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NO DEATH VERDICT(Continued from First i’ngejfive. All (old, fifty-four jurors were examined.The dofondnnt. seated alongside his counsel, attorneys Swivles L. Himes ami C. Jewett Henry, conferred frequently with his counsel as the jury was being selected.After the jury had been sworn by Protlionofary Robert C. Appleby, the trial immediately proceeded.Attorney Robert H. Henderson private counsel associated with the District Attorney, Samuel H. Stewart, in the prosecution of the case, opened the case for the Commonwealth. The attorney reviewed briefly (he facts in* the ease as the Commonwealth expected to prove by witnesses called to the stand. Ho stated that on Sunday, August 11, .HISH. Harold Thompson and his wife, of McConnell si own, and Paul Cunningham and wife, of Huntingdon, wont ill Cunningham’s car to the home of Frank Cunningham, father of Mrs. Thompson and Paul Cunningham, at Paradise Furnace. They arrived about noon and remained at the Cunningham home until about 8 o'clock in tlio evening, when they started home. En route they turned off to the right on a road which is commonly known as the Pack bone road, and leads to Hessian and McConnells town. On either side of this road fields of the defendant, John Widncr. are located where Paul Cunningham stopped bis car, turned off the motor, kept, the lights burning and left the car for the purpose of relieving himself. He stepped into (ho corn field of Wiiliier. Thompson also left the car. the attorney stated, and walked behind ii. Presently ft. shot rangout; the two women in the car heard Thompson fall to the ground, and they hurried from the ear. A voice from nearby was heard to say, Get out of that, you . . . or I'll shoot you too. The women screamed as they hurried to Thompson who was lying in the road. One of the women gazing toward the hill (it was a moonlight night.) saw a man who during the progress of the case will be identified as Widner, (he defendant. Cunningham also ran to Thompson's aid, and he called to the man in the field that he had shot Thompson and asked him to give assistance. The man did not respond to the appeal, and Thompson was placed in the car and rushed to Marklesbure and thence to the hospital in Huntingdon, where he passed away. Cunningham later accompanied officers to the scone and a stalk of corn, riddled with shot was found, as well as an empty shotgun shell, fti his concluding statements Attorney Henderson asked the jury to give the case careful consideration. and that the Commonwealth was not. demanding the death penalty, but would leave the case solely in the hands of the jury as to what punishment is to be afflicted and a verdict which they believe to be perfectly proper.Frank Edwards, Huntingdon photographer, was the first witness called to the stand by the Commonwealth. The witness testified that on Monday, August 1 2, he accompanied Sheriff Steele, his chief deputy William A. Foster, the district attorney and Paul Cunningham to the scene of the shooting, and took photographs depicting certain locations as pointed out by the group who accompanied him, The photographs wore received in evidence.Paul Cunningham, brother-in-law of the victim, Harold Thompson, and a member of the party
Newspaper Details
The Daily News
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Dec 05, 1935
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 30 Nov 2021
Other Publications Near Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon Gazette
Huntingdon Journal American
The Daily News
Huntingdon Journal
Huntingdon Globe
