Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-08-01
Grand total,
S21,10S.32
The Blind Witness,

The Blind Witness.
We were in the chambers of my
friend, Mr.. Grimshaw, q. C.-the
eminent criminal lawyer--in the
temple, and over cigar, after lunch
con, my host was giving me some
"reminiscences of his long and bril-
liant career at the Bar.
"GOrtOn is a small village, about
twenty miles from Barchester, the
well-known manufacturing town in
the Midlands," continued Mr.. Grim
shaw. "One September evening,
some fifteen years ago, the normal
peace and quietude of the place was
disturbed by the news that the dead
body of young lady had been
found in Burton Grove, a short dis
tance outside of the village, under
circumstances which left no doubt
that she had been murdered. The
police of the village had received
Information of the crime from a
blind man-one of those wandering
musicians who peranbulate the
country, from village to village, led
by a dog.
His story was that he had walked
from st. Olaves-a village about 7
miles from Gorton-that afternoon ::
and, as the evening was sultry, he
decided to save the sixpence he
would be charged for nights lodg-
Ing in Gorton by sleeping in Burton
Grove. The Grove is a thick plan
tation of trees and shrubs, midway
between the mile of road which con-
meets the railway station with the
village, and as it lay at an angle of
the road footpath through it af-
forded short cut from one point to
the other.
The blind man further stated that,
as he lay under the shelter of bush
a few yards from the footpath, with
his dog close beside him, tired after
his tramp, and composing himself
to sleep, he heard footsteps coming
along the pathway, apparently going
| toward the village, and the voices
OF man and woman, as If thew
| were having an angry alteration.
A few minutes later, the parties
passed where he lay concealed from
view. He heard a shot, and then n
woman's shrill agonizing scream,
followed by another shot.
The police, when they arrived at
the Grove, found the body of a
young lady, named Emily Dicely,
with two bullet wounds in her head
and close at hand a discharged revol-
yer.
Miss Dicely was the only child of
q shop-keeper, of considerable busi-
ness, at Barchester. 1t appeared
that very ardent attachment eX-
listed between her and young man
named Griffiths Turner, a clerk i'm
her fathers employment that her
parents were opposed to marriage,
that they had done everything to
break off the match, but were un.
successful, and that, finally, they
dispensed with the services of Tur.
ner, and sent their daughter to her
aunt at Gorton.
On the body of the unfortunate
young lady was found a brief note
from Turner, written in Barchestel
which stated that on the evening oi
september 9th (the evening of the
murder) he would run down to Cor
ton to see her. 'Perhaps,' he addeC
mysteriOusly, it will be- the las
time we will see each Other.'
He paid his promised visit to Cor
ton that evening, and, indeed, haC
been seen by two or three of the
villagers with Miss Dicely in tn,
} Grove. A warrant was issued fol
turner's arrest, but when the polio,
went to his lodgings at Barcheste
next morning, to take him into Gus
: tody, it was found that he had lef
= for Liverpool, en- route for Canada
This, of course, increased suspicion
) A telegram to the authorities at Liv
erpool secured his apprehension tina
D evening on board of one OF the out
ward bound transatlantic steamers
y He was brought back to Barchester
y and after the usual magisterial in
vestigation was returned for trial a
n the ensuing winter assizes.
l was retained for the defense
O The evidence against him, thoug
0 altogether circumstancial, was yer
0 strong.
0 The ticket-tak at Gorton railwa
U station swore that Turner returne
y to Barchester by the 9:30 train fror
y Gorton, half an hour after the mu,
& der-while the girls father state
o that his daughter had promised thai
% although she was unalterably a
70 tached to Turner, she would ne
o marry him without her parents bles.
% ing.
" In this latter development OF tn
* case was to be found, in the view {
NJ the Crown, the motive of the mu
N der. Turner had convinced himse
10 that the parents of the girl woul
10 never consent to union betwee
'5 him, penniless young man an
10 with no prospects of bettering hi
70 worldly condition, and their daugf
W ter, and that conclusion prompte
NJ NJ him to commit the crime.
W The defense was that Turner, fin,
No ing the parents of Miss Dicely we,
10 utterly opposed to the marriage, ar
DO that the young lady would n
DO marry him without the consent