The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-01
BEssIE's BIRTH.

AGES DISCOVERY OF HER EAfSERAAOhs
The mystery OF the birth of the willing
witness in the trial of Tilton is yet unsolved |
The Tribune has the following concerning
an attempt 10 establish her identity. One
of the most interesting and remarkable Of
the side incidents brought into view by the
suit of Mr.. Tilton against Mr.. Beecaer
is the life of the young woman known
as Bessie Turner. Her name and birth
are a mystery; for. while she IS best
known rs Bessie Turner, she has been
called also Lizzie McDermott, and the best
endeavors of her friends have not discovered
which Of those names Iighttnliy pelongs 70
her. The young lady herself is able to al
ford only slight clew to her parentage, as
she ONLY remembers that when very young
she was placed in an orphan asylum in
Brooklyn, with two boys whom she under
stood to be her brothers. She recalls the fact,
however, that she was called Lizzie
McDermott at that time. A young man
named William McDermott, who believes
that in Miss Turner he has found .ost SIS
ter, tells a singular story. Twenty-Five
years ago, it is stated, the wife OF Bartlett
McDermott, of Sheffield, Mass, died, leav-
old. This daughter is supposed to be Bessie
Turner. Soon after Mrs. McDermotts
death the children were placed
in the orphan asylum in Brook
lyn, ana the ldt06T Olu nOb NlSlS bhtht
tor considerable time. Having married
again, he went To the asylum to secure his
children, but found that the boys had been
bound out, and that the girl had been taken
for adoption by family in New YORK. MI.
McDermott advertised for the children, be
says, both at that time and year later, IN
1866, but did not get upon the track of either
the boys or girl. 1t was not until year or
| two after that Mr.. McDermott heard any
thing from the missing children, Inc boys
in the meantime had grown into manhood,
and when the rebellion broke out,
they enlisted in the union army. After the
close of the war, the youngest, William,
went to Orange county, in this state, and the
other, James, went to Bridgeport, Conn.
Both were naturally DESTROYS or hudlng
their kinsfolk, and William McDermott,
hearing of family with his name in Shei-
| field, Mass, wrote to one of its members
Bartlett McDermott, meanwhile, had moved
| to Lee in Massachusetts,, and the person 10
whom young McDermott wrote proved to
be his own uncle, and il was 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 he had been placed in the
asylum in Brooklyn. The Beecher-Tilton
scandal brought Miss Turner's name into
some notoriety, and the fact that the young
lady was also known as Lizzie McDermotr
was made public in one of Mr.. Tilton's
statements. This single leaf in Miss Tur-
ner's history came under the notice
of William McDermott, who was then,
and is now, residing at Long Branch,
N. j. He caught at this clew, aud
renewed the search for his sister, which he
had almost hopelessly abandoned. Bessie
Turner proved to be the Lizzie McDermott
| Of his childhood, hut an unexpected obstacle
stood in the way of a clear identification of
tie young woman as his sister, A Mrs.
| Funke, now a 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
is her daughter. Mrs. Funke says that,
when the young woman was a mere babe. on
account of family troubles, the infant
was placed in the care OF Mrs. McDermOtt.
When Mrs. McDermott died, as before sta
| ted, the child was put into the orphan asy-
| lum, and about the events of Miss Turner's
history that follows there is no dispute. She
was taken from the asylum into the family of
/ a New York gentleman, but her home was
changed several times. and she finally found
| her way into the family of Mr.. TiltoD, with
wnom she remained fourteen o. fifteen
years. During this time she occasionally
heard from her supposed father, Capt. Tur-
ner, who is now employed in New York,
| aud also from Mrs. Funke, who claims to be
her mother. At present the matter still has
mystery about it, and, although William
McDermott is endeavoring to clear away
the cloud, and the friends of Miss Turner Tor
McDermott) are assisting him by all means
| in their power, there seems yet no clear way
| to establish the true parentage of the girl be-
you'd doubt. The Brooklyn Argus adds
the following facts: Mr.. William MeDsr-
mott, Bessie Turner's youngest brother, is
making every effort in his power to
ACCUMULATE EVIDENCE PROVING THE 1DEN-
THY
of Bessie Turner or Mary Ann McDermott
Yesterday he called on Mrs. Pike, the lady
who, with Mr.. Holt, removed the children
from Kelsey's alley to the orphan asylum.
The young man remembered some of the
particulars of the removal, and Mrs. Pike
| bad no hesitation in declaring that he was
one of the children taken to the asylum,
| William has received number OF letters
throwing light on the girls history. One of
bis relatives referred him to cab driver IN
New York City, named John Pagan. Will
liam found Pagan, and the latter
remembered the particulars of the
removal of the children, and ex-
planned. how Mr.. McDermott came
to him to advise as to the proprie;y of per-
hitting the children to be removed to the
asylum. Last evening, William met his
sister on Dicks street. He approached her
and sccosted her kindly: "Good evening,
Bessie" Bessie made no reply. 'I think
this is rather hard" continued William.
feel certain that we are related. 1t
seems to me that you ought to recog-
nizs me-" The girl made no reply. and did
not appear TO pay any attention to him.
William walked by her side until they
reached Fulton street, where Bessie took a
| Green and Gates avenue car. The brother
took seat by her side and asked her to
read letter which he had received contain
ing fresh proof of their relationship, but the
| girl firmly refused to receive this letter.
Bessie was on her way to the house of Mr..
Manchester on Adelphi street, where
she is now living. She LETT the car
at Adelphi street, accompanied by
her brother. William made another
attempt to engage her in conversa-
ton, but Bessie became indignant and said:
"If you persist in following me, 1 shall have
Il