John E. W. Thompson
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John Edward West Thompson (December 16, 1860 – October 6, 1918) was an American physician and diplomat. His parents were immigrants to New York City from
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. In 1884, after graduating from
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
and studying medicine further in Europe, Thompson became one of the first
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
physicians to practice in New York City. He served as U.S. Minister Resident / Consul General to Haiti from June 30, 1885, to October 17, 1889, and as U.S. ''Chargé d'Affaires'' to
Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...
from 1885 to 1889, both under political appointments by Democratic president
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
. After returning to the US, he established a medical practice in New York, and became active in the Democratic Party in the city. He later had a medical practice in
Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...
, where he was killed by a disturbed patient.


Early life and education

John Edward West Thompson was born on December 16, 1860, in
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, to
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
an immigrants Edward James and Matilda Frances (White) Thompson. The family moved to
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
, around 1870. He was raised as a
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and later attended St. Benedict the Moor Church in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. After attending local schools, Thompson studied at Weston Military Institute and Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts. Thompson graduated from
Yale School of Medicine The Yale School of Medicine is the graduate medical school at Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. The primary te ...
in 1883. Shortly after graduation, he studied throughout
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,
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
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,
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, and
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Thompson became one of the first
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
physicians in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in 1884. He received the degree of M.D. from the
University of Haiti The State University of Haiti (french: Université d'État d'Haïti (UEH)) is one of Haiti's most prestigious institutions of higher education. It is located in Port-au-Prince. Its origins date to the 1820s, when colleges of medicine and law wer ...
in 1887. Thompson was also a French scholar and expert in international law.


Diplomacy

President
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
nominated Thompson as US Minister Resident to the Republic of
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
on May 9, 1885. Thompson was also appointed ''chargé d'affaires'' to the Republic of
Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...
. His nomination was supported by senators
Noah Porter Noah Thomas Porter III (December 14, 1811 – March 4, 1892)''Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University'', Yale University, 1891-2, New Haven, pp. 82-83. was an American Congregational minister, academic, philosopher, author, lexicographer a ...
and
Abram Hewitt Abram Stevens Hewitt (July 31, 1822January 18, 1903) was an American politician, educator, ironmaking industrialist, and lawyer who was mayor of New York City for two years from 1887–1888. He also twice served as a U.S. Congressman from and ...
.
Southern Democrat Southern Democrats, historically sometimes known colloquially as Dixiecrats, are members of the U.S. Democratic Party who reside in the Southern United States. Southern Democrats were generally much more conservative than Northern Democrats with ...
ic senators were outraged by Cleveland's nomination of an African American to these posts. Thompson received a Senate confirmation on January 13, 1886, after he had already arrived in
Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
. The copy of his credentials was mailed on July 20, 1886. As minister resident, Thompson was called upon, and claimed that he had represented 60,000,000 Americans at Santo Domingo for six years. One of his first assignments was to investigate a homicide allegedly committed by Van Blokklen, an American who was imprisoned as a suspect by the Haitian government. He had to report on the matter to the Department of State. On May 26, 1888, disturbances broke out in Haiti over the presidential elections. The two opposing candidates were exiled on June 6. Haitian politicians applied to the US consulate for asylum five days later. On July 2, military commanders changed. Arson broke out at Port-au-Prince on July 8. The following day, the government asked for United States support by a war vessel. On July 16, discontent about Haitian President
Lysius Salomon Louis Étienne Félicité Lysius Salomon (June 30, 1815 – October 19, 1888) was the President of Haiti from 1879 to 1888. Salomon is best remembered for instituting Haiti's first postal system and for his lively enthusiasm for Haiti's moderniz ...
resulted in widespread street protests. Salomon abdicated one month and two days later.
Anarchy Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted ...
followed after the abdication. General Seïde Thélémaque led a march at Port-au-Prince on August 25. A provisional government was established by September 5 with the American officers of the '' U.S.S. Galena''. Fighting broke out again on October 16, and General Thélémaque died in action. Haitian pirates hijacked an American vessel, the ''S. S. Haytian Republic''. They took it to Port-au-Prince.
Thomas F. Bayard Thomas Francis Bayard (October 29, 1828 – September 28, 1898) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat from Wilmington, Delaware. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he served three terms as United States Senate, United States ...
and Thompson sent two warships to force its release, which the Americans achieved. Thompson was widely praised for the negotiations. The following day, General
François Denys Légitime François Denys Légitime (November 20, 1841 – July 29, 1935) was a Haitian general who served as President of Haiti from 1888 to 1889. Biography Légitime was born in Jérémie, Haiti, on 20 November 1841 to Denys Légitime and Tinette L ...
was declared chief of the executive power of Haiti. The French minister was charged with attempted bribery on the next day. In the late 19th century, ships coming from
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ports sometimes carried passengers with cholera or other infectious diseases such as yellow fever. As the medical community had little understanding of how the diseases were spread, and sanitation was poor in most cities,
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
and
yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
swept through American sea and river ports in more than one epidemic in this period. The US minister was supposed to ensure that ships departing for the United States had no outstanding health issues. Thompson issued such a bill of health against Captain
Francis Munroe Ramsay Admiral Francis Munroe Ramsay (April 5, 1835 – July 19, 1914) was an officer in the United States Navy who distinguished himself in the American Civil War, and who later served as Chief of the Navy's Bureau of Navigation. Early life and caree ...
and his steamship, . The ship was
quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...
d for a period in the port of Port-au-Prince before she sailed to New York City. On November 15, 1889, Thompson certified that the ''Boston'' was free of the
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
or
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
. On November 24, the French minister and the British consul-general announced they had failed to effect a reconciliation of major parties in the north of Haiti to Légitime. Insurgents declared on December 14 that the ports were closed from commerce by decree of the Assembly. Légitime abdicated on August 23, 1889, after an eleven-month rule. General
Florvil Hyppolite Louis Mondestin Florvil Hyppolite (26 May 1828 – 24 March 1896) was a Haitian general and politician who served as the President of Haiti from 17 October 1889 to 24 March 1896. Early life and career Hyppolite was born in 1827 at Cap-Haïtien ...
entered Port-au-Prince six days later to declare power. Thompson and the Spanish consul-general both mediated between the opposing political parties. It was reported that Thompson spent a contingent expense of $333.02 on travel in 1889 and $130.46 in 1890. Meanwhile, Thompson's deduct repayments amounted to $15.


