The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-24
TURNER DEAD WHEN
RIVER RECEIVED
HIS BODY?
General Conclusion That Young
Man Did Not Drown
AUTOPSY FINDINGS SECRET
All obtainable information Leads to
Belief That Death Was Due to
Foul Play


state laboratory of hygiene and his
assistant, DR. F. l.. Sprague, arrived
here on The flyer Saturday afternoon
from Darlington and took the 9'45 car
owe, the Remington and North Ad-
ans electric road to Pownal. DR..
Stone had been informed of the find
ing CT Oscar Turner's body in the
morning but il was not expected that
he would be able to reach ns-e during
The day. As soon as the pathologis-
and his assistant arrived at South
pnwnal an autopsy was held III the
carriage house on the ID. t. Bates
arm. The only person present other
than tae officials from the laboratory
was DR.. b. o. Barber of Pownal. DR..
2. r. Potter was also supposed TO at
end but was absent on an important
case at the North Adams hospital. he
arrived in South Pownal. however, to
make the necessary signatures ana
witness the sealing of the wearing
apparel found on the unfortunate
mans body
When seen at South Pownal by a
representative of the Banner yester-
Law. DR.. Barber stated that he had
been requested by DR.. Stone not to
make any revelations in regard to tne
findings of the autopsy. When asked
whether or not Turner's skull was
ound to have been fractured he told
The reporter a funny story and every
line that the newspaper man returned
20 the subject the doctor had another
story ready for the occasion. The
doctor would neither admit that Tur-
ner's skull was fractured nor would
he deny It, but IL was evident from his
replies that the former was more like
ly the case. The doctor did say, how
ever, that the case of the state against
he four people now confined in the
county jail was in his opinion mater
| tally strengthened by the facts reveal
| ID by the autopsy. His replies to
questions also gave the impression
nat one or more of the suspects
other than Thomas Harris might be-
come more seriously involved
when the hearings are held than has
been generally supposed.
Because he had another case to in
vestigate today, that of the burglar
snot and killed at Hyde Park early
| Saturday morning. Dr. Stone did not
remain in Bennington over night but
with DR.. Sprague took the midnight
| train for Burlington. He took with
him portions of the body for further
| examination at the laboratory. By
| leaving at midnight DR.. Stone missed
States Attorney w. J. Meagher who
arrived here at o'clock in the morn
ing from Windsor where he had been
TO represent the state in the habeas
corpus proceedings brought before
the United States court to secure the
release of Eugene Sargood from the
state prison. The states attorney was
in Pownal a portion of the forenoon
yesterday and from what he learned
of the developments during the previ-
GUS "a hours ne returned with the
conviction that the state has a strong
case against some one of the suspects
in the county jail and perhaps against
all of them.
The states attorney was much re-
lieyed over the finding of the body.
The retention of four persons in jail
for over month without a hearing
nas been both unpleasant and annoy
ing to him. The cases of the two
Harrises, Moon and Pratt have in no
respect been prejudiced nor have they
suffered any injustice. They have
been informed, particularly Moon, that
they could have preliminary hearing
but 1t has also been made plain to
them that they would probably be
acid for the grand jury under larger
bail than they would be likely to pro-
cure and have not asked for the hear
ings,
1t is not likely that the autopsy pre-
scented any difficult problems and a
report should be received from DR..
Stone during the week. When the re-
port is received Attorney General ].
G.. Sargent of Ludlow will come to
Bennington, unless more pressing and
previous business detains him. He is
unusually busy at the present time
and the case may be left in charge of
States Attorney w. J. Meagher. Just
wat action will be taken by the mu.
nlcipal court in the cases of the four
suspects is of course unknown. but II
is PROBABLE that they will all be held
for the grand jury which meets al
Manchester June LIST, either as prin.
cipals or witnesses.
When the ambulance from Wal
bridges undertaking rooms arrived In
Pownal Saturday in accordance with
an arrangement that had been preyi
ously made to take the body to Ben
nington there was hitch in the pro
ceedings. T. Hoxie Hall had prepared
a petition for a hearing before Justice
d. o, Barber in accordance with the
statute relating to the finding of deaf
bodies. There was lengthy discus
} sion in which Mr.. Hall and ID. T
Bates were the leading disputants bu
the final result was that the ambul
ance returned to Bennington and tn,
pody was taken to the carriage hous,
2 TO await the coming of the official,
IRON the state laboratory.
Among the spectators on the banl
OF the river during the forenoon whel
the body was being searched for tn,
money and watch which were fount