The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-18
LAW OFFICE TRAGEDY
III ~
Continued From First Page.

this city yesterday in response to
telegram from Turner received at
| P1ttsburg, which said:
| Meet me in New York Friday and
| l will settle with you
| The three men met in the law offices
| by appointment to allow Turner to
make partial settlement and he was
asked for a certified check. Il have
| It,, he said, and then he closed the
| door of the room. An instant later he
drew a revolver and began firing. NAL
/ lard fell shot through the heart and
Hamilton lived only few moments.
A number of other persons who were
| In the rooms, clerks and members OF
the firm, fled in panic.
Suicide of the Murderer.
| After killing Hamilton and Mallard
Turner shot himself in the head. Some
| few moments later, hearing no more
shots, the persons who fled ventured
| back into the room and found the
three bodies.
Turner retired as president of the
| Climax Bottling company last April,
when he was bought out by Hamilton.
After the sale it was discovered, in
examining the books Of the concern,
| that there was a shortage Of $500 in
! dCCOUHlS. HG AlliilctA SOiii-
| pany engaged John F. Mcintyre, for
mer assistant district attorney, and M.
Goodman, both of the firm in whose
Offices the shooting occurred, to effect
a settlement with Turner, and he en-
| gagged Edgard Leventrftt to represent
his interests. Some difficulty had been
met with in the negotiations which
| followed between the lawyers, but it
was finally agreed to accept $1,000 and
give turner a release in full. Last
night it was agreed that the settlement
| should take place in the Offices Of Can
| tor, Adams & Mcintyre today at IL
o'clock.
Wanted Mcintyre There.
Before he left the conference last
night Turner anxiously asked that Mr..
| Mcintyre be present at today,s meet
| ing, and Mr.. Mcintyre has said since
! the shooting that he did not like Tur-
ner's manner yesterday, as the latter
seemed, in his opinion, to bear him
| self recklessly and with the demeanor
! of man who might do almost any
| desperate act. -
| At the appointed hour today Tur-
ner, with his lawyer, entered the law
| offices. Mr.. Goodman ushered Turner
and his lawyer into the private office
Of Mr.. Evans Leventritt, 1t IS sald,
| told Turner to remain outside. Turner
refused, saying that he wanted to- close
| the matter at once. Turner Immediate
| ly after entering asked for Mr.. McIn-
| tyre and Showed anger when told he
would not be at the conference.
Negotiations for a settlement began.
| Messrs. Hamilton, Mallard and Good
man ard Adams being present beside
Turner and his attorney. The confer
ence at first was in the firms general
offices, but later Mallard asked to see
| Mr.. Adams and Mr.. Hamilton in Adj
ans private Office, Turner having re-
| fused certain propositions. While the
conference in the private office was
going On Turner walked in. His law
| yer asked him for his check to be used
| in the settlement and Turner said
| yes I'll let you have it." Then Tur-
| rer closed the door Of the office. He
| was facing Mr.. Mallard, who had ask
| ed him for the check.
An instant after he had shut the
| door he drew revolver, and, pointing
| it at Mallard, said: 81 will kill you,
YOU $50"
General Dash for the Door.
Then he fired two shots at Mallard.
| Instantly there was wild scramble
! on the part of the others in the room.
| All except Hamilton dashed for the
| door, but Hamilton, when Turner fired,
sprank at him to grapple. Turner was
| too quick for him, however, and drop
| victims breast, fired.
| There was no Witness to what fol-
| lowed Mr.. Leventritt, at the first ap-
pearance of the revolver, rushed out
| Of the roonl5 leaving his hat behind
! him. Goodman followed Leyentritt,
and Adams jumped to his feet as soon
! as Mallard was shot, brushed past
! Turner and got out of the Office. AS
| they left the room more shots were
heard, followed by two falls. There
| was CONSERVATION in the office. Clerks,
| boys and several women employees
were for q few minutes too frightened
| to do anything.
When persons connected with the
| law office yeraSred back into the room
| they found the three bodies lying close
| together. On Turner's body was found
an unsigned telegram reading: "Tele-
phone message received. Will accept
$1,000 either from Hamilton or Mall
| lard"
On Turner's corpse the coroner also
found certified check for $2,700. The
latter is regarded as throwing a pc
culiar light on the case, for it Is
thought to indicate that Turner went
to the Office with the probable inten-
ton Of paying the money which was
to have settled the difficulty. If he did
intend to pay, it is argued, he changed
his mind suddenly and decided to kill.
Says Turner Was Not a DefauIter.
Edgar M. Leventritt, who was Tur-
ner's counsel and who was present in
the room att the. time the shooting be-
gam made "a statement tonight in
which he defended Turner against the
charge that. he was a defaulter. "Mr.
Turner" he3saidI was not defaulter.
He did not criminally misappropriate
the funds of the Climax Bottle COM
pany."
According to Mr.. Leventritt, Tur-
rer had originally put up $4,000 in
cash. His overdrafts amounted to
$4,000. leaving $4,000 practically which
remained as the value of his holdings.
Hamilton offered $4,000 for Turner's
share, which the latter accepted and
the deal was closed. Turner believed
that this transaction relieved him of
all connection with the firm and closed
all accounts. Asked why Turner had
been prevailed upon to agree to giving
up a check for $2,700 to settle with
Hamilton and Mallard, Mr.. Leventritt
said
Turner was influenced by the fact
that he was expecting a political ap-
pointment which would be made i'm
possible if the least hint Of irregu-
larity, however unfolmded, should be
made against him.
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