Evening star., 1932-09-16
ATTACKER Of TWO
IS FOUND HANGING
TWo-Month Search Following
Markham Assault Ends.
Body Is Burned.
Snecisl Disnatrh IN The Star

special DlSpatch 10 Ihe star.
WARRENTON. Va, September 10
The discovery of the body of Shadrock
Thompson, colored. hanging from the
limb Of an apple tree at the foot OF
Rattlesnake Mountain, near Linden,
last night brought to a close a two
month search for the alleged attacker
of Mr.. and Mrs. Henry L. Baxley in
their home, near Markham, Va, on
July II. Before the body could be re-
moved from the tree some one ignited
it with match, authorities say, and 1t
was destroyed.
Authorities here today were con-
vinced that Thompson had committed
suicide shortly after the attack upon
Mr. and Mrs. BaXley. and DR.. George
H. Davis. coroner issued a certificate to
that effect. The rope found around
ThompSon'S neck was identified as hav
ing been in Tnompson'S possession the
Gay before the attack. Commonwealth S
Attorney C. W. Carter said. and a pile
Of rocks beneath the body indicated
that he had climbed up on them, tied
the rope to the limb and then jumped
from the rock pile.
Found by Farm Hand.
The body was discovered by Noah
Kenney, farm hand, in an old orchard
at the base of the mountain Failure
to make an earlier discovery Of the
body was explained by the fact that
the orchard had been allowed to grow
into dense thicket.
After finding the body Kenney notified
residents of the community and by the
time Deputy Sheriff w. w. Pearson of
Fauquier County reached the scene ap-
proximately 80 persons, men and
women. had gathered there, it was said
Pearson, BaXley himself, who was
notified of the find. and other persons
are said to have identified the body.
despite its advanced state of decomposi-
ton. before it was burned Officers
succeeded in saving the head and shoes
to prove the identification.
Before the excitement subsidized last
night not only officers and citizens of
the community had gathered at the
scene, but number of persons had also
come here from Front Royal and other
places
Commemorative Attorney Carter ex-
pressed the opinion that Thompson had
taken his life shortly after the attack
when he believed that his capture was
inevitable.
Occurred on July IL.
The attack on Mr. and Mrs. Baxley
occurred during the early-morning
hours Of July u, when Thompson is
alleged to have beaten Mr. Baxley into
unconsciousness with a large club and
then to have dragged Mrs. Baxley into
the forest mile away. The search
for Mrs. Baxley started when her hus-
band regained consciousness and found
her missing, but she was not discov-
cred until o'clock the next morning
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Baxley were pa
tients in the Warrenton Hospital for
several days after the attack, but have
now recovered.
Thompsons wife had formerly been
employed in the BaXley home, and he
had fled from the section when his wife
secured a warrant for his arrest on g
charge of assault 1t is believed that
the attack upon Mr.. and Mrs. Baxley
was the result of fear on thompson S
part that their knowledge of his re-
turn to the neighborhood might lead to
his arrest.
The spot where Thompson's body was
found Is approximately 8 miles from
the Baxley home.