The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-08
To Colonel Young: I live about twelve
miles from the river.
EVIDENCE OF ALBERT TURNER.

I 10 COlonel Dung 1--we aOOut twelve
miles from the river.
EVIDENCE OF ALBERT TURNER.
Mr.. Albert Turner was then sworn, ane
testified that he was we'll acquainted will
! the prisoner. saw him the Sunday be-
fore the body was found. had not seer
| him before for some time. he came to my
fathers house on that day, and went tc
Richmond on Monday in the single buggy
He drove the bay horse. He came bach
at about dusk, without any one with him
He remained with US Monday night; lef1
again Tuesday morning; returned Wed
nesday evening. Did not see him Wednes-
day, but he called to me while l was in
the barn-yard. was one of the coroner's
jury. Subsequently my father sent cart
! for the body, and it was brought to our
house. came home with the cart, but do
not remember to have seen the accused
until supper that night. Think the MUIR
der was talked about at supper, but do not
remember whether Phillips took part in
the conversation. Don't know what time
he left on the next morning; but he took
breakfast at our house. He slept in
the same room with my brother
and myself on Thursday night. I
never supposed that the accused was a
married man. Was not at home much
while he was there. rarely met him,
and never visited with him.
Cross-examined The tire of the buggy
was somewhat worn, and did not make q
deep track. l never noticed anything Pc
culiar about the prisoner to attract the at
tention of myself or any one else during
the ten years of my acquaintance with
him. I was present at the inquest held
over the body; was q member of the in
quest to view the body. The outer cloth
ing upon the body was quite damp. The
inner garments were not damp. am GER
tain that rain had not fallen upon the
body, as the clothing was not in the
condition that clothes would have been
had rain fallen upon them. I
remarked to several at the time
that they were not very damp considering
the heavy mist of that day. The clothing
was as clean as though it had just been
put on. She grasped in one of her hands
bundle of pine tags, and l had her put
in the coffin with them in her hand. At
that time our stable was kept shut, and
father kept the key. A horse and buggy
could not have been taken out without
breaking the stable open. 1t was not sus-
pected that the prisoner had taken a horse
and buggy out, either on Sunday, Monday,
or Tuesday night. There was slight hole
in the side of the head, which looked as
though bullet had entered and re-
bounded.
William C. Moncure was next called,
but being found absent, a rule was ordered
against him.
EVIDENCE OF JOHN W. COLE.
John W. Cole was called, and testified !:
I acted as officer who arrested the ac-
cuSed. went down to Mr.. Turner's with
Mr.. Knox to arrest him. When wereached
the place we got ont of the buggy, and
Mr.. Knox approached him, and told him
he had come to arrest him for the murder
Of his wife. He seemed much astonished, /,
and remarked: "You surprise me. l
never had q wife" ] came up then,
and told him / had the warrant for
him, and arrested him. He was going
across the field when we got there,
and saw us before we got to him.
We had to 60 about thirty yards be-
fore we reached him. On the way to the
house | told the accused that he was
charged with the murder of his wife, and
If he could tell me where she was Cf he
had wife) we would find her. The accused
replied: 81 will answer that question be-
fore the proper authorities" When we
got to the house we searched his room.
We found, among other things, the trunk,
which we searched. | took the tray out,
and found some shirts and drawers
on top; and after taking them out,
l found the dresses. Knox asked some
questions Of the prisoner, but | don't
know what they were. believe that
I asked him to whom those clothes
belonged, but he gave me no answer. |
asked him if he didn't marry Miss Pitts,
and he replied that he would answer that
before the proper authorities. (Here the
witness examined The trunk and identified
the clothes as the same found at the time
Of the arrest.) Some days after the first
burial of the body, went down and dis
inferred it and brought it up to the court
house, where had it exposed for identih-
cation. The clothing | took from the body
delivered to Captain Callahan upon an
order from Mr. Mayo, and those articles,
save the hat and gloves, were never found.
l kept the hat and gloves until the examl-
nation before the County Court.
Crcss-examincd saw the prisoner on
the Sunday following the arrest. The
next time I saw him after this was on
Monday or Tuesday. | then went into
bis cell with Miss Pitts, Mr.. Pitts, and Mr..
Wade. also went on Sunday with Knox,
making the second visit on that day. |
have known the prisoner for some time,
and have always held him as young man
of good character. He did not try to es-
cape when / arrested him. The warrant
upon which he was arrested was not sworn
to by any one. had no particular object
in asking Knox to 60 down with me
when l made the arrest. The pri-
soner replied to Knoxs's question when
arrested: Il never had wife" Knox
spoke first, and then l spoke to him, pre-
senting the warrant. He made substan-
TALLY the same answer to me as he had
made to Knox. / stated in my evidence
before the County Court that he drew a
long breath before he answered, IL never
had a wife," When the prisoner made
this reply, Knox said "I'll he id if you
don't wish you had one before you get
through with it," Knox remarked to me
as he approached the prisoner: John,
this is the man who murdered his wife"
r.