Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-08-16
ROBERT A. TURNER.
Deserved Tribute to a Good ard
Noble Man.

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Editor Record az srar" III Your
iar.r tha' ! r!"v give a hr,"t eEo.ch
OF the hi, and character al ny LAT"
(ri"ld Robert \ Turner. vino l'@s. ID
rWal az hls hul.!r at ALchua Florida
JGi! i i.",
bob Turner "a, hi, many ir"uds
lo.ti to call him. Was thu ION OF M!.
j, 4 and Mrs. Annir NJ rurnrr
and was born in Edgrtl,ld = C.. Aug.
ut Il. l>i>. His parents moved I"
Florida from South Carolina when
the subject Of this sketch Was IA Child,
and settled at Prov idcnCe. bradford
county. IIon reaching manhood he
came To Nolusia county and for
number OF years resided At Enter
Prise. then the county seat OF Nolusia
Enterprise was at that time III" pref
test and most thriving little town IN
, Florida being the head of navigation
OF the s., Johns river and the dis.
tributing point for all mail south on
the East Coast All residents OF the
East Coast section including all
tourists, had to pass through Enter.
! prise. 1t was the jacksonville OF
South Florida. This was In the early
sos. Politics was pretty hot in those
days and Enterprise was controlled by
"A band OF white Republicans from
Henry county. Ind. the Interest that
ever struck Florida. The negroes be-
ing largely in the majority. were
easily influenced and controlled by
this Henry county contingent from In.
diana.
Among the young Democrats living
Their. at that time, in 1884. were bob
and Bill Dickins. Gus willard. BIZ
and Jim Fits. Rob Turner and Jim
Alexander The! got together ana
ran Il Young mems ticket for city Of
fees. composed OF the following: Jim
Alexander for mayor, Bill Dickins and
Gus Willard for aldermen. Bill Fits
for clerk and treasurer. and Bob Tur'
u..r for marshal and collector, and
?ftcr n hot contest. all were elected
they were happy Happy days of the
,,r- ago. Bob Turner was also dep
ut\ sheriff and was virtually sher'n
AS Sheriff Cone lived 40 miles from
tn. court house and was In feeble
health. Times were different ther
from now never knew bob turner
{, hard cum prisoner He carried
n man charged with murder n Mana
To-. county. when Pine Level was the
count, seat. He and the prisoner OK
cupi.d different rooms while on route
to Manatee county. He controlled
men nv Kindness He was as true
friend and as brave a man as eve
lived. and was the soul of honor. ant
,.,s word was his bond. For mum
her of Years he was associated VIII
IN. D. Rogers in surveying and cN'
engineering. and while thus engaged
contracted rheumatism. which hnal'
caused his death.
After spending about l" Years II
. \olusla county he returned to LAS
Florida and settled AT AlaChua. Ala
chua county. In the cotton belt. wher
n. owned and operated several c0tto
gins.
He married Miss Annie Weeks, tn
daughter OF Jonathan and Mar
Weeks. The Weeks are among u
/ most prominent and influential lam
l lies in Florida. Their LANES aii"d
i'm the constitutional convention
Florida and among hSr lrgi-i'''rs' II
leaves a wife aid fOur cn,Iuren
| mourn their loss. three daughters all
a son. who have the d"'. ~Imi'dt'
OF hundreds OF his friends VINO )o
in their sorrow and affection. II
| only brother. Mr. J. X. Turner, Is II
rr,,cpt sheriff OF Nolusia county NJ
Ina. filled that responsible" niitl'
t,r many wears Ne was buried III u
old \ewnansNillc cemetery Nau
full and historic spot ia Florida
the campaign OF 1904 ! Visited ~
place. where so many of Fif'o'
rohl.st sons and fairrS' dauShte
ar, resting under the shad" "'
,r,. Eth, did | then think that I