Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-08-08
the ensuing winter assizes.

The ticket collector at GortOn rail-
way station swore that Turner returned
to Barchester by the $50 train from
Gorton-half an hour after the time
of the murder while the girls father
stated that his daughter had promised
that, although she was unalterably at
tached to Turner, she would not mar
ry him without her parents blessing.
"In this latter development Of the
case was TO be found, in the view Of
the Crown, the motive of the murder.
Turner had convinced himself that the
parents would never consent to union
between him-a penniless young man
with no prospect Of bettering his world
ly condition-and their daughter and
that conclusion prompted him to COM
NIT the crime
"The defense was that Turner, find
ing the parents Of Miss Dicey were
utterly opposed to the marriage and
that the young lady would not marry
him without the consent of her parents,
had decided to 60 out to some relatives
in Canada, determined to make his
fortune in a few years, then return to
England, and win the consent Of the
girls parents to their union.
"On the eve of his departure for
the new world he went down to Cor
ton to bid Mis-, Dicey goodby, and,
after two hours in her company, he
returned from Gorton by the $50
train to Barchester, and at 6 o'clock
the next morning left the latter town
for Liverpool enroute to Canada.
"You will notice that on the most
important point, as to the train by
which he returned from Gorton, there
was an absolute contradiction Of his
statement that he travelled by the $50
train in the evidence of the ticket col
lector, who was positive that the $50
was the train 1t happened that both
trains ran from Gorton to Barchester
without stopping at any of the inter-
mediate stations, and that the tickets
were consequently collected at Gorton.
The prisoner stated he had taken a
third-clas return ticket from Barches-
ter to Gorton. | therefore inquired
whether the return half Of the ticket
had been collected on the $50 train
or the $50 train; but here, again,
was discontinue, Cor the halves Of
several return tickets issued that day
between Barchester and Gorton had
been collected on both trains, and Turn
er's could not be identified
The revolver from which the shots
were fired did not help the prisoner
in any way, 1t had been bought
some months previously at an estab-
lishment in Barchester, but the shop
man could not identify the purchaser.
Was it possible that Miss Dicey had
any other suitors for her hand, and
did her parents urge any particular
person on her acceptance? Of this !
could learn nothing.
Those inquiries were made by me
while l was making myself acquainted
with the facts of the case before the
assizes. The entire case against the
prisoner had been laid by the Grown
before the magistrates at the preliml-
nary investigation. The sape wit
nesses were examined at the trial be-
fore Baron Graham; and they repeated
substantially the depositions they made
in the court below. My cross examl-
nation of the witnesses failed to make
any material point in favor of the
prisoner. All l could do was to keep
well before the jury the defense of
the prisoner; weak as it appeared to
be.
9TH. last witness for the Crown,
and, therefore, the last witness in the
case, was the blind man. His evidence
was followed with intense interest by
the crowded court. He was asked
by the counsel for the prosecution
whether he had caught any Of the
words of the man and woman who
passed along the foOtpath in the grove
close to where he lay just before the
shots were fired, and when he said
Yes, every ear in the court was
strained to catch his evidence Of the
conversation.
"'What was said between the par
ties? asked my learned friend.
Gas they passed me, replied the
blind witness, 4 heard the man say ::
But your father objects to the mar
riage, and the lady said Yes, and l
do not mean to marry without his
consent.
They continued to walk on, and a
few moments after l heard the man,