Later life

After returning to the United States, Thompson had a medical practice as a physician in Mount Hope, New York. He also worked in
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. Thompson became a medical inspector of the Department of Health in 1895. He remained active in politics. In August 1898, Thompson served as a delegate to the fifth convention of the Negro National Democratic League at the
Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
United Colored Democracy at 152 West 53 Street in New York City. In New York, African Americans were becoming allied with the Democratic Party, after long supporting the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln. At a time when initials were often used for given names, ''
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'' reported his name with errors in 1892 and 1898. and "Mr. ''Thomson''" rather than ''Thompson''. Thompson returned to
Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...
, in 1913, where he lived with his wife. Their sons, Ernest and Elliott Thompson, both served in the
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during
WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.


Murder

In 1918, Thompson was treating a patient, Thomas Saloway. For several months, the 30-year old man had been a patient of Thompson in 1918. He lived at 137 Clinton in Bridgeport. Saloway believed to be in poor health, according to friends. It was implied that he was a
hypochondriac Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...
. Thompson met Saloway on October 2, as discovered by a receipt. The appointment did not go well, as Saloway grew both hostile and crazed. On October 6, Thompson began to enter his medical office at 966 Main Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Saloway waited for Thompson to approach, drew a knife and stabbed him in the heart. Nick Scorfacio, an
Italian American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
employee, cleaned Thompson's office before he witnessed the murder. Saloway ran from the scene of the crime."DOCTOR JOHN E. W. THOMPSON, FORMER U.S. MINISTER TO HAITI, FATALLY STABBED BY BRIDGEPORT PATIENT," ''The New York Age''. 12 Oct 1918; Retrieved 9 Oct. 2017. Thompson was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital, but he died in the ambulance on the way. Saloway meantime had committed suicide by plunging the same knife into his own body. The medical examiner, S. M. Garlic, performed the autopsies on both Thompson and Saloway. Noting that the knife wounds were located in the same location of the chests of both men, he speculated that Saloway had planned the doctor's murder. Saloway's family did not claim his body for burial. Thompson's body was cared for by undertaker Louis E. Richard, on 1476 Main Street. His funeral was held on October 11. Although the local newspaper originally reported that Thompson would be buried in St. Michael's the Archangel's Parish, he was buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport. His wife, Mary C. Thompson, survived him.


Notes


Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, John Edward West 1860 births 1918 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Haiti Ambassadors of the United States to the Dominican Republic Yale University alumni African-American diplomats African-American physicians African-American government officials American people of Haitian descent Physicians from Connecticut American consuls Burials at Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport 19th-century American diplomats 20th-century African-American people African-American Catholics