Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-05-27

| The trial OF Alice turner, Sdlnucl
Morris. Joseph Field alias Dude, and
John FELTON, charged with the murder
of John Turner, the aged husband of
Alice Turner, in Pocomokc City the
night of December 2lst last. was begun
before the Court Wednesday. The in
dictmcnt charged the woman aud Nor
ris with having actually committed the
deed and FELTON, aud Field with being
accomplices. FELTON, WAS first put on
the stand as witness for the State.
Mr.. Handy of the counsel for the pris-
oncrs requested the Court to inform
FELTON, of his right to decline To answer
any questions which might tend To in
criminate himself. but at the conclusion
of Fclton's evidence the States Attor-
ncy announced To the Court that the
State would offer no evidence as to
FELTON,. The Court immediately enter
ed a Judgment of not guilty as to Eel
ton and he was released from the Sher-
IFS custody. The remaining three
prisoners were evidently not in an ami
able frame of mind towards their com
radc, but there was nothing To indicate
especially that they We're on trial for
their lives. Morris. large muscular
man, sat in the centre with Dude Field
on his right and Alice Turner On his
left. Sheriff Harrison and Deputy ID.
II. Lewis and Jailor Truitt acted as
guards. Apparently Alice was thorough
ly calm and conscious of the charm of
her blue alpine hat. black silk frock,
russell shoes and gold trimmed glasses.
Dude Field showed i'll his eyes some
thing of the mental strain he was I'M
dergoing and watched closely every
movement of his lawyers. Morris face
indicated nothing
Duran Jones and Asa Pilchard testi-
fled that they were out hunting We'd
ncsday night December 2!st last. About
10 or IL o'clock on the road from POGO
moke City TO Davis cross roads four or
five miles from Pocomokc City they
discovered the body of a man unknown
TO them. He was lying fiat on his face
with his right arm under him and his
left doubled by his side. The road when
dry is sandy but that night was wet
and sloppy. One side at the spot where
| the body was found there is woods
but not ON the other. Mr.. Pilchard's
house is in sight about $50 yards away.
The night was misty and cloudy but
not very dark. The young men notified
the neighbors and the news was sent to
Pocomokc City. DIR. Corbin +. Hargis
testified that together with VIM. u.
Scheduled, coroner, he reached the
spot about , O'Clock Thursday morning.
They found the body and DIR. Hargis
man. throat cut to the bone by some
sharp instrument. The bone over the
| left eye was fractured by some blunt
instrument The entire back of the
head was crushed and i'll some places
the brain was oozing ont. The head
was so manglcd that the features could
not be recognized until the head was
pressed into something like is natural
shape. He then recognized the body as
that of John Turner The blow on the
back of the head DIR. Hargis thought,
must have been given the last thing as
the face was pressed deep down i'll the
earth He had been dead probably four
or five hours The doctor also thought
the throat was probably cut where the
body was found. There was a pool of
blood there.
John FELTON, was the principal witness
that on the Tuesday before the killing
of Turner on "Wednesday he was pass
ing Turner's house when Alice called
him in He went AZ far as the porch.
Alice asked him if he would 20 away
with them the next night. He asked
where and she said they were going To
take Turner away. FELTON, told her he
had to go somewhere else. Alice told
him it was funny he couldn't do any
thing to help her when She had always
been such good friend of his. But
anyway she said it made no difference
as there were two men, Sam Morris and
Joe Field, who would do anything she
asked them to do. Field would take
Mr.. Win Schoolfclds horse and carriage
and get Turner away. She then picked
up hatchct and said there's what
will do the work. All | want is some
body Ia hold John Turner's hands and
| will cut his d throat. She then
went on To say that she wanted Ia 90
away Saturday. but if anything should
happen To her she wanted FELTON, to go
tn her house and get her watch and
cham and keep il till she asked him for
it, She also wanted him To look under
the head of her bed and get her razor
and throw il down the we'll She would
take care of the hatchct. The following
night FELTON, says he was on the street
going home maybe ten or eleven o clock.
He saw a horse and spindle wagon stop
in front of Turner's house. \ man and
light appeared ut the window. The
horse and wagon were driven Ia Mr..
| Schoolficld's stable FELTON, recognized
Field as the driver and saw him take
the horse from the wagon and put him
i'll the stable. FELTON, went home and
heard nothing Of the murder until the
next morning. He and Sam Morris
worked at the same livery stable. Nor
ris BEARDED at Turner's but had not been
there very long. He told FELTON, that
he Morris loved Alice and Alice loved
him and if he didn't get her he would
bet 800 old Turner would be a dead
man before Christmas That he had
500 or $500 coming to him from Wash
ington and when he got that he expected
Ia take Alice and her boy away. FELTON,
further testified that the day after the
murder Dude Field asked him if he
knew about his having used Mr. School
fields horse. FELTON, told him he did
Field then told him he had Il pair of
shoes and pair of trousers at Turner's
house and if FELTON, would keep his
mouth shut he might get the shoes and
trousers and keep them. So FELTON, and
Field went together that night tn Tur-
ncr ; house Field stayed outside while