The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-07

Accordingly Undertaken Walsh brought
the remains from the psuper burial
ground, placing them in his stable, No. n
Monroe street. County Physician II. l..
Williiord, DIR. q. b. Thornton, DIR. Harry
Rogers and DIR. Pate, under authority,
served as an examining board, and at $3.50
o'clock pm. conducted thorough inves-
tigation. DIR. Rogers welded the surgeon \
knife with skill and precision, his opera
tons being closely scrutinized by his asso-
ciates. Before the coroner and his jury
arrived the work had been completed.
Coroner George Il. Powell brought with
him the following jury OF inquest: J. T.
Stanton, w. NJ. Morris, Il. j. Caruthcrs,
Mike Madden, w. S. Pope, p. f. Doherty,
J. A. McCaryer. Being duly impancled,
the testimony Of witnesses was heard.
THE DoCTURs TESTIFY
Dr. G.. i. Thornton was asked for a
statement OF his opinion as an expert.
based upon the examination ho had par
ticipated in. II was brief but pointed. in
substance rs follows: Willie Tisdae had
become corpse as n result OF child birth.
That 4 child had been born there was not
the shadow OF doubt, and that, too,
within iorty-cight hours before death
claimed her. To the best OF his knowl-
edge and belief the delivery was Drema-
ture, though on this point il was impos-
sible TO speak with deiinitcness.
DIR. Williiord fully corrOborated DIR.
Thornton, and further enlightened the ju-
~ by responding 20 questions. Asked ii a
physician could have distinguished be-
tween the cause Of the girls death and
congestive chills, DIR. Williiord replied:
''There would be not the slightest Difficult
ty in so doing. Any physician could have
told at n glance that her death was not
from congestivc chills."
Mr.. y. Picard and Mr.. +. II. Stout fol.
lowed with detailed statement OF their
rcportorial Investigations. Mr.. Picard's
account appeared in The ArPgAL yoster.
day.
4 HiDEoUs OLD LIAR.
There was some effort on the part OF the
jury to have old Rhody Turner placed on
the witncss-stand, but Assistant Attorney
General Brooks deemed it inexpcdicnt.
She was the prisoner, and the State had
no use for her testimony until II was given
rs an empty statement before the criminal
court. Various parties attempted 20 cor
ner the loathsomo old shark by rigid
questions, but 10 little avail. She related
how the girl came 10 her house two or
three weeks ago, and, in the face Of her
opposition, insisted upon taking up quar-
tiers in her house. She had, according to
this old hays story, no money, but prom
ised TO pay for the accommodations in the
event OF her recovery.
"What became Of the babe TO which she
gave birth ~ Turner was asked.
III never seed no baby" she persisted.
81 WIZ not NJ home all dc time nohow.
Dat gal went down home TO Water Valley
one day las week 10 see dat man OF hers,
she said. She came back Thursday an
has bin in my house ever since. But ]
never seed no baby
"What became OF the money she Is
known TO have had2'
81 never seed no money She never
paid mo for stayin' at my house. II |
wuz goin' 10 die dc mex mint, | would
be cl'ar Of dat money"
"Whcn did she die 90
Tuesday mornin, between 8 and @
O'Clock"
CAUGHT FOR oscr.
Scrgt. IIedrick, during the examina-
ton, produced telegram from the West
err Union telegraph office at Water Val
ley. Il was dated the 9th, Wednesday,
and informed "Willc, go Madison
street, that her telegram 10 II. 7. jordan
remained undcliycred, ~ he could not bc
found. This illustrated the rcpulsiyc me-
grcss, who then admitted that she might
have been mistaken ~ 20 when the girl
died. Turner also stated that DIR. Nixon
had visited her patient once or twice.
bertha Jackson, a negro woman who re-.
sides at the same place, says she went after
the doctor" sunday morning herself, aud
that she saw him call number OF times.
Thus both Of them contradict Nixon's
story that he only called once, and then did
not attempt 20 treat her because lie was
too near extinct
The jury returned q verdict virtually
charging lthody Turner and "Dr." ]. Nix.
on with the murder OF Willie Tisdile, alias
Willie Jordan.
norm or THIN ARRESTED.
Rhoda Turner was arrested by Scrgt.
llcdrick before daylight Yesterday morn.
ing. She was brought from the police
station TO be present at the inquest, aud
after is conclusion was returned 10 cell.
\ warrant was also sworn out before
squire Powell for the nrpst Of Nixon.
Ncrrt. iedrlck, Mf, ~ Afrh MCtnfYpr,
Mr. q. X. Underwood and an ArirAL ~
porter visited NiXon's drug store, No. 81
Charleston avenue, and there learned
that lac had gone 10 his farm, six
miles out ON the Raleigh road. Nh
McCarvcr provided spring wagon, IN
which the party followed TO that
place, arriving an hour or morc after Nix.
on had started on his return to the city.
Returning. the searching party arrived In
the city about O'Clock pm, and while
Nixon was out TO @'c q patient" Scrgt.
llcdrick aud Mr.. McCarvcr waited until
the visit had been terminated aud upon
Nixon's rcappearancc placed him under
arrest. ~ the siation.house the doctor"
became very pale and greatly agilatod
when informed that the charge against
him was murder aud bond could not loo
taken.
TnE TRisoNEns
Rhody Turner Is rcpulsiye IN the OK.
ircme. being low In statue (likcwisc In
monthly, black ~ coal, thick tipped and
very ilcshy. She has piled her Infamous
vocation Tor nearly thirty years. but
always % shrcwdly that evidence sufficient
TO convict her could not be collected.
Commenting on her career. Criminal
Court Clerk Capers said that thew had
been watching her Tor twenty years In the
a v. a. =