Evening star., 1899-04-05
Weston B. Turner Murders His
Wife and Commits Suicide.
TERRIBLE CRIME At FALLS CHURCH
The Deed Committed Days Ago
Discovered Yesterday.
CORON ER'S GU ES I

terday evening by the discovery that
tragedy of the most appalling character
had been enacted there nearly two weeks
ago In neat little cottage, situated in
the heart of the town, there were found the
dead bodies of Weston b. Turner, we'll
to-do and highly respectable man, sixty
eight years old, and his wife, Ellen B.,
aged siXty-four years. Death in both cases
had been accomplished by pistol bullet,
and in the hand of the PROSTATE man Vas
a 3S-caliber pistol clutched in the grip of
the last rigor. Two chambers contained
empty shells. The bullet from one evident
ly had entered the brain of the man
through a hole over his right ear. Before
this had been sped on its merciless way the
other bullet had been driven into the brain
of the devoted wife, making CHASTITY aper-
ture above her left ear. The woman's body
was found reclining upon a lounge in the
dining room, where she had evidently been
sleeping when her husband murdered her
On the face, long stffened in death, there
was smile of peace. The husbands body
lay prone upon the floor on the other side
of the dining table.
The discovery was made by Mr.. George
w. Mankin, druggist and warm friend of
Mr. and Mrs. Turner, ard Messrs. *. l..
kimball and J. E. Riley, also ciose fI:snds
and immediate neishhors of the old c'upie.
Mr.. and Mrs. Turner had been in the habit
of making frequent visits to Washington,
and when the neighbors noticed the blinds
of their house drawn and no sign of hfe
about the dwelling, they very naturally
concluded that such visit WAS being
made. The last time Mr.. and Mrs. Turner
had been seen in the village previous to tn
startling developments yesterday was
Thursday, March y. Mr.. Mankin yester
day learned that the old couple wer. not in
Washington, and after consultation wtth
Messrs. Kinban and Riley, it was deter
mined to enter the Turner dwelling.
Details of the Discovery.
Accordingly about O'Clock yesterday
evening the gentlemen went to the house
and after Mr.. Kimball had pried open 4
back window opening out of the kitchen
they entered the premises. Everything in
the kitchen was arranged in the neat
der that had characterized Mrs. Turner'S
well known superior housekecp ping, but
there was a stckening odor perceptiblc.
In the dining room adjoining the gentle
men made the shocking discovery de-
scribed above The bodies We're badly de-
composed. The room showed no signs of
any disturbance, and the entire house was
in perfect order. 1t was evident that Mr..
Turner had shot his wife while she was
taking a nap and then turned the deadly
pistol on himself. A carving knife. freshly
sharpened, was found lying on the table.
and it was thought the husband had at
first contemplated using this. but had
changed his mind at the last moment
mediately notified Mayor G. W. HawXhurst
who is also coroner, and jury vas AT once
impaneled consisting of John b. Chaplin.
NJ. E. Church, G. l.. Garretson, J. S. Riley
w. l.. Gordon and George a. Drummer.
The Dead Mans Will.
A search of the house discovered in
bureau drawer upstairs a will which had
been executed March 10 last by Mr. Tur-
ner. By its provisions the very substan-
tial property owned by Mr. Turner, which
includes several valuable pieces of real
tate in Washington, was to be divided be-
tween his brother, Jacob G. Turner reSid-
ing at No. 1917 10th street northwest. and
the heirs of Mrs. Turner, whose maiden
name was Ellen b. Essex.
Mr.. and Mrs. Turner had been married
for hirty-eight years, and the union had
been happy one They had no children
He was the son of the late Henry Turner,
who was for many years engaged in the
livery business in Washington, accumulat-
ing substantial fortune Mrs Turner's
father was Josiah Essex, who lived many
years on New York avenue and was pros
porous.
Mr.. Turner in Poor Health.
Mr. Turner had been in poor health for
several years. He had never fully recover
ed from an accident two years ago at 9th
and f streets, in which he was injured by
a Metropolitan car
The will mentioned above was drawn up
by Mr.. John B. Chaplin, proprietor of the
Eagle House in Falls Church.
Mr.. Chaplin stated last night that he was
not surprised that Mr.. Turner had taken
his own life, but was greatly shocked to
learn he had killed his wife. Mr. Turner
he said, had called on him March % and
complained Of being very sick mar, and
later in the day had visited the hotel again
and acted very strangely, expressing the
conviction that he would die very soon
The pistol used in the double tragedy was
1nrt ifnl NV Nv L. 7
chased from Mr.. Turner a long time ago
and which Mr.. Turner lad bought back
from him about six weeks since. The
Turner'S had been living at Falls Church
about six years.
Another Will.
Another will was found this morning in
which Mr.. Turner turns over all his prop
erty to his wife. This will is dated Febru-
ary %, 1896 The will found yesterday was
dated March II, 1899.
The life insurance policies drawn by Mr..
Turner in favor of his wife were also found
this morning, for small amounts In the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
COroner's Inquest.
The coroner's jury was composed of
George w. Hawxhurst, mayor acting cor
oner; Jurors j. p. Chaplin, j. F. Riley, Geo.
A. Brunner w. L. Gordon, NJ. L. Church
and J. H. Garretson.
. 1t met at the council room this morning
at 10 o'clock and heard testimony. DR.. L.
E. Gott, the family physician, testified that
Mr.. Turner had been suffering from melan-
cholia with suicidal tendencies for some
time George w. Mankin and ]. s.
Riley testified to discovering the bodies in
the house. Drs. Quick and Fadely
testified as to the course of the bullet
They were the physicians who examined
the bodies. Mrs. ]. E. Matheny, the near
est of their neighbors, living only about
frnr ha
house, stated that on March %, the date
of the tragedy, she saw a light in the
kitchen window about o'clock, and the
next morning the house was all closed up.
She went over to the house and knocked at
the door, but got no response. She sup
posed they had gone to the city. She had
not seen them since, nor any evidence of
their being at home, and she only learned
Of their not being in the city yesterday,
when she Immediately called the neighbors
In. Three of them entered the house, dis
covering the bodies
Feared Trouble.