The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-01-29
Vol. UME 26-NUMBER II.
''HIs MURDERED FORIr PzBsOxS.Y >

''HIS MURDERED FORIT PZRsOzS.s
: The Grimes OF the LuBatir Fieud Rob-
ert Turner, 1t POtOSI, HiseOasIn-I
Nan whose Mission Is Is 10 ExfeFmI-
: nate the People.
We CLEAN the following fact. from
Z the Grant county Herald Ms r.
lative % the Turner tragedy, 81 Putosi.
} Wis, together with the furthsr de-
Yelopments concerning The career of
Robert Turner, the luDstie. w hO seems
! 10 have been possessed Win fsnd-
lsh pencdant Tor blood
Saturday, Dee. 3, one Robert Tur-
ner, was arrested and lodged in jail ST
tins Place for the murder of his broth
er AloeTt, near PJtOsi. Tae murdered
man was struck with az AK ia the
hands Of Bob, the blow HesrIy sever
ing the head from the body. Tue
murdered man fell into mineral
hole where he was ST work. Another
brother, Newton, was in sn adjoining
shaft, when Bob, called tD him, II
have killed Al, come up.'' Newton
started 70 climb out, but discovered
his brother VITA = drawn sx, who
proposed TO Kill him Newtnnl unless
lie consented to assist IN hiding tie
body of Alfred aud promising secrecy.
( To all of which Newton OF course a.
sented. Bob said that he had KILLED
Alfred because there are too many In
Tie family to support /; let us cover
him up aud tell the folks he has gone
OIL Newton readily consented, and
persuaded Boo to throw away tine ak.
On getting cut Oftlfs u1ine, Newton
started Oa q run ISr P1tuss, closely
Z followed 10y his brother. Seeing thst
pursuit Was useless, the murderer uIrn-
ed and fed toward this place. New
ton hastened TO POtOsi. alarmed the
people, and Officer WilmOt was sept
70 capture Boo. Ths officer mounted
on horse OverlIaaiei his mau about
six miles from PUtOsi, but having no
weapons, he passed INN and called at
a farmhouse whPre he procured re-
volyer. Returning, he cOHfrontsd the
murderer aud told him 10 surrender.
Turner placed himself in = def-n-
siye attitude and prepared for q sbt,
but the open eOuHtsuauce uf tire Oh
mcers revolver soon brought him e.
terms. lie was taken back II P0t0=i.
had his examination, ard ordered t.
Jail. His actIonsin ali siuce his cap
Ture, bis nuFderous ssssuit on a f-l-
low prisoner named Sksllinger, has
already been published IN Iti-ss eJi-
umns.
During the lstter part OF NOvenI Der
and the first davs OF December, Bob
Turner was in the employ Ui Mr.. Il.
Bailey, in the town OF Clifton, engas-
s.sf in ~.
Mr.. II. Bell, IN the town OF EllenbO.c,
was boy named o Iey Nssiey
Tuesday, Dec. ., the boy, Neeiey,
started from Bsli'S T. visit his moth
er, vino resides ia New CsiilOFaia.
ii Il road lay through the timber be-
longing q Bailey, wnsre Turner Was
at work. That was the last seen ~
young Neeiey until the S,h OF
January.
The people neslliag in the neighbor-
hood having hesri ~ Turner's mug
ierOus propensity, AMI knowing that
young Nseley bad 10 pass near where
ne was at WORK, turne.i out on Friday
last to hunt for bis remains. Eight
men started frOsE Bells snd searched
the ground each side of the road.
When they arrived upon the premises
where Turner had been chupping,
they found the LOjy, which lay ~ III
had fallen over six weeks before.
The Indication showed tnat Turner
had commenced to cut down a sap
ping, having struck two blows on the
left side and one on tie right. The
second blow evidently Wssihe one that
killed tie boy. The position ia which
the body lay, tine course the blow
from the ak mad taken-all indicated
II. TIE boys head was nearly cut
from the bodY-Only hanging by a
small piece 0i tlis skin on the hack
and front OF tie neck tus ak having
gone clear through the neck. When
found, young Nesley had a paper par
eel under his arm, Just as he was car
Tying it; in his pockets were new
jach-knife, some marbles, and = i've
cent script.
The body Was taken c1Ee -nf and a
jury impaneilsd to hold an inquest,
anu the verdict was that Olney Nee
ley, aged ii years, came 10 his death
from the blow OF al AK in the hands
of Robert Turner.
When the body was found Turner /
was confronted by Richard SWsle, /
who asked him to tell all he knew |
about the boy. Turner said he was 4
cutting poles and the boy came to-
ward him yelling, will cub in his I
hand. He first struck him with the /
poll of the ak, and then chopped his /
head 06.
Monday afternoon last. Marshal /
Bennett visited Turner in his cell, and |
asked him how many more victims /
he b5d. furneF answered tgO- 'One
of them was a red-beadsd fellow that
| killed in the deep rzvine 04cS % the
poor fam. The other was man on
the rosd 10 MuseOia. 1 vent up there
to get work, and when about two
mics from AluscOda / met man In /
the rJ2i whom | knew wanted t. k.it
me. / hsd a four pound weight II
my pOckst that iIsd got at the sJ.JTS,
and / struck him over the eye, killing /
him. l dragged him out OF the road
INTO r thick stand Of hazel brush and
ieit him. Il was on the north side Of
the sd, just WhsTe there is n bend.n
This is turner's story as We have it
from the Marshal. When Turner
went home, after killing youag Nee
ley, he told his brother Newton that
lac hal been u MuscUd4, looking Tor
work.
Robert Turner Is a heavy built man
of five feet six inches high and eighs
about 160 pounds; is SO years old, and l
Is dark cOmplexiOned,
with full round face, which he usu-
ally kept well shaved, except the up
per lip. He has sharp, piercing eyes,
which are never still. Qne cannot
get his eye for moment. He has
been . county charge at the po " farm
for some time, but was always allow
ed to come and go at his own liking. 4
He served three years in the army, /
having been a member Of the TYen-
ty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry. Turner
has resided at PotOsi about twenty L
years, and, until some two years ago,
had been the head of the family since
tine death of his father, which occur-
red about 1857. 4
There hardly can be a doubt that
Turner is insane, as he says his mis-
sion Is TO kill off the peOp,e-''there
are too many" lie talks Of his muT-
der0us actions, and has even boasted
that he did mot doubt but that lie
had killed forty people, II they could
be got tOgetheT.n However, when in
LeINleHeuJ uc Sceius peIlcCNiy IhLlOD14
except when the the subject OF mur-
der is DrOached. At such times he
seems 10 be POSSESSED with a strong de-
sire for blood and giOats over his
fiendish transactions with apparent
relish. The utmost excitement pre-
walls among the people Of Ellenb0ro, I
and threats are made that should 9TH
er bodies be found Turner will be
treated 10 a dose Of Judge Lynch"
BOnnd 10 Zap over. 4
Landlord" :" ssid 4 transient guest
at q CROSSROADS tavern, as he drew
near the end OF his dinner, won't
you give me a little mere pork to eat
with this potato % a little later he
said: "There was more pork than
wanted; let me trouble you for little