The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-07-29
A SHOCKING TRAGEDY.
A Woman Murdered Strange Story of a
Strange Crime.

strange SrllHe.
Joseph u. Morris, a young man about
30 years OF age, shot and killed Mrs.
Emma Turner wife af Mr.. William Tur-
ner, near Morris Station, On the Queen
Anne s and Kent Railroad. Kent county.
Nd, about clock ThurseisY afternoon.
y correspondent of the Wilmington
1Del) Etcry EtC"ing gives the following
particulars Of the tragic affair
Mrs. Turner was IL; wife of q store
keeper, and occupied, together with her
husband and daughter, a small and neat
frame house in thickly settled spot ad-
joining the fGfesi. Morris came to the
store on Thursday afternoon of last
week and found Mrs. Turner lyin.
asleep in the sitting room. lie -.o,e her
spectacles and ?, .,,,i. OF scissors and then
went to his home, distance of $50 yards.
The daughter, who saw the things car
ried off, informed her motha. ,ater in
the afternooa aud was sent to Morris
residence to get them back. Morris de-
MED they We're in his possession, and the
girl being unable to get them the mother
went herself, but Morris would not give
them up. There was no bad feeling en-
sendered, and it is supposed that Morris
perpetrated the theft in order to get one
of them away from home and murder
her. as the two women We.S alone. \
shGr, t.l..a ai,or Morris loaded his gun
and started across to Turner'S taking it
along. He entered the house stealthily
and stole around back of Mrs. Turner,
cooked his gun and raised it to his
shoulder, aiming directly at Mrs. Tar
ner's head. Ida, the murdered woman S
daughter, plnck;iy ssfaug up and seized
holt. Of The Weapon aud pulled it out of
post ;on. Mrs. Turner then got up, went
to Morris and tried to get the SCISSORS
and spectacles from his ,or.as. In q
Scrimmage he let. ~. the gun. and Ida
CAUGHT :. .p and hid it in the garden.
The mother alterward told her to bring
it back, when she did. but first removed
the caps and poured water int the
tubes Norris after a ti.t..e went home
again. He ....a.p discharged tue gun,
am. leiu.tulnS III lttaihe'i, carry ny IL Oh
his shoulder.
When he came in the store Mrs. Tur
ner was behind the counter waiting On
John Rittenhouse. He .sas.s i2itten
house how the wor,.. WAS uSing him, and
in the ss;....e i.r,.ath said: 4 guess | will
90 cut and see old Hannah, woman
who occupies cabin near by and leads
an abandoned life. Rittenhouse turned
to look out the window at his horse, and
as he did so Morris cooked his gan. lev
eled it at his victim end iifed the whole
charge, which penetrated her breast to
the heat Death was instantaneous.
With the other barrel ready to dis
charge. Morris backed out of the door
prepared to shoot if any one ondeavored
to intercept his escape. The daughter
Ida, who was ap stairs at the time and
heard the report, rushed frantically
down. and seeing Morris fleeing. took up
a revolver and discharged it after him as
he disappeared, going i'll the direction of
his house. The girl continued her pur-
suit until called by Rittenhouse, who
told her that Norris would shoot her if
she did not come in. Squire Blackiston,
of Millington. held an inquest on Friday
morning. and the jury returned a verdict
that the deceased had been maliclously
and willfully murdered by Joseph Nor
ris. In addition to the facts as recited
above it was brought oHt at the inquest
that Morris, when last loading the gun.
had put large bullet in the charge of
shot. The wound extended almost Ell
tirely through her body.
After the shooting Morris went to his
home, where ..e was met by his father,
who accused him of doing some more
deyilineut. but he denied it, and said
that he had accidentally shot and killed
Emily Turner. He remained about the
house nearly half ap hour, when he dis
appeared, taking nothing viii. him but
two large bottles of whiskey.
The motive Of the murder is said to
have been revenge. Two years ago. Nor
ris started some reports derogatory to
Mrs. Turner'S character, for which he
was severely chastised by that lady $
husband 1t is the superstition that
Morris had planned il, IKE murder of the
entire t:,r,i,,t" fEn,,,f.:, T3cthe, au,, dough
: ter-blit ffl some reason failed to carry
out his plan. In the afternoon he en-
deavored to persuade the girl to take a
drink of whisky from a bottle which he
carried in his pocket, and to also give
some to Mrs. Turner. He was so nerSis-
tent that they beth "at.:e,i e ,Gtsh it.
, 1t has lace ,,eat::' ;ttssGet.a,GeG that the
! whisky G0ulailt,t potsuD, and ho hoped
| to kill la I'm. and would then meet Mr.
| Turner a t the station on his return from
| Philadelphia and murder him.
! Turner was first appriSed of the muir
I der when he reached the station near hi,
home, on his l., turn from Philade ph'a
| lie was overcome by the 'idir.ea9. :,pa lei
in inipt.a..g; q, "a. .au platform, and i.
| now ravins mad'y.
! The murderer is the son OF 's'pl
| Morris, ST., formerly Il well-to-do farmer
! and one of the most respected citizens II
| the community. lie is Il YOUNG y a
e., te,r,. IN ~! f6S ;e,!it4t liquor Witliou
a license, ior perjnry and for arson, ant
! for administering a dose of poisoned
whisky to :; man which nearly ended hi
life. The scene of the murder was visit
ed by all the inhah't&!,..- :. sras -etsiol
| of til. su,,ulis. sn.)'tih shet hfe 'organlz
ing themselves into parties to agall
| thoroughly search the forest around il
hopes of discovering tile hiding place o
the murderer The States Attorney wa
notified of the affair last e'':@:.i..... -
r Xix s4ssl4iis,'aQkh45aa da Mon
day "tH&F A.blgia gave htmstli up to
constable tile night the shooting occurred
and has since been in Jail. The fact q
his surrender and being lodged in jail ha
been kept very quiet, and w"s cr Y sHav
at til" SEE :, .ne ,i,efiAeY Oh ssHnda.
night. ~ 81. i, '' 49, 81
Morris GAINS the absence OF any motiV
for numbering the woman, and states Una
the shooting was purely accidental!
Mrs. Turner, the victim was barred o
Sunday, a lar e number of poop e atten'
the funeral Ida Turner WIS has pee
living seriously i'll since her mother
death is somewhat better.
SICK HEADACHE.
MRs j. q. HENHEKs'i>, of C!eyelanp
Ohio. writes THE use OF two Of Pierce
Pleasant Eurgative Pellets day, for
few weeks, has entirely cured me ot SIC
headache, from which | formerly sutier'
) terribly as often on an average as once
ten days" OF all druggists