, 1875-03-21
BESSIE TURNER.
TIE MYSTERY OF HRR LIFE.

.fev York Tribune, March 8.
| Ons of the most Interesting and remarkable
of the eide incidents brought into view BY tht
| suit OF Mr. T1ton against Mr. Beecher is the lit
| Of the young WOMAN known as Bessie Turner
Her name aud birth nre = mystery for, uhii'
abe is best known as Bessie Turner, sha has beer
called also Lizzie McDermott, and the bes
sndeayora OF her friends have not discovered
which Of those names rightfully belongs to her
Tho Young Indy herself ia able to afford only ,
slight e1sw to her parentage, as she only remem
bers that when very young she WAS placed in Al
orphan asylum in Brooklyn, with two boys whou
abe understood to be her brothers. She recallf
the faot, however, that she WAS called lizzie
McDermott At that time, l. young man named
William McDe1mott, who believes that in Miss
Turner be haa found Lost SITTER, tells singu.
lar story.
Twenty-Five years ago, it is stated, thA wife o1
Bartlett McDermott, OF Sheffield, Mass, died,
leaving two sona and a little daughter years
old. This daughter is supposed to be Bessie
Turner. Soon after Mrs McDeImott's death the
children were placed in the Orphan Asylum in
Brooklyn. and the father did not visit them for a
be- Went to The Asylum 70 secure bis chill
dren. but found that the boys had boom
bound ont, and that the girl had been taken for
adoption by = family in New York. Mr. McDer-
mott advertised for the children, be says, both
at that time aud year later in 1855, but did not
get upon the track OF either the boys OF the girl.
It was not until q year or two after that Mr. Nc
Dermott beard anything from the missing chill
dren. The boys in the meantime had grown to
manhood, and, when the Rebellion broke out.
they enlisted in the Union army. After the close
County, in this State, and the other, James, vent
to bridgeport, Conn. Both we're natucally
desirous Of finding their Hnafolk, and William
McDermott, hearing Of family with his nstne
in Sheffield, Mass, wrote to one OF its members.
Bartlett McDermott, meanwhile, had moved to
Lee, in Massachusetts, aud the person to whom
young McDermott wrote proved to be his own
uncle and it waa not therefore long before the
Young man found his father. But, despite the
most thorough search, William McDermott Was
unable to find the sister with whom ha had been
placed in the Asylum in Brooklyn
The Beecher-Tlton scandal brought Miss Tur-
ner's name into soma notoriety. and the fact that
the Young lady Waa also known as Lizzie 40
Dermott waa made public in one OF Mr. Nlton:a
statements. This single leaf in Miss Turner'S
history came under the notice OF William Nc
Dermott, who was then. aud is now, residing at
Long Branch, N. j. He caught at this clev. and
renewed the search for his sister, which he had
almost hopelessly abandoned. Bessie Turner
proved to be the Lizzie McDer1nott Of his child
hood. but an unexpected Obstacle stood 10
U
Youpg woman as his sister. A Hrs. Frunke,
now widow, was formerly the wife OF Capt.
Turner. from whom she was divorced, and she
CLAIMS now-and has claimed for many years
that Miss Turner ia her daughter. Mrs- Funke
Bays thAt, when tho young woman was mere
baba, On account OF family troubles, the infant
was placed in the care OF Mts- McDermott.
When Mrs. McDermott died, a. before stated,
the child was put into the Orphan Asy-
lum, and about the events, Of Miss
Turner's history that follow there Is no
dispute. She was taken from tho Asylum into
the family OF New York gentleman, but her
home was changed several times, and she nnaily
With whom abe remained fourteen or fifteen
wears. During this time she occasionally heard
from her supposed father Capt. Turner, who is
now employed in New York. and also from Mrs.
Frunke, who claims to be her mother.
1t present the matter still has mystery
about it, and, although. William McDer1nott Is en-
deavoring to cleae away the cloud, and tho
trends Of Miss Turner (or McDermott) axe ns-
alating him by all means in their PoTes' there
aeeus vet no clear way to establish thu txue
parentage OF the girl beyond doubt !
Brooklyn Arpus. Aaren H..
Nr. William McDermott, besae 1n!nets
brother, is making every effort In bis
power to accumulate evidence proving the
(dontity Of Bessie Turner Or Mary Ann McDer-
mott Yesterday he called On al1s. Pike, the
[ady who, With Mr. Holt, removed the children
from Kelsey's Alley to the Orphan Asylum The |
young man remembered e9me o1 5ao Palt!ouiAs
# Tie removal, and HRS. Pike had no hesitation |
Ii declaring that ho was one Of the children taken
to the Asvinm. William has received number |
1t letters th1o1ing light oo tde girls history. t
one Of his relatives referred bun to cab
trivar in Nov York City named John Fagan. |
William found Pagan: md The nste1 Iomem-
-. ..l sv,le,naA fov Nj. McDAtmntk nan,e