Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-06-21
GILLIGAN'S TRIAL.

GlLLlGAN'S TRIAL.
Gilligsn's counsel having finished the
evidence in rebuttal for the defense yes
terday morning 10 the trial at Isle of
Wight Courthouse, announced that they
rested. Against their earnest protest,
but with the consent of the court. the
prosecution again put MissTurDer on the
stand, who eloquently and with spirit
denied and reiuted some of the main
points in Gilligan's story.
A. X. Whitehead was recalled, aOd
gave testimony which con radicts G lii
gan's statement that Isabel Turner was
with him when he killed his father;
that he had one arm around her waist,
and she had one arm around his neck
at that tragic moment. 1t was 10 re-
gard to the tracks under the pine tree,
where Gilligan said that he and Isabel
were when the fatal shot was fired.
Mr.. Whitehead said he examined the
tracks in the snow under the pine the
next morning, and there was only one
set of tracks uDder the tree, and hat be
followed them for several miles. There
were other tracks nearby, where Mr.
Turner fell and died, but none near the
tree.
Miss Serena Label Turner was then
escorted to the chair by her cousin and
champion, Dr.W. d. Turner. She was
pale and little carewOrn from the
nervous strain, but decidedly pretty
and very modest in her bearing.
After she had been on the stand some
TN, and counsel for the prosecution
retired to consult, she rested her head
on her hand and quietly wept. She
had on light veil and raised 1t only
when she was called on to answer quts-
tions, and then she looked the lawyers
straight in the eye and answered with
out hesitation.
Her fathers gun was placed in evi
dence. She identified it at once, say
in he had had it ten years, and that Il
was the only gun she ever shot. u
used il a great DEAL" she said. She
contr dcted fatty many of Gilligan's
statements,
She denied having written letters
from either Richmond or Norfolk.
When asked about the threat TO ruiz
ner. which Gilligan denied, Miss Tur.
ner said: "He did threaten me. l
went out to the milkhouse and he was
behind it. did not know that he wae
there. He said, Come ou, and l de
clined. He again said, Come on and
I refused. Then he said, DO as as you
please; I've got letters that will ruin
you
"The last letter | wrote was In Sep
tember. 1898. from Allegheny Syringe.
7 did not write him 10 September,
1899 as he claims" The Allegheny
letter was given to her by Gilligan and
she burned it.
"That Letter was given to me in the
ward. He told me he had burned the
other letters-every one. be swore
that he had. ,,,
~ never geye him handkerchief
NTH the letter 'S' on it. l never gave
him a handkerchief of any kind.
~ did not meet him on MONDAY
nioht on the porch. l did not speak to
him nor see him.
"Tbere was no note passed on We'd
nesdsv. | did not meet him on the
nremjses hy agreement on Wednesday,
or at any time during the year 1899.
81 saw him about the place several
times from the window and on tne
norch. There were but few words OF
tween us. / told him to 60 away ana
keep away. o,moor
According to an agreement tetween
ns TO burn the letters as received
hnrned all of his letters, every one was
DESTROYED. None of the letters was :,
nIacsd under brick by the gate pos
Juror Branch asked her it she couio
remamber the date of the letter wnicn
warned the recipient not to come tC
her window that night because mel
mother was sleeping in the room. ,e LUZ
, Latter was read in court, ana MFR
Tnrns, answered tibet i, was written 10
thaearlv summer of '9S. Witness lurthei
| soid. ''In 1899 there was no letter, ho
note no written communication "na'
ever. IL mo,
philip Mitchell was sworn. be "a'
Il Mr. Weeds and was called upon t'
| SitDeSS tue GUM va II,
wbich G,ligan left there tied in paGs
ace O'Berry united the bundle. WI
nsss said there were thirty letters an'
envelopes counted-he was sure OF th'
number. Witness thought there wel'
in the package three papers, one o o
nhich was an itemz ID statement OF a'
acconpt with w. P. Wilson and Com
NAM On cross-exami alton the orig
inal lettels were handed to the wltnes
hv Clerk Young, and he counted I'M IN
nieoes again, making forty. Wl'nes
tnrther said there may have been wv
or three letters in the envelopes wne'
Grst counted. After some evidenc
from MIR. Weed and others IN REGARD =
the number of letters the Com nou
wealth again rested its case. o.sa,
The CHIEF interest in the case ende,
wben Miss Turner left the stand' "a, a.
W. long wait in the afternoon, mls
Edmonia Bagwell went on the stsn' '
and being questioned as to an eneskt
ment she had 20 go to cnuron wiz WV
Miss Miss Turner, she said the engsgemshn 81
was W rs kept, she did not remember 'n
reason. soithfi Il
photographs taken by a sS'apn aD = y
pho,ogrnpher were not admi'teu a. v
dsnc.. bnt the court suggested me jar
conId 90 to the scene Of the killing