Murder of William James Thompson 1920

Transcribed from an article published in the Brighton Blade, Friday, August 27, 1920

YOUNG HUSBAND DEAD
GIRL WIFE ARRESTED

Whether William James Thompson, 19 years old, living hear Westminster, came to his death by other means than natural causes will be determined after an exhaustive investigation by Deputy District Attorney McCann and the sheriff's office.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Thompson, parents of the boy, are not at all satisfied with the results of the investigation so far and will sift the whole matter to the bottom.

Since the marriage of William James Thompson and Virginia Wood in April, they have lived with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Thompson, near Westminster. Mr. Thompson is a farmer of large tracts of dry land, and is quite well known as a writer for farm papers.

Dr. Edward C. Hill, analysist of Denver, will be asked Friday to make another test of the boy's stomach. Dr. Hill said Thursday: "I found no direct traces of poisoning. After completing the Reinsch test, however, I deducted that death may have been due from either of four poisons, arsenic, antimony, bismith or mercury. I have since found that bismuth was used as a medicament."
While the body of William James Thompson was being lowered into a grave at Crown Hill cemetery, Denver, Wednesday afternoon at the completion of the funeral services, Mrs. Virginia Lenore Thompson was arrested and taken to the matron's quarters of the city jail. Undersheriff and Mrs. Clemmons are on their vacation in south Platte Canon. Mr. and Mrs. Ed O'Brian are looking after the prisoners.

The graveside arrest was ordered by Sheriff E. A. Gormley of Adams County and made by Mrs. L. C. Vincent, attache of the Denver juvenile court. Mourners grouped about the grave had no knowledge of the intervention. The casket was allowed to remain at the grave bottom until all had departed. Mrs. Vincent escorting the girl quietly to an automobile. The body was then taken back to the mortuary.

The girl widow became the bride of young Thompson in April. The boy died on their farm home near Westminster last Thursday after a peculiar illness of five days' duration. The stomach was removed by Dr. Edward C. Hill of Denver three days ago after the boy's father, Fred J. Thompson, had requested Brighton authorities to conduct an investigation. Dr. R. R. Russal of Arvada was called to attend William and is reported to have said that all symptoms of his sickness pointed toward poisoning. Not satisfied with the result of the stomach analysis, which disclosed no traces of poisoning, it was decided to hold the body.

The girl widow denies that she made repeated threats to kill herself or that she wrote a suicidal note on the back of a calling card. In the matron's quarters at the city jails Wednesday afternoon, two hours after the interrupted funeral, she related the following account of the affair:
"William and I were very happy. He married me to make me happy, and he certainly did it, and I would rather be dead than alive now for I would be with him.
"He was the only boy I ever went with and after we were married last April, my father Robert P. Wood made objections. The objections were taken before the juvenile court and finally we were permitted to live together.

Mrs. Virginia Thompson was allowed to go to her parents' home from the jail Thursday night.
Her version of her young husband's death:
"Will and I planned to motor to California in our new automobile and a week ago Thursday he went to a garage in Denver to do some work on the car. He came home sick. I understand he had a drink of wine from a woman who lives near the garage at Twenty-fourth and Federal Boulevard.
He went upstairs to our room very early. I was doing the dishes and he asked me to hurry for he was feeling sick. Before I was through, he came downstairs and I saw at once that he was death sick.

HUSBAND SUFFERED DURING NIGHT

"We moved a couch into the living room and he lay there all night suffering. I sat up the whole night with him and the next day he seemed better and in the afternoon he again went to town to see the auto.

"He was all right for two days, and Saturday when I came home from town I found him at home sick again, and this time his sickness was even more severe. We called Dr. Richard R. Russell of Arvada. He said that it was 'summer influenze'.

"Last Thursday morning his condition was very bad and we sent for the doctor at 6 o'clock in the morning. He didn't get there until 10 o'clock, and that day Will died. Even after he was dead I appealed to them to do something to revive him, and after he was ded it was me who wanted an investigation. Will had a weak heart, but his heart held out strongly until the last.

WRITING OF SUICIDE NOTE IS DENIED

"No, I did not write that suicide note. I admit it appears to be my writing. Once I took a prize in school for good penmanship. If they are keeping me here because they are afraid I'll kill myself, they are wrong, although I would rather be dead."

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