Joseph W. Thornton hangs in St. Louis for murder of Joseph Charless

Joseph Charless was a prominent citizen in St. Louis,  Missouri, a bank president and trustee of Westminster College. On June 3, 1859, angered over Charless's testimony at an embezzlement trial that had made him unemployable, Joseph W. Thornton shot Charless on the street. Charless died the following day. Thornton was tried in September and tried to use the insanity defense Daniel Sickles had successfully pursued the previous spring. This was not permitted, however, and Thornton was found guilty. He was hanged this day at the St. Louis Jail. (By John Osborne)