Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-03-12
BESSIE TURNER.
A Berkshire MAN Recognizes i'm Her
His Long Lost Dauxlifar

A Berkshire MAN Recognizes in III
HIS Long Lost Daughter.
From the Pittsiield (Mass.l Eagle.l
A central and somewhat mysteriou.
figure in the great trial now in progress
between Theodore Tilton and Henr,
Ward Beecher is the girl or young wo
man. Bessie Turner. She has lived with
the Tiltons fifteen years, was stray bit
Of humanity picked up, they have nearly
forgotten where, and she herself knows
neither her father nor mother, and is ut
terly ignorant of her birthplace, or even
her true name.
Who is she2 There seems to be but
little doubt that she is the long losl
daughter of Bartlett McDermott, nov
living in Lee. twenty-five years age
Mr.. McDermott's wife died, leaving two
sons and curly-headed little daughter
four years old, the child now believed ID
be Bessie Turner. The sons were born
in Sheffield, IN this county, but the girl
in New York, and shortly after their
mothers death they we're placed in an
orphan asylum in Brooklyn. McDer.
mott visited them at the institution and
found them well cared for. The second
tims he went to see them he was told
they had been taken for adoption by diff
ierent persons, and he could get no clue
as TO where they we're. He advertised
in the New York papers, but got no trace
Of them, and he sorrowiully gave up all
expectation Of ever meeting his children
again. He was by this time married.
and had comfortable home TO which he
wanted to bring the lost girl and her
brothers. Afterward the father made
another attempt to get upon their track.
He again went to the asylum, but new
officials we're in power, and they knew
nothing of the children. NINl lIM I
In 1866 he advertised again, thinking
that, as they had by this time grown up,
and were possibly themselves looking
for a clue to their parentage, the adver-
tisements might attract. their attention
and lead to the desired result. But
nothing came of it, and it was not until
year or so later, or more than twelve
years after they we're placed in the asy,
lum, that he got any word Of them,
Both boys had been in the army, and at
the close of the war one, William, went
to Orange county, New York, to reside,
and the other, James, came to Bridge,
port. William was the youngest, and
hearing that a family Of McDermotts
lived in Sheffield, he wrote to them,
thinking they might turn out to be his
parents. 1t proved that the Sheffield
McDermott was his uncle, and through
him, Of course, the parties we're placed
in communication, and the family
united, so far as the boys we're con.
oerned But this did not restore the
lost daughter. The boys subsequently
removed to East Long Branch, New
Jersey, where they now reside, and for a
long time have been ardently working to
discover her, but even their young en-.
terprise and intelligence was not able to
find even the remotest trace.
Then the Beecher.Tilton business
commenced, and the truth dropped ont,
in the course Of Tiltons testimony, that
the name Of the much.talked about Bes-
sic Turner was lizzie MeDermott. II
was said that she was an orphan without
known relatives Of any degree, two facts
that attracted the attention Of William
McDermolt, and he began investigating
at once. He is now convinced that she
is the long missing sister, and the com
munications that have passed between
him aud his father at Lee make the old
gentleman quite as sure that Bessie Il
bis daughter.
The difficulties in the way Of estab
fishing the identity to a certainty are
verymany She was but four years old