Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-19
MRS. LYNCH AIDS
INNOCENT MAN"


That is why I am defending him.
| do not profess any great knowledge
OF law, but I have not yet seen or
heard anything to make me change
my belief In the mans innocence.
did not take up his case through
friendship. l know his reputation as
a drunkard, and am not insensible as
to his former home life. But that Is
neither here nor there. Leehan
worked for me a short time as a
stenographer, but my action in his
defense is from a public standpoint
II believe / would have done the
same thing for any man similarly
situated. I knew, or thought I knew,
that the negro first arrested for the
crime was not guilty, and I was pre-
pared to see he had q fair trial. I
am engaged in public work and we
have lawyers to carry on the legal
part of that work. think I know
as much about the crime of Pine
needle lane as anybody who has in
vestigated 1t. l took up the matter
Immediately after the finding of the
body of the unfortunate Mrs. Tur-
ner. did not wait until the arrest
of Leehan. / tried in every way to
fathom the mystery OF the pine
woods"
There is conflicting evidence as to
the cause of Mrs. Turner's death.
The body was found with the face
half buried in sand and wounds on
the face and head that might have
been caused by blows of a heavy
club. Death, it Is contended. might
have resulted either from the blows
or from suffoeation.
Court was in session until 10 o'clock
last night. and this morning the pros
eoution continued It's evidence.
Tells OF Finding Body.
At the opening of the testimony
yesterday afternoon the prosecution
introduced William c. Shafto, q liv-
eryman of Lakewood. Shafto, who
was member of the searching party
which found the body of Mrs Turner
two days after she is supposed to
have been slain. told the jury of the
organized hunt for the missing
woman. He said that when a mem
Der of the party. boy, had come up
on her mutilated body, there were
evidences that there had been
struggle on the spot. The ground, he
said, had been torn up, bushes broken
off and her gloves, handkerchief
and pocketbook lay strewn around.
the latter open.
I'VE did not touch the body until
after Prosecutor Brown and the coro-
ner had come. We found pieces of
bark clinging to her clothing and
held In her hair These pieces were
fitted onto the club which we sup
posed was used by her assailant in
killing her. and they exactly fitted
into the stripped parts" Shafto said.
How Leehnn Took News.
''I met Leehan on the River road"
he continued, 1.-The day after Mrs.
Turner had disappeared and told him
that she was missing My God,
that's TOO bad he said to me. The
next time ! saw him was after her
funeral. I was passing the house and
Mrs. Leehan asked me II 1 wouldn't
go in and quiet her husband. I en-
tered the house. Leehan came to me
and fell upon his knees.
"'My God, do you think | killed
Mrs. Turner?' he asked me-
Andrew j. c. Stokes, of the defend
ants counsel In his cross-examina-
ton of the witness. asked Shafto If
he was not himself suspected of the
crime, and IL he did not try to induce
Mrs. Jennie Murray to say that a
man whom she believed to be Mr..
Clayton and whom she saw in the
vicinity of the crime was Leehan, In
stead of Clayton, and also If he did
not see Mr.. and Mrs. Leets, witnesses
in the case and try to get them to
change their testimony. Shafto de-
MED that he had done any of the
things mentioned
After Coroner Edward j. Westhall
had identified the clothing and estab-
lished that tears which showed in the
undergarments had been there at tho