The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-12
Man Accused Of Numbering Her Father
Made Charges Against Her.
SHE WAS ONCE HIS SWEETHEART,
The Young Woman Calmly Tss'Ifsd 10 Her Former
Love for 6.lllgsn, VITO Is Chag,d with tbs
Murdsf Of Mr. Turner.

Suffolk. Va, June 12.-With Andrew
Carter Gilligan. prisoner at the bar,
mans life and a woman's honor are be-
ing weighed in the judicial balance.
Glligan. once Isabel Turner'S sweet
heart. now accused Of numbering her
father. c. Beverley Turner. made ah
alleged confession 10 Sheriff Edwards.
of Surrey County.
Gilligan claimed he shot Turner In
self-defence; that the proud old gentle
man found him with Isabel, the child
who was the apple OF his eye and raised
a gun TO Kill him.
Following the late example OF Mrs.
Clarke. of Pittsburg. where her nus
band sued for divorce, Miss Isabel to-
day called learned physicians who. with
emphasis testified she is a'gopd. pure
girl.
These two physicians are DIR. Landon
B. Edwards chairman OF the faculty
Of the University College or Medicine,
Richmond; professor OF the practice OF
medicine. member of the state board or
health, secretary Of the Virginia Medi-
cal Society. physician OF thirty years
practice. and kr. Jacob Mechenx. pro-
fessor Of midwifery at the University
College of Medicine and former presi-
dent OF the State Medical Society.
After much opposition by the lawyers
for the defence. DIR. Edwards and DR..
Mecheux testified they had been en-
gagged TO make medical examination
that proved to them not shadow can
be cast on Miss lsabers reputation.
Miss Isabel, who is hut 20 years old,
beautiful, splendidiy educated, had
been a most convincing witness. Either
she told the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, or she Is an admirable
actress. Dressed in mourning. her
manner was sad but self contained.
During the three hours she was on the
witness stand she was perfectly free
from embarrassment. but she glanced
only once at Gilligan, who sat near
her.
She absolutely and positively denied
every statement in Gilligan's confess
sion. She faced five shrewd lawyers
and calmly answered such questions as
this:
Did you ever love this man, A. c.
Gilligan?"
Yes, once loved him. My love grew
less ardent about Is months before my
father was killed. About IL months be-
fore the killing ceased to love-"
Miss Turner denied. too that she
was with Gilligan when her father was
shot and described the finding of her
fathers body in the snow on Decern-
ber 27 last.
Pardon me-" said Col. Bergkin, one
OF the prosecutors. II will read from
Sheriff Edwards testimony, Gilligan's
confession"
Miss Turner. her eyes downcast. lis
tened to that part of the confession
that directly reflects on her. Her voice
was as clear as a bell when she cried,
in answer
That is false; absolutely false.
was with my mother; I am positive.
am positive that every word Is false!"
Mrs. Agnes l.. Turner widow Of the
murdered man. Miss Isabel's mother.
also testified. Mrs. Turner said she
learned OF Isabeps correspondence with
Gilligan from his sister. Mrs. Susie
Batten. who showed to her nine envel-
opes which were empty. however. Mrs.
Turner acknowledged trying TO bribe
Mrs. Batten 10 recover the letters. Her
mother asked Isabel about the love let
ters and she confessed TO writing them.
but said she did not believe they were
in existence. She and Gilligan had
promised each other 10 burn the letters.
and she believed Gilligan had kept his
compact, as she had.
These letters. Of which there are
about 25. will be put in evidence by the
defence.