The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-19
WOMAN DEFENDER
Of ACCUSED MAN
FIGHTS HIS CASE
Rich Society Leader Conducts
Defense of F riendless Leehan
Charged With Woman's
Murder.
Acted as Detective, Supplied
Funds, Engaged Counsel and
Now Directs Proceedings in
Trial Which Attracts
Crowds.

TOMS RIVER, n. J., Dec. IS
Events moved swiftly here today in
the trial Of William j. Leehan, charged
with the murder of Mrs. Caroline Tur-
ner a Lakewood on April &c. 1911.
Marshaled by Mrs. Jasper Lynch.
the Lake wood society woman. the law
yers for the defense fought bitterly
against evidence that the prosecution
thought most damaging of all in it's
possession, Mrs. Lynch herself WAS
the dominant figure Of the three ses
slons Of the court presided over by
Judge James r. Minturn.
Mrs. Lynch with her husband by
her side, wa salert and truculent at
every move Of the States lawyers.
Worshiped by Prisoner.
The prisoner himself pale and
frail. from six months In the county
fail. sat near Mrs. Lynch. To her and
not 20 her lawyers was his attention
continually directed. OF her he asked
the ms aiming OF the various points tho
prosecution made. His gratitude -
her fer her espousai of his one-tine
seemingly hopeless cause was evil
dent in the glances Of admiration ana
confidence he cast al the woman who
has taken his part purely ia the in
tereats Of justice and because she be
lieves that an attempt has been made
to fasten the guilt of others Upon
poor and innocent man. He once
worked as stenographer for Mrs
Lynch for short time and that FIRST
get her 10 concern herself in his case
For months she did work that any
rtETF7--fvT w17T1t mr. pT0uJf II ANA rfTg
result Is an evident strength Of the de-
Tense that no one had thought pos
slble
Afraid of Husband.
Back Of where Leehan sat at the
table with his counsel was seated all
day a tall. gaunt man. Most OF tho
time he rested a malevoient glare
upon Leehan. He was Charles Tur-
ner. husband of she woman who was
killed. and the gardener at Georgian
Court, George J. Gould's estate. near
Lakewood when the clothes of the
murdered woman worn the da yshe
was Killed were put IN evidence. sew
erai of her relatives who were present
could not repress their tears but the
husband of the murdered woman did
not change his expression.
With his brother, Link Turner nc
sat imr2ssively through the ordeal.
During the noon recess 1t was whis-
pered about that Link Turner would
never let William Leehan get out of
the courthouse alive If the jury found
him not guilty. So Sheriff Frank TIL
ton took him out to an anteroom and
searched him carefully for the big re-
volver he was supposed to have In his
pocket. No weapon was found, but
Leehan and his lawyers breathed more
easily 10 find that out.
Picks the Jury
Mrs. Lynch. so far as one could see,
picked the jury all by herself. She
looked hard at the face of each man as
he was called. told Leehan's lawyers
what questions to ask, pondered the
answers and then decided whether she
wanted that particular person 10 be
accepted. The result OF her work was
a typical Jersey jury. Most of the
members are farmers. fishermen and
clam diggers. men Of family and with
honesty written all over them.