Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-12-21
FIFTEEN YEARS is
GIVEN TO FURNACE
Convicted of Attempted Crimi-
nal Assault.
STATEMENT MADE BY VICTIM


In Passing Sentence Judge Roam De-
clared that But for Recommendation
of Jury He Would Have Given the
Limit of the Law.
Atlanta, Dec. [c..-"But for God
coming to my side just at that mo-
ment," dramatically declared Mrs.
Carrie Comstock, as she rose from
the witness chair in the, superior
court room, and pointing at Robert
Turnage, that man would have dis
honOred me. But" she continued,
''as he passed his hand over my face
| seized one of his fingers in my
mouth, and clenched my teeth upon
it. Then he struck me in the face,
broke my nose, and when l finally
tried to escape, struck me on the
head with water pitcher, and ours
ed me as | lay PROSTATE and help
less.
1t took the jury but a short time to
determine the fate of Robert Tur-
mage, a young white man but 28
years of age, tried in the superior
court under indictment for attempt
ed criminal assault upon Mrs. Car
rie Comstock, the wife of a city wa
ter meter reader, who in pursuance
of her business as "a solicitor for a
cooking PROFOUND, called at the house
where Turnage was, in the afternoon
of Dec. 7, and, upon being admitted
to the house by Turnage to see "the
lady of the house." was brutally as
saulted by him. Guilty, with a rec
ommendation to mercy, was the YER
dict Of the jury, Immediately after
the rendition of which Judge Roam
said:
Stand up, Turnage. Have you
anything to say why sentence of the
law should not now be pronounced
upon you?" asked Judge Roam.
Only this, Judge" said the pris
oner, without the flicker of nerve
as he stood shoulder to shoulder by
the side of his white-haired father,
who trembled when he heard the YER
dict. THAT I made a truthful state
ment on the stand" "
in Difference to the jury" said
Judge Roam, Il will sentence you to
serve Is years at hard labor in the
penitentiary The maximum pun
ishment l might infict would be 20
years, which is what, but for the
have imposed upon you. Yours is
o2e of the most brutal crimes l have
known Of, and but for the interpo
siic1 Of Providence, this good wo-
man. who has a kind, mOtherly,
Christian face, would have been your
victim | cannot strongly enough
characterize your cowardly and bru-
tai attack upon this good woman"
Physically. Turnage bears none of
the ear-marks of a degenerate He
is apparently above the average man
as regards Intelligence. His defense
was that he was mentally irresponsi-
BILE at the time of the assault, and
this plea, put forth by his attorneys,
Madison Bell and Mark Bolding, was
thoroughly ridiculed by Solicitor GEN
c~al Charles D. Hill, who represent
ed the state.
Think OF it," cried Mr. Hill "It
one ear is larger than the other, if
your palate is high, and you love
oysters and have short fingers, the
case is made cut. You are crazy.
that's all that needed, according to
the remarkable statement made by
the defendants witness, DR.. S. r.
Roberts"
J. w. Turnage, his head whitened
by ,Ic passage of many years, the
father of the plumber on trial, testi-
fled that his son had always been OF
a rowing disposition, slept in the
woodshed at home, and did other un-
conventional things. Besides, the
father declared, the son inherited the
taste for drink from his grandfather
Madge Turnage, the sister of the
defendant. declared that her brother
was quarrels0me without reason, and
without cause, had threatened her
and her brother Policeman S. L.
Rosser testified that Turnage was
drunk on the day he arrested him,
after the alleged assault.