffer from any
mental arrangement. either tempo
rary or permanent. and is not so suf-
fering now
When the court reasSembled the
prosecution read signed confession
hy Thompson.
why did YOU decide to shoot Miss
Audrey Burleigh?" he was asked.
Thompson replied:
First and most important because
Of the pay act of June 10. 1922. which
deprives me. but not others of those
Commissioned. of credit for longevity
pay FOR enlisted service while a cadet
At West Point. which, if granted,
would be a big increase in salary,
which is necessary for a second
lieutenant to marry.
Feared Loneliness.
Second, fear Of the loneliness to
which | would be subjected during
the next two years without her, and
doubt as to whether things would
he quite the same
The court found Thompson guilty
OF murder in the first degree and SEN
fenced him to be hanged. The ver-
dict was reviewed by the Judge adj
vocate of the Philippines. the War
Department at Washington and was
approved by President Coolidge.
Thompson was appointed from the
ranks to the Military Academy. He
was graduated with the class of 1924.
The body will be sent to Thomp-
sons parents at Far Rockaway. n. Y,
on the next trip of the Army trans
port Thomas.