The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-12-24


miles up and down the river. With the
country people as well with the people
of West Point they are popular ara ihe,r
regularity has been secured by nara, non
est fair work and square dealing. In the
rear OF their store. or rather in enc section
of the bulling devoted to their business,
is large millinery department.
Turner is "a negro of about twenty-seyen
years of age and has lived in West Point
for years. He has always been considered
a polite, inoffensive negro and no one
thought he would ever have offered an
affront to a lady Time and again Turner
has been given odd jobs by the merchants
of the city, among them the Blackman
brothers. Some time ago he read an ac-
count of the marriage of negro man to
a white womal and after that frequently
spoke of ii to his companions and to some
of the white people with whom he was in
the habit OF talking The marriage OF
which he had read seemed to prey upon
his mind and time and time again he has
been heard discussing il.
This, il is thought led him to write
note. which was delivered on Saturday 1t
was a request from the writer to meet him
that night near the college. The writer
signed his name in fun and proved to BE-
Turner The young lady carried the note
to her brothers. The first impulse Of the
young men was 10 so out and hunt the
negro Turner and kill him on the spot. But
fearing that there might be mistak~-
they decided to ascertain beyond all doubt
that Turner die write the note and then
act In the letter was a request for re
ply, and reply was sent, Informing Tur-
ner that he misht be at the point desig-
mated i'm his note at the time mentioned
by him.
Then the gentlemen called in two o.
three friends and acquainted them with
the situation ana asked their attendance
that evening. After dark and AZ
the appointed time the Black
man brothers ard their friends were on
band and there too. was Turner. His pres
ence confirmed the suspicious of the gen
tlcmen and then there occurred somethlhS
which forms chapter i'm Georgia's criminal
history.
But Just What happened is not known az
tho parties interested decline to tax ana
nothing can b. learned from them. In feet
the story from its inception is covered III
the most mysterious manner and little or
nothing is really known by the people
here II is known. however. that the ne
gro was badly hurt and that il was thousht
he was dead when the gentlemen went
away.
TUESDAY morning however the Blackman
brothers and their friends ascertained that
Turner was yet in town and that n was
at the home of negro woman living on
the outskirts of the city. The same m
formation was to the effect that ne was
badly hurt aud that he would not be out
in a long time. Finding that the negro was
vet alive some of the young men OF the
CITY decided to make another call upon
him and see that he left the state at once
At the door the negro woman maoe Il
stout resistance and Turner went TO her
aid. hurt as he was. H. welded club or
an ak and for "A few minutes there was a
lively scrinmagc The fight resulted in
what was thought TO bc a deathblow 10
the negro, but as no one knows VINO ih@
attacking parties We're. no one can ten
whether it was "a shot or knife or a club
which gave the blow. The young men.
who are unknown i'm the second attack, %
course. are not to be found out.
Wednesday morning the negro badly hurt
so one story goes. was carried to l-aFay-
cite Ala where he sought tn protet-
ton of the sheriff. There is. however
another story current tonight that Turner
is vet in the negro woman's house and that
ne is dying from the wounds inflicted. This
latter rumor has just come IN ana the
officers have not investigated it. In tact
very little was known about il until Tues
day morning 50 carefully did the parties
interested guard the secret in order to pro
tect the Young lady. When it first came
out a negro man gave it out that Turner
had been carried by friends 20 Latayette,
and that he was there in jail. That "&s
believed until tonight late, when 1t Wa
stated that he was still at the woman $
house and was dying of the wounds. me
officers will take the matter in hand IN the
morning and sift il to the bottom. Should
The negro died there would be no sympathy
here for him and should he live he would
do well To- make himself scarce He will
not bc further molcsted just now, how
~