The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-08
has frequently visited young ladies with
EVIDENCE OF GEORGE TURNER,

W. turner, was next sworn. He testified
The accused lived with me in 1865, auc
was In my service for several months
He left my house in the summer Of 1866
and said he was going to his fathers.
was in town on the day the body was
found, and returned just before it wa.
brought to my house. l think sent after
it by request of Mr.. G. D. Peasants. This
was at about dusk. l do not remember
with certainty, but think the accused was
at supper that night. Don't know whether
he ate at the same time that did. Don't
remember any conversation with my son
or the accused about the supposed mur-
der. l looked at the body after breakfast
the next friday morning. The accused
took breakfast with US. Don't remember
what members of the family went to see
the body. had the key of the clubhouse
in which the body had been placed. The
door was locked when I went there in the
morning.
The witness then described the appear
ance Of the body and the articles of
clothing upon the corpse. He delivered
the clothes that he took off to Constable
Cole. The woman was buried in her un-
der-garments and stockings. The body
remained in the clubhouse until Saturday
evening, when it was buried on his place.
It was afterwards exhumed. Witness
was not present when the body was disin-
tered.
Being shown the sample of calico
brought by Miss Pitts from Essex, witness
thought it was very much like" the
dress worn by the murdered woman. COL
onel Young reminded him that on former
examination he had positively identified it.
thought the accused was single man.
Never suspected anything else.
Question: Did you never have any rea-
son to believe otherwise
Answer: Well, there was some little
talk about his being married at one time.
Question: Did you never have reason
to believe it from letter received at your
house?
Answer: Well, there uds letter re-
ceived, but there was nothing in that
about his marriage.
Question Did you not receive and read
letter for the prisoner in his absence
Answer: l think I did, but never said
anything to the accused aboutit. had no
reason to think he was married, except
that was told
Colonel Johnson Don't say what you
were told, sir.
Witness resumed: I don't remember
where the letter came from; paid little atten-
tion to it. The accused was at my house on
the Sunday night before the body was
found. On Monday he went to town in
the buggy after my eldest daughter. 1t
lrio al, Irf oil fn
wards dinner time. Think he drove the
cream col0red horse to the single open
buggy. Don't recollect with any accu-
racy about what buggy or what horse he
drove.
Colonel Young was of opinion that Mr..
Turner had said when examined before
the County Court that the accused drove
the two-horse buggy, but thought that he
might afterwards have corrected himself.
Witness resumed: My daughter did not
come back with the accused, but be re-
turned alone at about sunset. Think he
went to town the next day with me, but
don't think he came back with me. Saw
him again on Wednesday. Think that |
had met him in town during the week be-
fore the body was found. His brother
married my daughter, and was residing
with me at the time.
At this point the usual hour for recess
having arrived, the court adjourned until
3 o'clock.
EVENING SESSION.
After the recess piece Of the cloth
from which Mrs. Phillips's sacque was
made was shown to Mr.. Turner. He said
it "looked very much like" the sacque
worn by the murdered woman.
On cross-examination Mr.. Turner testi-
fed that the accused was man of good
reputation-as good as any man he knew
of.
To Colonel Johnson The accused came
to my house before dinner on the Sunday
before the body was found. He went to
town on Monday in an old buggy. The
tires were not new, but, on the contrary,
very much worn. While the accused was
at my house during that time I never
noticed anything at all unusual or peculiar
in his demeanor. Phillips was not in my
employment when the remains were dis
covered.
The witness here answered number of
questions concerning the locality in which
the body was found; the roads; the ice-
ponds; the open wells, etc. He said that
Phillips was we'll acquainted with the
country, and knew as we'll as anybody
about the ice-ponds and numerous wells
in the vicinity. He had frequently been
over that ground hunting.
To Mr.. Guigon: There was good deal
of rain from the oath to the 2Sth of Fe-
bruary. The dress found on the corpse
was wet, but the underskirts were dry.
When the accused came from town in the
buggy on Monday I saw him before he got
to the house. He came from the River
road, and not through Drinkers.
To Colonel Young: The three ice-ponds
are right on the road, and within full view
of the road. The water in them was,
suppose, two or three feet deep.
DR.. DoRsET's TESTIMONY.
DR.. Dorset was next sworn and testified :
Ireside about six miles from Chesterfield
Courthouse. Last spring had the renting
of place in Chesterfield.
Colonel Johnson objected to this testl-
mony, if the Commonwealth only proposed
to show that the accused had no commu-
nication with DR.. Dorset. George W. Tur-
ner had already proved that he and the
accused did not 60 to Dorset's farm, but
were turned from their purpose.
Colonel Young submitted that the
testimony was in every way proper.
The court would doubtless recollect that
in letter to Mr.. Pitts the accused
had professed to have had an interview
with DR.. Dorset in the city Of Richmond,
and subsequently dated his letter from the
Doctors place. This witness was intro
duced to prove whether he had such an
interview, and whether he did at any time
rasida of his nlane Genrpa Turner GER