The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-01-09
DESPERATE SUICIDE,
ALBERT TURNER HANGS
HIMSELF.
COMPOSED IN DEATH.

this cry was heard in Newtown street
Thursday evening, about 6 80 o'clock
1t was soon found to be true and an ex
cited crowd surged up toward Mr. Tur
ner's barn on the road toward Platt's
hill, where the body was hanging.
DIR F.. M. Smith, the medical examiner
was among those early on the ground
and found that Mr. Turner was hanging
| from stake at the side of the barn, his
feet about two aud half feet from the
floor.
He was stone dead and permission to
cut down the body was quickly given.
He was facing the southeast, his body
perfectly straight and rigid, his feet
turned at natural angle, his lower
limbs composed and his arms but slight
ly drawn up, with the hands partly clos
ed. His head was bent slightly forward,
his eyes nearly closed. His face was
colorless, his features composed and his
entire appearance was perfectly natural.
The rope with which he had hung him.
self was common strand rope about
half an inch in diameter and was fasten-
ed two or three feet above his head.
The knot. which had evidently been
arralsed with care and deliberation,
was caught under the left ear; it was so
scientifically tied that there could be no
possibility of slip or mischance.
His hat had fallen off and lay on the
floor. Probably it was Jared from his
head as the rope frightened after his jump
for there was absolutely nothing to indi-
cate struggle. The projecting stake
to which the rope was tied was near the
top of that part of the barn and was
strongly .braced from the lower side.
To reach it and fasten the rope there,
he must have climbed ladder which
still stands against the sice of the baln,a
couple of feet away from the body as it
hung.
Heving fastened the rope securely to
the stake, Mr. Turner evidently arranged
the rope about his neck, fastened the
moose with nicely and security
born of deliberation and then jumped
frcvn tho l.Jdor
The fall was not great enough to cause
fracture of the neck and he
probably died from strangulation, al
though his composed features and color
less face are proof that he suffered little.
When the body was cut down by Char
lie Glover, half dozen men bore it to
an outer room or stable and laid it on
pile of hay.
Then DR. Smith, in the presence OF wit
nesses and curious crowd, examined
the pockets of the dead man. In the
ontside pockets nothing Of value was
found.
When the vest was opened, however,
at the top with button and
cord. One of these was found to contain
Smith & Wesson revolver,
% caliber, with cartridge in each of the
seven chambers.
This was followed byalong black wa l.
let, bearing marks of long usage and tied
with piece of common white Irvine.
This the doctor pocketed without open
ing, but it evidently contained but small
amount, for it was almost entirely fiat.
In the other pocket was his note book,
with few papers in the pocket.
Nothing else of value was found in the
pockets, save his gold watch, which, fas-
tened with a black ribbon, was in his
vest pocket. 1t was well worn gold
watch of Elgin make and had evidently
been carried for many years.
By the superstitious, considerable inn
portance is attached to the fact that,
when opened, about o'clock, it was
found to have stopped at IA minutes be-
fore 3. The watch had been in poor re-
pair for some time and MIR Turner had
often complained that it would not keep
time and would stop even when full
wound.
A belt, at first thought to have been a
money belt, was found about Mr. Tur-
ner's waist, but it proved to be only a
home made truss for slight naval rup-
ture.
The examination of the body having
been completed, the clothing was replac.
ed and the body carried to waiting
sleigh to be taken to the undertaking
rooms of r. F. Heating, in whose charge
it was placed by DIR Smith.
The clothing was such as Mr. Turner
customarily wore about the Street and
he also had on his overcoat.
The personal effects found on the body
were retained by DIR Smith, pending the
arrival Of Coroner DOten of Bridgeport.
A telephone message was sent to Doten
last night, but failed to reach him and
he was not expected to arrive until 10 43
a IN to-day (Friday.)
As to the cause Of Mr. Turner's desper-
ate act, there is but one theory, tempo
rary insanity caused by dependency,
though, 80 far as was known Thursday
night, Mr. Turner had left nothing to ex-
plain his reasons.
It had been noticed for two or three
weeks, however, that he had been in
anything but his usual mood and was
taken with fits Of abstraction, in which
he would stare stolidly ahead, giving lit
tie heed to what was agoing on around
him.