Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-24
II. b. TURNER ACTS AS OWN ATTOR.
NEY IN FORGERY CASE.
CLEVER SPEECH TO THE JURY.
HIS WITNESSES NOT ALLOWED TIC
ANSWER ONE QUESTION.
Turner Alleged n Conspiracy and
Made such an Impression on the
Jury That 1t Failed to
Reach an Agreement
Last Night.

Robert Il. Turner, as remarkable a Grim
inal as ever operated in this city, was or
trial all yesterday in the crimina court
Forgery was the crime of which Turner
was charged. He was his own lawyer and
handled the case so we'll that although
the evidence was strong against him the
jury could not agree on a verdict last night
There are five indictments for forgery
against Turner. The one upon which he
was tried yesterday was that of forging
A check for $50 and passing it on Marcus
Lazare, a s~torekeeper at Jog East Twelfth
street. The trial began at 9 o'clock and
1t was seen from the start that Prosecutor
Lowe was using all the skill he possessed
TO convict Turner. He watched Turner
as a cat would a mouse in Its clutches
ready to object to every move made by
the young man.
Lazare testified tina Turner was the man.
beyond a doubt, who presented the IorSed
check to him December "A. 1885.
Levi Bell, a coal dealer. said Turner was
the man who bought a ton of coal from
him about the same time and paid for 1t
in a forged check for 50 for which he
was given Sc in change. When the driver
went to deliver the coal he found that the
address given by Turner was a vacant lot.
S. E.. Himoe, a druggist. and Harry 5.
Tuttle, a grocer. identified Turner as the
one who had passed forged checks on them.
After the state had closed its case Tur-
ncr arose and walked slowly around the
prosecutors desk TO a place where lie could
face the jury. He stood with the knuckles
of his right hand resting on the prosecu-
-. l-t no1I a-l ,,l1arfnl a c raCnprr-
able looking as any of the twelve men in
the Jury box. He was dressed neatly in
"A new suit of dark cloth, his linen was spot
less, his hair was combed precisely, and
as he stood. gazing down at the moor Tor
a moment before beginning to speak, he
pleading the case of some criminal at the
bar. At last he looked up. turned half
way round to the Judge and said:
Your honor" Then to the jury:
Gentlemen of the jury, this is n peculiar
case; one of the most peculiar. probably.
that has ever come within the scope OF
your experience"
He spoke slowly and modestly with a
voice softly modulated, looking straight
into the eyes of the twelve men upon
whose judgment his fate depended. The
jurors watched him intently. 1t was plain
TO see that this remarkable young man
was a puzzler to them. as he was to every
one else in the courtroom. He went on:
Turner Addresses the Jury.
at is alleged by the state hat I am
guilty of a series of forgeries. I expect to
show that / am not only not guilty, but
in all probability 1 will show who is the
guilty man. There has been a great deal
of comment on this case. 1t has been al
legged that 1 am an educated criminal"
Judge Wofford interrupted sharply:
"Confine yourself to the case. Mr.: Turner
II was born began Turner. but Judge
Wofford interrupted again:
Its no matter where you were born.
I'm not going to have any of that. I don't
care where you were born. or whether you
were born at all or not"
Turner paused a moment. looked appeal
ingly at the jury, and went on:
Il expect to prove that l am % years
old. For the past ten years my home has
been in Kansas City. / am what is known
as a gambler. 1 am not a criminal. John
Hayes, the chief of police. and George
Bryant, a veteran city detective. both have
known me for ten years. In all that time
j was never arrested"
Judge Wofford, who was watching Tur-