The evening times., 1899-01-20
THE POCOMOEE
MURDER MYSTERY
Investigating the Death of
John Turner.
His Wife and Others Charged With
Killing Him.
All the Parties Implicated Arrested
and Lodged in Jail-COlOred Dude
in a Tight Place.


colored, generally known as Dude Field.
of Pocomoke City, was lodged in Snow Hill
jail yesterday by Deputy Sheriff, ]. Henry
Young and Constable John S. Melvin,
charged with being an accessory to the
murder of John Turner, colored, at or near
pocomoke City, December q last.
Turner, the victim, was about 60 years
old and his wife about 80. They lived in
| Pocomoke City, near the High School
building. With them lived her son, boy
of IA years, and a bOarder named Samuel
Morris, 80 years old. About 10 or half past
| 10 O'Clock Wednesday night, December q,
| Turner's body was found by a man named
| Pilchard on the public road, miles from
Pocomoke City, on the road leading TO
| Goodwill. His skull was crushed both
| front and back and his throat was cut. A
large pool of blood was by the body,
showing that the cutting was done there.
There were 10 signs of a struggle.
Turner was janitor of the school build
ing, and at that season of the year hardly
ever got TO his work until about dark or
little after. From evidence that has
since developed, it is believed the first
blow, the one on the forehead, was given
while the victim was at the schoolhouse.
1t is thought he was then placed in a car
riage and taken to the place where his
body was found that when he was con-
veyed there he began 10 show signs of
life and his throat cut, possibly even
after he was thrown on the ground
Turner's wife is named Alice, and he
| and the boarder, named Samuel Morris,
| and Alice's young son have all been in
| Snow Hill jail since the day after the in
quest. The woman's conduct with Samuel
| Norris caused talk among their acquaint
| ances before the tragedy. The officers
say the neighbors have heard her abuse
| her husband and threaten time and aga-n
| to kill him. Suspicion pointed to Norris
! and the woman, leading to their arrest.
Last Tuesday John FELTON, was arrested,
| charged with stealing pair of shoes, a
| pair of trsousers and a watch and chain
belonging to Joseph alias Dude" Fled.
| 1t was charged that the time of taking
| the articles was the night after Turner's
| body was found, and that in order TO get
| them he had to creep over the body of
| the murdered man as il lay in his home.
| The property was found in his possession
| and afterward identified as that Of Dude
| Field.
FELTON, claimed that Field himself went
with him TO get the things and told him
| that he might have the trousers The
shoes he could take and pay him for az
! terward. FELTON, claimed that the watch
| and chain belonged to Alice Turner, and
| that she gave them TO him and told him
| He was committed to Jail in default of
bond. and while he was in the town lock
| up at Pocomoke City told the officers tia.
! he could throw some light on the Turner
| murder.
Deputy Sheriff Young today gave the
| following account of Felton's story He
! claimed that on the Tuesday before the
| killing of Turner, Turner's wife asked
! FELTON, If he would not do her favor. She
cba had m
! would like for him TO help her. She said
! she wanted him 10 help get the old man
| Turner out of the way; that when he went
| 10 his work at the schoolhouse next night
| she would get Sam Morris and they, ell
/ three including FELTON,. would go there,
| and knock him on the head with hatchet
! Dude Field would have Mr.. Will School
| fields horse and carriage there and they
| would take him out in the country and
| leave him along the road. She said also
| FELTON, claimed, that if somebody would
| just hold the old man she would cut his
| throat herself She then took razor out
| of her dress and showed what she would
do with il. FELTON, told her he would be
away the next night and couldn't help her.
The next night however, FELTON, did not
| go away, but stayed at his house until the
| middle of the evening. While he was on
| the street he heard carriage in the di-
! rection of Turner's house, and from where
! ne was ne cOuid see TWO people get out OF
+, it and go in Turner's house, which was
then dark. The wagon was driven on to-
ward Mr. Schoolfelds stable. A few min
| utes after the parties went in the house a
| light appeared at the windows and FELTON,
! went on home. The next morning he
heard Turner had been killed.
| Search of Fields house resulted in the
I finding of a pair of trousers which he
| said were his. They We're very muddy.
| Field claimed this came from their having
| been used as a door mat, but Mr.. Young
said they had every appearance of having
| been spattered by flying mud. He also
found a woman's skirt torn down the
back In front there is what appears to be
blood stain. Field is a single man and
lives alone
The officers found later a large quilt,
which was still very wet from washing.
One part of it. however, had not been
reached and on this part there is what the
officers claim TO be a large blood stain.
| Field did not attempt to account for this.
He said he was washing it to send to Alice
Turner in Jail. He said it was his own
quilt.
Field generally justifes his appellation
of Dude Field, but this afternoon he
was a little dilapidated. He denied to a
newspaper correspondent all knowledge of
the affair, and claimed that FELTON, told
the story because he thought it would
l
that on the night of the murder at about
Z o'clock he stopped at Turner's house.
He found Alice and her son there alone
They told him John Turner had gone out
but they were looking for him to come
back. He stayed a few minutes and then
went down town after some gin. He came
| back about O'Clock and found Samuel
Morris also there They sat together in
the lighted room until about 10 O'Clock,
| when he asked them IL they were going
| TO wait for Turner to come back. They
said No and Morris went to bed. In
| very few minutes he left and did not
know till IL o'clock the next morning that
that Mr.. SCHOOLGIRLS horse and carriage
place where it was found, Field says Mr.
Schoolfield will bear him out in saying
that several days before that Field took
the harness apart and cleaned it, and
that 1t was still apart and apparently the
same way the next morning. The carriage
had also been just cleaned and showed no
I,signs of having been used. He also says
that the tracks which they claim were
those of Mr. Schoolfeld's horse showed no
shoes, while his horse was shod.
Constable Melvin and Deputy Sheriff
Young say that the neighbors will testify
that there was light in the Turner
house from to 10 o'clock the night of the
murder.
Timber Prices Advance.
Norfolk, Va, Jan. 20-H. Mel. Green,
one of the largest lumber dealers in
North Carolina. said yesterday that all