Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-08-08
THE BLIND WITNESS.

able criminal trials. Probably the
most remarkable was the Gorton mur-
der case. The murder itself was, so
far as motive and the mode in which
it was perpetrated are concerned, Of a
character common enough, unhappily,
in our criminal courts-a young girl
shot by her rejected lover, mad with
jealousy. But what gave to this par
ticular case its exceptional character
was the agency by which the murder
er was brought to justice in a very GU
rious and most unexpected manner.
We were in the chambers Of my
friend, Mr.. Grirnshaw, O. C.-the en-
inent criminal lawyer-in the Temple; !;
and over a cigar, after luncheon, my
host was giving me some "reminiscences
of his long and brilliant career at the
bar.
"Gorton is a small village, about
twenty miles from Barchester, the we'll
known manufacturing town in the
Midlands," continued Mr.. Grimshaw.
Zone September evening, some fifteen
years ago, the normal peace and qme-
tude of the place was disturbed by the
news that the dead body Of a young
lady had been found in Burton Grove,
short distance outside 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 music
ians who perambulate the country from
village to village, led by a dog.
"His story was that he had walked
from st. Olaves, a village about seven
miles from Gorton-that afternoon,
and as the evening was sultry, he de-
cided TO save the Cd. he would be
charged fora nights lodging in Gorton
by sleeping in Burton Grove. The
grove is thick plantation Of trees and
shrubs, midway between the mile of
road which connects the railway station
with the village, and as it lay at an
angle of the road, footpath through
it afforded a short cut from one point
to the other.
"The blind man further stated that,
as he lay under the shelter of bush,
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 a man
and woman, as if they were having an
angry alteration. A few minutes after
the parties passed where he lay con-
cealed from view, he heard shot, then
a womans shrill, agonizlng scream,
followed by another shot. He scram-
bled to his feet, terror stricken, his
dog barking and shouted, What IS
that?' No answer was given to his
outcry, but he heard the tramPling Of
the underground, as if someone was
rushing wildly from the spot. The
blind man Immediately proceeded to
Gorton, and gave information of what
he had heard to the police, who, when
they arrived at the grove, found the
body of a young lady named Emily
Dicey, with two bullet wounds in her
head and close at hand discharged
revolver.
Miss Dicey was the only child of a
shopkeeper of considerable business at
Barchester. 1t appeared that very
ardent attachment existed between
her and young man named Grittiths
Turner, a clerk In her fathers employ
ment, that her parents were opposed
to a marriage, that they had done
everything to try to break of the
match, but were unsuccessful, and that
finally they dispensed with the SER
vices of Turner and sent their daugh-
ter to her aunt at Gorton.
"On the body of the unfortunate
young lady was found brief note
from Turner, written in Barchester,
which stated that on the evening OF
the 9th of September (the evening OF
the murder) he would run down to
Gorton to see her. Perhaps, he add
ed, mysteriously, 'it Will be the last
time we shall see each other.
He had his promised visit to Cor
ton that evening, and indeed had been
seen by two OF three of the villagers
with Miss Dicey in the grove. A war
rant was issued for Turner'S arrest,
but when the police went to his lOdg-
ings at Barchester next morning to
take him into custody it was found
that he had left for Liverpool en- route
for Canada. This, Of course, increased
the suspicion. A telegram to the au-