Edward Russell Thomas was an American businessman and sportsman, and owner of the New York Morning Telegraph, which he bought in 1904 from the estate of William Collins Whitney. He was a son of Union general Samuel Thomas, and later became the first American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 to kill someone in a car accident

Car accident

A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...

.

From 1901-12, he was married to Linda Lee Thomas

Linda Lee Thomas

Linda Lee Thomas was an American socialite, the wife of musical theatre composer Cole Porter.A descendant of the Lee family of Virginia, daughter of Louisville banker William Paca Lee and his wife, née Lily Hill, Linda Belle Lee was, in her youth, a noted beauty...

. In 1912, he married Elizabeth R. Finley. In 1924, he married actress Lucy Cotton

Lucy Cotton

Lucy Cotton , was an American actress. She appeared in 12 films between 1910 and 1921. In 1915 Miss Cotton appeared on stage in "Polygamy" at the Park Theatre in New York City....

. Their daughter, Lucetta, inherited Thomas' fortune.