East Galesburg Tribune East Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois June 10, 1899 Carey Thurman, a man well known in the eastern and southern part of the county, is languishing in the Fulton County jail on the charge of murder commited near London Mills last Monday. Albert Hammond, the murdered man, was the son of George Hammond, a well-to-do farmer living near London Mills. Monday young Hammond, in company with other farm hands, was engaged in opening up a water course leading from the Hammond farm across the road west to the H.M. Voorhees farm. Their had been a controversy between the owners of the two farms over the water course for several years. Hammond had ordered his son and the other hired hands to go into the road way and cut open a water way. This the young man had started to do when Thurman and Emery, in the employ of Voorhees, appeared on the scene. Before a hand could be raised to prevent him, Thurman struck young Hammond on the head with a spade. The heel of the tool struck him just acove the right ear, inflicting a fatal wound. Thurman, not! being content with his one victim, attempted to kill the father when he tried to go to his son, who was lying on a pile of sand at the roadside. As Mr. Hammond begged to be permitted to go to his boy, Thurman, who yet held the spade in hand, started for the father and struck him several times about the head and back, and only desisted when the old man ran away. Thurman was soon after arrested. The affair created intense exitement. ***** Galesburg Weekly Mail January 25, 1900 Cary Thurman was sentenced to the penitentiary for ten years by a Fulton county jury at Lewiston Friday for the murder of Albert Hammond near London Mills about a year ago. Ellsworth Emery, who was also charged with Thurman with the same crime, was aquitted by the same jury. Thurman and Emery were digging a ditch near London Mills when Hammond and his father sought to stop the work. The diggers threatened to murder anyone who interfered with them, and when Hammond did so Thurman struck him across the head with his spadfe killing him instantly. Self defense was made the defense in the trial. There was no evidence to show that the murder was premeditated or that Emery was in any manner responsible for it. The community and attorneys are satisfied with the decision. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.