Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-02-08

~ wv
Donnelly, charged with the murder
OF Sam Turner in the latter part O.
July, 1898, was begun in the Circui,
Court. Geo. Hall, the first witness
called, did not tell anything start.
ling and was soon dismissed.
DIR. Fritts then testified as to the
Coroner's inquest, which was begun
at the City Hall and finished at biz
office. DR.. Fritts said that the de.
ceased had heart trouble but not te
a dangerous extent. He further
stated that it was nearly impossible
to tell whether the victinhwas struck
by the rock, or the rock fell upor
him or he upon the rock. DR.. Fritts
said that in the post mortem exam
ination the clot of bleed which had
formed In the brain was found to lie
an inch thick, from 2 to % wide
and between 3 and 81 long.
DIR. Varnon took the stand ano
testified substantially as follows
81 was called up about 2 O'Clock in
the morning by Mr.. Ballew, who
said they wanted me to examine s
man who had been found near the
railroad track. Iexamined him by
the light of a lantern and though,
that he was only drunk and told the
officers so. The next morning
Turner was dead" When asked
whether alcoholic spirits would hurt
the deceased or not he stated thai
the temporary result would be bene.
fitting but would finally make the
condition of the heart worse and
would enlarge the liver to a danger.
Gus extent. DR.. Varnon stated that
| the liver was then about one-fourth
larger than its normal size, but he
did not see the heart, as DR.. Hutton
examined that.
The next witness was J. H. Bal.
lew, of the night police. Mr.. Ballew
testified to having seen Turner sew.
eral times on the night he was killed,
once in the company of Joe Don.
nelly and Will Mckinney. He also
said that he was the first one who
moved Turner after he was found
near the railroad track. He and
officer Shipp were TN h slookout fol
some suspicious characters and
were near the depot when they were
told that a man had been found dead
Just below Pollock's mill. They
went down there and found Turner
lying on his side, with his head
pointed away from the track. He
then picked Turner up and spoke
to him. He received no answer and
as Turner was not able to stand, he
sent a negro boy to the depot for a
stretcher. When the stretcher was
brought they placed Turner on il
and carried him to the City Hall
where DIR. Varnon examined him
He pronounced him drunk and they
placed him in the center cell of the
lower tier. The next morning at I
O'Clock he was told that Turner wa:
dead.
Officer Ship was called next ant
testified the same as officer Ballew
Marshal Kemp then took thu
stand and told what he knew of thu
matter. During the o examina
ton MIR. Kemp and Mr.. Cullen, th'
attorney for the plaintiff, got into
discussion about the ballast on thu
C. & A. railroad which caused quit
an uproar among the spectators
After a time the laughter subsidet
and order was restored.
Baker and James Barnes were al
, so called but gave no evidence o
Importance.
Fl Court then adjourned until S:3'
O'Clock Tuesday morning.
That morning at 8 O'Clock vii
Mckinney, who was present at th
, time of the murder, took the stand
His testimony was objected to b
i, the defense. Mckinney testified a
l follows: 81 am 10 years old AM
have lived in Mexico II years.
saw Sam Turner last on the 2Sth @
e 29th of July. | first saw him abou
8 or $50 that night in front c
8 Hooks billiard hall. Donnell
@ seemed to know him and | jus
scraped an acquaintance with hir
during the evening. We drank thre
buckets of beer before we went wall
ing west, and two after we cam
back up town. We afterwards start
ed toward Cora Mays and when "
GOT there we sat down on a cattl
guard on the railroad and talke
awhile, then We went back up th
track. Turner and | were wa'kin
along about even with each oths
and I had my hand on his arm.
was on the right side OF Turner an
Donnelly was behind us both.
heard a blow and looked around an
saw Turner falling. Donneily the
struck at him again but he MISE
him this time. Donnelly then toe
!, something from Turner's peck
. and both of US ran to the opposi
side of the street and went abo'
two blocks south. / then SAL